What is the most common problem with furnaces?

How to spot a furnace problem?

The typical heating and furnace problems listed below are categorized by typical symptoms you could experience. While some problems can get fixed quickly and simply, others need more to go through diagnostics, repairs, or replacements. All of which should be handled by an HVAC expert. Knowing the causes of a broken furnace may help you avoid future problems, prolong the life of your appliance, and safeguard your family from fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Never be reluctant to contact the furnace maintenance companies for any inquiries.

The most common problems people face with their furnaces are:

Warning notification on the thermostat

Many modern thermostats can inform homeowners when maintenance is due, if performance is poor, or if there is a connection problem. While thermostat error messages can be useful, they differ greatly from model to model and brand to brand. When you observe error messages on your thermostat’s display, it is important to check the user manual for details about what the error is attempting to tell you. Check the number against your manual’s list of error messages since many error messages have codes. A thermostat handbook may provide instructions for erasing the alarm code or suggest that you schedule an appointment with one of the furnace maintenance companies if a serious issue causes the alarm.

The thermostat does not start the furnace even after adjustment

Your furnace or heat pump should react correctly whenever you alter a thermostat setting. However, one of these common furnace problems may be to blame if setting your thermostat doesn’t activate your heating system and warm your house. Most new thermostats come with lock features that make it easier for landlords, company owners, and parents to restrict thermostat modifications when they are locked. If the system is locked, unlock it by following the instructions in your owner’s handbook, then make the necessary modifications. Look for a lock icon if the thermostat won’t respond when you try to switch on your furnace. When the system is set to “AUTO,” Some thermostat types include automated operating modes that are designed to maintain a constant, even temperature in your house by turning on the furnace or heat pump automatically. Any tweaks you make can have no effect while “AUTO” mode is activated. To test if you can make the necessary modifications, try setting your thermostat to “HEAT.”

Dirty Filters

It is essential to change furnace filters on a regular basis. Filters that are jammed up can make the furnace work a lot harder, which could lead to an overheated heat exchanger and an abrupt shutdown of the machine. You need to clean up those filters routinely. Otherwise, you’ll have an ineffective furnace that costs more to run while producing less heat. The worst-case scenario is that your furnace will have a way shorter lifespan. When your furnace isn’t giving out enough heat or if it is constantly turning on and off, there’s a good chance that it’s starving for air.

The thermostat’s display is blank or not operating

Your home heating system’s thermostat serves as its brain. You won’t have heat in your house if it won’t turn on since it can’t notify your furnace or heat pump when to start. Here are a few reasons behind that:

1. The absence of electricity or lack of electricity is one of the most frequent causes of thermostat malfunctions. Replace the batteries in your battery-operated device to test whether your thermostat screen illuminates. If your appliance is hardwired, examine your electrical panel to determine if there are any blown fuses or tripped breakers. Buy new fuses to replace those that have blown. Flip a tripped breaker in the other direction, then turn it back, so it faces the panel’s interior to fix it. Local power outages might also affect your thermostat, so make sure all of your home’s electrical lights and appliances are functioning correctly.
2. The internal wiring in a thermostat can become loose at any time, which may affect what is displayed on the screen. Look for any loose connections or wires that seem out of place after removing the thermostat’s faceplate. Replace the thermostat cover after tightening all connections. Request the assistance of an HVAC professional to check the wiring if the screen is still blank. It could be essential to replace the unit in specific circumstances.
3. A thermostat screen that goes blank during a heating cycle may indicate overheating. The limit switch in your furnace may be activated by high interior temperatures, stopping the furnace. Filters that are filthy or clogged vents that are causing overheating should be changed, as should any blockages. To determine the source of your furnace’s persistent overheating, speak with an expert.

Dirty Burners

When your burners get clogged, they won’t be capable of emitting sufficient natural gas to initiate fire, so you won’t get any warmth. A clean burner will have blue flames; any other color, like yellow or red, signals the presence of trash. When they attempt to ignite, dirty burners may also make a loud boom-rumble. But you should definitely not try to clean your burner at home alone. Doing so can be highly risky.

