One of the best ways to maximize the life and performance of your furnace is to know how to recognize when something goes wrong. The quicker you can take care of a problem, the less long-term damage the problem will cause. Today we’re going to talk about some obvious and not-so-obvious signs that your furnace needs repair so that you can know when to contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical to fix small issues before they become much more problems down the line!

10 signs that your furnace needs a repair

  1. Your house won’t stay warm. One of the most obvious signs that your furnace needs repair is that your home will not stay warm. The whole purpose of your furnace is to keep your home comfortable, so if it’s cold indoors your furnace is not doing its job properly.
  2. Your furnace is making loud noises. It’s natural for your furnace to make a little bit of noise when it’s operating, but you should make note of any abnormal or loud noises. If your furnace is making noises like banging, popping, squealing, grinding, or booming while it’s operating, it’s likely trying to tell you that something’s wrong.
  3. Your system won’t turn on. One of the worst things that can happen to your furnace is that it won’t turn on at all. This might be due to an electrical surge or it could have been triggered by one of your system’s many safety controls. Contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical right away so you aren’t left in the cold for too long.
  4. Your system won’t stay on. Does your furnace turn off shortly after it begins a heating cycle and/or before your home has reached the proper temperature level? This is an issue known as short cycling, and it is a common sign that your furnace needs repair.
  5. Your furnace is constantly running. In addition to not staying on long enough, your furnace can also develop the opposite problem: it won’t ever seem to turn off. There are many reasons why this can happen, so the problem should be diagnosed by a professional like Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical.
  6. Your furnace smells. Unless you’re using your furnace for the first time of the year, your system should not produce any strange smells. If it does, you should contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical right away. Furnace smells are often not only an indication of operational issues but also of safety hazards with your system.
  7. Your CO monitor is beeping. If your carbon monoxide monitor is beeping, it could be due to a CO leak in your furnace. If the beeping is coming from a conventional CO monitor, then the CO levels are already high and you should turn off your furnace (and other fuel-burning appliances), open up your windows, and contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical to have your heating system inspected to see if that’s the cause. If the beeping is coming from a low-level CO monitor, it might mean that your furnace just recently developed a less-serious CO leak, which will give you ample time to contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical before it becomes a more serious safety hazard.
  8. Your heating bills are on the rise. You should keep track of your monthly heating bills and compare them month-by-month and year-by-year. A steady rise in your heating bills is a good sign that your furnace has developed a problem that needs repair.
  9. There is water buildup around your furnace. If you notice water building up on or around your furnace, there is likely a leak either in your humidifier or your condensate drain line. Both of these issues should be repaired by a professional like Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical.
  10. Your system’s airflow is weak. When your furnace is running, does it feel like the air is just barely blowing out of your vents? Poor airflow is a huge problem for furnaces, and the cause should be taken care of quickly before it causes other problems with your system.
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