You won’t need to run your furnace often to warm your house. Not with the weather we have here in Panama City. But you want it to work right when you do need it, so it’s a good idea to watch out for any warning signs the furnace is in trouble. That way, you can call for prompt furnace repair in Panama City, FL from our technicians and get ahead of a more serious problem later on. It’s also much safer to react quickly to furnace problems, especially if you have a gas furnace.
There are several specific warning signs to watch for that will tell you your furnace needs the attention of HVAC professionals. Here are five…
1. The furnace keeps shutting down early and turning back on a short time later.
This phenomenon is called short-cycling: the furnace is caught in its start-up cycle and isn’t completing a full cycle before it shuts down. It then turns back on a short time later and repeats the process. A short-cycling furnace may end up turning on and off eight times in an hour. This wastes power and wears the furnace down rapidly. Worse, it’s warning of a major underlying issue that needs professionals to identify and fix it.
2. Your heating costs seem extraordinarily high.
Do you keep a regular watch on your utility bills? We hope so, because suddenly skyrocketing costs for electricity or natural gas during times when you run your furnace are huge red flags that something is wrong. If you know you haven’t been using the heater more than normal, then we recommend you call us to look into the furnace to see if there’s a malfunction that is forcing it to work harder than normal.
3. The furnace isn’t evenly heating the house.
The furnace turns on, runs as you expect it to, and the center of the house warms up to the temperature you want. But there are parts of the house that feel colder (or sometimes hotter) than they usually do. This is often an early warning that a furnace is losing its heating capacity: for some reason, it’s not able to generate enough hot air to distribute it around the house. You’ll want this investigated as soon as possible.
4. The color of the gas jets isn’t blue.
If you have a gas furnace, you can look into it and see the burning of the gas jets. (Even sealed combustion furnaces will provide a small window to observe the flames.) The reason to occasionally check on the flames is to make sure they haven’t changed color from blue to red, yellow, or green. If this change occurs, it means the burners are combustion something other than gas. Shut the furnace off right away and call for assistance.
5. The furnace is making odd noises.
What counts as “odd”? Anything you don’t hear normally. The standard furnace sounds are the whir of the blower fan, a gentle whoosh as the jets ignite, some clicking when the furnace cools off, and that’s about it. When you start hearing clanging, rattling, hissing, loud clicking, grinding, mechanical shrieking, or other strange noises, the furnace is calling for help.
Call on Parker Services, Inc for all your heating and cooling repair needs. Comfort’s just a call away!