Updated: February 2024
Given the type of winters we have here in St. Charles, Lake St. Louis, Manchester, and the rest of the St. Louis area, we rely on our furnaces a lot to keep us comfortable in our homes. If our heating systems aren’t working properly, we can be left shivering in the cold wondering what went wrong. Today we want to give you a better understanding of some of the most common furnace problems and what you can do to fix and avoid them.
Common furnace problems: 4 things to blame
- Dirty furnace filter.
We encounter all kinds of problems while servicing heating systems on the field, and a large majority of them can be traced back to a dirty furnace filter. When your filter gets clogged, it restricts airflow to your system. This causes your furnace to work overtime and can lead to short cycling, insufficient heat around your home, and higher energy bills. Dirty air can also bypass your clogged filter and damage the inner workings of your furnace. This is why it’s so important to keep up with your filter changes.
- Wrong thermostat settings.
Believe it or not, many common furnace problems are simply the result of thermostats that aren’t set properly. If your thermostat isn’t set to “heat” mode, for example, it won’t deliver warm air to your home. Also, your furnace won’t kick on until the temperature in your home is lower than the temperature setting on your thermostat. Make sure to use the thermostat settings that can save you energy but also keep you comfortable in your home.
- Ignition problems.
If the ignition on your furnace is having problems, your heating system won’t be able to start properly. Pilot lights can go out in older systems, thermocouples can become faulty or the gas valve can be closed off for one reason or another. For safety purposes, ignition problems are best handled by trained professionals like the ones at Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning, Electrical and Plumbing.
- Lack of maintenance.
Without proper maintenance, your furnace can get dirty, develop malfunctions, become less efficient, and encounter a whole host of other problems. That’s why the best thing you can do for your furnace is to have it inspected, cleaned, and tuned up by a professional once a year. This will ensure that your unit is operating at peak performance so that it doesn’t break down when you need it the most.
If you have any questions about these common furnace problems, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning, Electrical and Plumbing, your St. Charles furnace repair company. We service the St. Louis area and surrounding cities like Clayton, Lake St. Louis, and Manchester.