Heat Exchanger with Cracks

In addition to making it challenging for your furnace to operate properly, a faulty heat exchanger can allow toxic carbon monoxide inside your home. It could be difficult to recognize the warning signs of a broken heat exchanger. However, they may include the following:

1. Inside your furnace, there is soot.
2. A powerful, repulsive smell from the furnace
3. There is water on the ground beside the furnace.
4. Headaches, itchy eyes, nausea, confusion, or flu-like symptoms among your home’s occupants are all signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.

If you think your furnace’s heat exchanger is cracked, do not try to fix it at home; rather, contact a furnace repair or maintenance service.

Your furnace is noisy

The majority of furnaces emit some noise when they run. When the thermostat reaches a specific temperature and signals the furnace, you can hear clicks, and you’ll probably hear a “whooshing” sound as the air passes through your ducts. Some furnaces have louder blowers than others. But certain noises might indicate a problem with your system and the need for the equipment’s inspection, repair, or even replacement. For instance, if the noise coming from your furnace is banging, or the furnace itself is rattling, it may indicate that something has come loose and needs to be tightened or corrected. If your furnace generates a loud rumbling noise, fuel can be left in the combustion chamber after the system has switched off. In either scenario, you should shut off your furnace and get a furnace maintenance professional to come and take a look.

The furnace is not turning on automatically

The furnace will activate and begin to produce heat as soon as it gets the signal from the thermostat when everything is working properly. There might be an issue, though, when you notice that the furnace is not going on and if your room is getting a little cold. Similarly to other furnace issues, this one may also be quickly fixed or point to a larger problem with the heating system. For instance, your furnace will not turn on if the circuit breaker is switched off. If the apparatus isn’t operating, check the breaker box and try to turn the “furnace” switch. You might just need to do that to restart things. The thermostat is another factor that could prevent your furnace from coming on. Your furnace won’t turn on if the thermostat is set too low until it detects that lower temperature. The furnace won’t turn on if your thermostat is set to “off” or “cool.” Check the thermostat and make any necessary adjustments to see if doing so makes your furnace start to operate.

The furnace is Leaking water

Exhaust pipes for high-efficiency furnaces are frequently made of PVC rather than metal. Additionally, they include condensation pipes that carry the water created when the fuel for combustion cools to a drain. Water may collect at the base of the furnace if the condensation line develops a leak or clogs in some other way. Your best action in that situation is to call a technician from furnace repair near Clayton, NC, to look at it.

The furnace produces chilly air rather than warm

You can have a furnace problem if your furnace runs, but the temperature on your thermostat never seems to change. Several factors might cause your heater to produce chilly air, including the following:

1. A massive amount of heat can escape from your ducts into other locations, such as the voids inside of your walls if there are significant gaps in the duct lines. Additionally, it is possible to draw in unheated air through the vent pipes, which may make the air entering a room seem significantly colder. This kind of significant heat loss might raise energy costs as well. To detect and fix leaks, experts can pressure test your system. Check visible duct lines for gaps, holes, or other problems; if you suspect duct leaks, then use HVAC aluminum tape to cover the affected locations.
2. Condensation is the mechanism used by high-efficiency condensing furnaces to remove combustion byproducts. If too much water builds up because of a blockage in the condensate line, these systems may activate a limit switch, which would cut off the heat production. For water to exit the system correctly, appropriate drainage must be restored. If you find any blockages in your condensate line, check for them and call furnace maintenance if necessary.

Broken limit control switch

When your blower fan runs continuously, and you are certain that the thermostat is adjusted to AUTO instead of ON, the limit control switch could possibly be the issue. This switch, which is directly below the box that conducts heat from the furnace to the pipes, turns the system off if the air becomes excessively hot. If the unit never turns off, you should have your limit switch fixed or replaced by a qualified HVAC specialist.