5 Warning Signs It’s Time for Furnace Repair

The Five Most Common Signs That You Need Furnace Repair

The indoor atmospheric change between air conditioning and heating is subtle but tangible. The focus transforms from being too humid to too dry. The cooling temperature setting is often considered too cold for winter and vice versa. Don’t let these subtle changes mask trouble with the furnace, since this system will keep the family comfortable and healthy during the winter. Here are a few “subtle” changes that might indicate a furnace repair is needed.

1 Unusual Smells

The V in HVAC stands for ventilation. Your furnace should circulate fresh, filtered air without odors or funny smells and when you smell something unusual it needs to be addressed.

• Rotten egg or sulfur smells can be dangerous, indicating a natural gas or propane leak. Turn off the furnace, evacuate, and call the gas company. An HVAC professional can help locate and repair the leak.
• Hot or burning plastic smells often indicate overheated electronics, either in furnace components or residential wiring. Do not ignore these smells, since overheating can generate enough heat to cause a fire.
• Musty or earthy smells in the wintertime usually indicate a different problem than musty smells in the summer. Musty smells in the winter may suggest a gap in the ductwork. If that is the case, not only will hot air blow outside, but air from a crawlspace, garage, or attic is being drawn into the home.

2 Unusual Sounds

The normal sounds of the heating and cooling cycles should be identical; hearing new or odd sounds needs to be addressed.

• All electronics will give off a low hum; when the hum becomes loud or shrill, this is unusual. The humming part is often overheating.
• There are few moving parts in an HVAC system, so grinding or screeching usually comes from the bearings in the blower motor. Address this before the motor fails.
• Expect some light bumping as the sheet metal of the ducts expands and contracts with the heating cycle. If the thumping becomes loud, it generally indicates a problem with the ductwork.

3 Cold Spots

The furnace blower motor is quite powerful; it is designed to circulate the entire volume in a home every few minutes. This ensures that the air is thoroughly mixed, from top to bottom and from one end to the other. When one room or end of the home is consistently colder than comfortable, it could be due to poor insulation or leaky windows. It also could denote the poor efficiency of the furnace. Either way, the problem should be addressed for comfort and family health.

4 Frequent Cycling

If the time between heating cycles begins to shorten or the furnace does not shut off, this indicates the system is under great stress. The stress will build and result in a systematic failure—brrrrrr. The solution might be a simple repair, or it might be the first step toward failure; address the problem early to avoid waking up in the cold.

• When the temperature drops very low (below 20⁰ F) and stays low for long periods, expect the furnace to struggle a little to keep the home warm.
• If your furnace is a heat pump system, remember to switch the setting to Emergency Heat or Auxiliary Heat. The heat pump may struggle to transfer sufficient heat from outside to warm the space.

5 High Energy Bills

This might be a little subtle since a higher energy bill might result from higher energy costs. If you are wondering, research the number of kilowatt hours from year to year for a specific month. If energy use has risen sharply without explanation, check with your HVAC professional.

Schedule Your Furnace Repair Appointment with Northwind AC 

Northwind Air Conditioning and Heat can help address your furnace repair needs before cold weather. Contact us and get the help you need.