When your furnace runs effectively year after year, a problem with the system comes as a surprise. Furnaces are durable, after all, but only assuming they get the service they really need year after year. Improper maintenance can be a huge contributing factor as to why a heating system experiences frequent breakdowns, although many come without warning.
In any case, it’s important to call in technicians ASAP when a furnace is not functioning properly so that you promptly get the service your system needs. Finding out why furnaces tend to fail will hopefully convince you of the need for both fast service and routine furnace maintenance. Read on to learn more!
1. Just another dirty filter
First, there’s the possibility that a furnace that is not heating your home sufficiently—or even one that has completely overheated and broken down—simply needs a new air filter. You may think that the filter only has to do with your air quality, but there’s clearly much more to it than this.
Filters help to protect your system from damage, but a clogged filter does the opposite. A dirty air filter is clogged up with dirt and debris that stops air from flowing through. All in all, that can force your heating system to work a lot harder than it should have to. You feel less comfortable, your bills go up, and you may have to deal with additional broken components from all the wear.
Change your filter once every 1-3 months!
2. Mechanical wear and tear
Furnaces often run into trouble—making strange noises or failing to sufficiently heat a home—thanks to standard mechanical wear and tear. You can expect your furnace to wear down with age. At some point, if components like motors and wires keep wearing out, you may need to replace the entire unit.
However, some level of wear and tear is often preventable. Routine maintenance allows for an inspection and tune-up of your furnace that can help to prevent fan belts from wearing, motors from overworking, and other common system failures. Be sure to schedule maintenance each year in the fall.
3. Ignition issues
Gone are the days of the standing pilot you have to light each time you want to use your furnace. Hopefully, you’ve updated to a furnace that uses electronic ignition, an intermittent pilot that lights a spark to heat the gas only when the heater turns on, which can save a lot of energy.
However, electrical malfunctions may keep the ignition switch from working properly, resulting in a failure to start. A simple replacement part may be necessary.
4. A safety switch is activated
Finally, there’s a problem you would much rather catch during a heating inspection than to hear about in the middle of winter: safety issues within the furnace. If a furnace will not start up or stay on, it could be due to a safety issue causing a safety switch in the system to activate.
Safety switches shut your furnace off at the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, overheating, and other serious issues. Sometimes, the switch needs replacement, while other times a larger issue must be addressed. Schedule maintenance each year to help prevent these possibilities.
For furnace repair in Union, NJ, contact the team at Max Sr & Paul Schoenwalder Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, A Corp.