Furnace Repair Signs to Look For
The outdoor thermometer is rapidly dropping now that we’re in December—and the actual official start of winter isn’t even here yet! (It’s the 21st of December if you want to mark your calendar. It’s also the shortest day of the year, so if you need some extra lighting, give us a call.) You’ve got your furnace already fired up to keep your home warm. If it received its regular maintenance during the fall, it should be in good shape for winter. But you still need to keep a close watch on it during these early months; the sooner you catch malfunctions, the easier they are to fix, and the less likely they are to cause the system to breakdown.
Common furnace warning signs
- Cold spots: When the furnace is running, take a tour of all the rooms that have vents in them. Do you notice any cold spots, areas that simply aren’t warming up the way they should? First make sure that the vents are unblocked and open. Also see the furnace filter is changed. If the problem persists, either the furnace is struggling to produce enough heat or the room has poor insulation.
- Weird sounds: Furnaces are designed to run more quietly than ever—and this makes strange sounds stand out. Grinding, rattling, and other mechanical noises can point toward broken motors, bent fan blades, a loose air handler, or other mechanical failure. Booming sounds may mean dirt along the burner. Clicking is a warning of a cracked heat exchanger, something that needs to be fixed right away. Don’t try to diagnose the problem on your own: call HVAC professionals.
- Acrid smells from the vents: When a furnace first turns on for the season, a slight burning smell is normal; it’s dust burning off the heat exchanger. If the smell remains, however, or it returns, it’s possible one of the motors is burning out.
No matter the furnace repair you need in Glenview, IL or elsewhere in Chicagoland, trust to Brilliant Home Services to have it fixed fast and right!