Expert Service 24/7 | We Stand By Our Quality

8 Signs of Imminent Furnace Failure

Nov 15, 2019

It’s never enjoyable waking up freezing in the middle of the night. However, that can happen if you wind up dealing with a furnace failure. Even if you’ve gotten your furnace a tune-up, some problems have a way of sneaking up on you. Fortunately, the experts at No Problem Heating and Cooling can tell you what behaviors indicate a furnace in need of our services

Here are eight signs that you’ll soon be seeing a furnace failure:

Gas leaks

Having your furnace leaking flammable gas is an extremely dangerous problem. You should turn off the gas supply valve right away if you smell gas. Afterward, call your gas supplier and get them to help you find the problem. In the meantime, stay outside your house and avoid messing with matches or switches. Alternatively, you may be dealing with carbon monoxide, another gas furnaces can leak. It’s an odorless gas, so you have to rely on carbon monoxide detectors or knowing the symptoms to detect it. If there is a carbon monoxide leak, leave the house and call the fire department.

 

Old age

On average, modern furnaces can last 16 to 20 years old if they’ve been cared for properly. If your furnace is getting this old, you should look for a replacement. You’ll have more time to look for a furnace if yours isn’t broken down yet.

 

No ignition

Having your furnace be unable to ignite means you won’t be getting any heat. Modern furnaces use either a Hot Surface Ignition system or an Intermittent Pilot system. The first system uses a controlled resistance heating element to heat the gas burner. Meanwhile, the second system uses a high voltage electric spark to ignite the gas pilot with the main burners. This probably won’t matter much to you, as you’ll need a professional’s assistance to fix both of these.

 

Mechanical problems/loud noises

Wear and tear is a common problem for furnaces and anything else with plenty of mechanical parts. A common sign of mechanical problems is if your furnace is noisier than usual. Many different mechanical problems can cause these noises, so we suggest giving us a call to diagnose the problem.

 

Higher heating bills

Oftentimes, a furnace that’s not running its best can wind up causing your heating bills to rise. A variety of problems can make your furnace inefficient, which means it’ll use more energy to heat your home. It’s also worth noting that inefficient furnaces tend to die quicker to the heavier workload.

 

Clogged filters

It’s important to regularly change out and clean your furnace’s filters, as they tend to get dirty quickly. The filters are meant to allow air to cool your furnace while keeping contaminants out. If they get mucked up, it can result in reduced airflow and constant cycling, which is when the furnace turns on and off.

 

Fluctuating temperatures

At times, your home’s temperature may fluctuate even though the thermostat stays the same. Oftentimes, this is because your furnace is becoming inefficient and can’t evenly regulate your home’s temperature.

 

Yellow burner flame

If the burner’s flame is yellow or flickering a lot, your furnace may start producing carbon monoxide. Other signs your furnace may produce carbon monoxide include:

*Streaks of soot around the furnace.

*No upward draft in your chimney.

*Excess moisture on walls, windows, and other cold surfaces.

*Excessive rusting on appliance jacks, flue pipes, and other pipe connections.

*Small amounts of water leaking from the base of the chimney, vent, or flue pipe.

*Rust on the part of the vent pipe visible from the outside.

 

What makes No Problem my best source for heating services?

We offer sales, service, and installation for all of your repair, service or installation needs. Whether it is residential, commercial, or hospitality corporations we do it all. It doesn’t matter if you need a straightforward furnace repair or you need a new furnace, we can handle the job. We have become the most trusted name in the St. Charles area for a reason. You can believe us when we say we treat our customers right. We are proud to have recently won the prestigious 2017 “Best of St. Charles” award for the Heating Contractor Services category. We are eager to demonstrate to you the level of service and integrity that earned us this award. Call us today to learn more about our furnace services!