Pearson’s Guide to Common Furnace Problems You’re Likely to Encounter
Winter has arrived in full force and likely will be with us for several more weeks before spring begins budding in Illinois. A well functioning furnace is, of course, absolutely essential in keeping your home warm and comfortable. And if properly maintained, it should last for 15 to 20 years and possibly longer.
Common Furnace Problems
Like any piece of equipment, however, your furnace can fail, no matter how well maintained. To provide some guidance and insight, here are seven of the most common furnace problems you’re likely to encounter.
Dirty Air Filters
Your filter plays a vital role in blocking dust, pet dander, pollutants, and allergens from reaching the furnace and being blown throughout your house via your ductwork. Everyone appreciates the importance of your furnace filter(s), but the question is how often should you change them?. As a rule of thumb, we would recommend changing every three months.
If you find your furnace is struggling to keep you warm, your problem may well be dirty filters. Those old filters are forcing your furnace to work overtime to draw air through them.
Faulty Starting Mechanism
Every furnace has a starting mechanism that varies, depending on the type of furnace you have. Newer furnaces usually have an electronic ignition while older furnaces tend to have a pilot light.
Whatever the ignition system, it can fail, and if your furnace isn’t turning on when it should, this could be the issue. At this point, it’s best to call in a professional technician to provide repair service.
Faulty Blower Motor
Your furnace has a blower that moves heated air from the furnace into the ductwork. If your furnace isn’t blowing warm air, this could be the source of the problem.
Any number of things can contribute to a blower problem. It could be faulty ball bearings, a worn out blower belt, or a damaged blower capacitor. The capacitor is the powerhouse that keeps the blower motor working.
If you hear any grinding or high-pitched squealing sounds coming from your furnace or if the furnace ignites but then shuts down before reaching the desired temperature, the problem would be with the blower motor. In that case, it’s time to call for professional help.
Faulty Heat Exchanger
You may not be familiar with this component of your furnace, but trust us, it’s very important. So, what is the heat exchanger? Stated simply, it’s a set of metal coils in your furnace used to send warm air into your home.
The burners in your furnace heat these coils. The furnace draws cold air over the coils to warm the air, and the warm air is distributed via ductwork throughout your home.
Professional maintenance is required to keep the heat exchanger operating properly. Without it, the heat exchanger can crack and malfunction, requiring replacement. And unfortunately, replacement is expensive.
Faulty Limit Switch
Like the heat exchanger, this is probably a furnace component you’re not familiar with, but it, too, is important. The limit switch monitors heat inside the furnace and tells the blower fan when to turn on or off. The limit switch can also detect furnace overheating and can shut off the burners to prevent a potential fire.
If your furnace keeps running when it shouldn’t, that could be a sign of a bad limit switch. In that case, you need a professional HVAC technician to repair or replace the switch.
A Bad Thermostat
In some cases, the problem may not be your furnace at all. The source of your problems might be the thermostat. A faulty thermostat could be picking up the wrong temperatures in your home, or it could be sending faulty signals to the furnace.
If the temperature setting on the thermostat doesn’t match the room temperature, or if the furnace won’t turn on or won’t turn off, your problem could well be the thermostat, especially if it’s 10-years-old or older.
A professional HVAC technician can determine if your problem is a faulty thermostat and whether it can be repaired or needs to be replaced.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
A power surge can cause a tripped circuit breaker that stops your furnace. In that case, resetting the breaker should resolve the issue. But if the tripping continues, that’s a sign that you need professional assistance.
Who to Call for Furnace Problems in Rockford and Surrounding Areas?
The answer to that question is really an easy one. At the first sign of furnace problems, you need to call in the HVAC experts from Pearson Plumbing, Heating/AC & Pest Control.
With 50 years experience, Pearson is the company to call for your furnace needs. Our company has always been dedicated to quality service at affordable prices, and that is what we will always provide when you call us for help. And that help is available 24/7, 365 days a year.
So, whatever your furnace service needs, from minor furnace repair to installation and replacement, you can always count on the professionals from Pearson Plumbing, Heating/AC and Pest Control.
