With nighttime temperatures traditionally hovering no higher than 39° at least through April, the short answer to this question is, “no.” If you do suspect or know that you have heating repair needs, you may be tempted to use your heater less and less, and be ready to just shut it off when the heating season ends so you don’t have to deal with it, but this can be a mistake.
Ignoring any sort of heating system issues can cause it to progress into a much bigger problem, leaving you with a broken down heater next year when you need it, or even before winter weather ends this year. But how do you know if you have heater problems that need managing, unless you’ve been told by a pro that you do? Read on to learn some of the common signs of a heating repair need.
Heating System Problems to Watch Out For
- Your Home Seems Drafty: True, this could be due to poor weather stripping, or you may have a miscalibrated thermostat or damaged air ducts. These are all worth having a professional check, since these issues will impact your air conditioner, as well. If none of these are to place, it may be that your heater is declining in performance simply due to old age and wear.
- Your Heater Is Making Loud or Strange Sounds: No matter how minor the sound may seem, if your heating system is making a noise you’ve never heard before, it makes sense to be concerned. There are a few sounds, in particular, we encourage you to watch out for—or rather, listen, for. This includes mechanical clanging or banging, hissing and clicking, or just general noisy operation that never impacted your heater before.
- Your Energy Bills Spiked: This time of the year is one where heating bills do, naturally, rise. But we’re not talking about just a couple dollars, here. If your heater isn’t well cared for with preventive maintenance, it will start to behave inefficiently, and as a result, you may keep turning the thermostat up to no avail—only to waste precious energy.
- Your Heater Is Short Cycling: This is a process in which the heater cycles on and off in rapid succession rather than in its normal form of operation. If you have a relatively newer heater and have never experienced this process before, it’s worth calling a pro—and if you have an aging heater that just started showing these systems, we absolutely encourage you to contact our team!
Letting a heater sit in wait, especially in you intend to do so over the course of months, will cause it to start breaking down. We’d like to help you avoid unexpected emergencies, so do be sure to read our advice above.
Max Sr & Paul Schoenwalder Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, A Corp. has been in business for over a century. You can trust us for your professional heating services throughout the Union, NJ area, and more. Contact us today!