The temperatures are now moving steadily downward here in Minnesota. We haven’t arrived at the first snowfall yet, but the chill during the days is enough that our home heating systems will start up and get ready for the long work that they have ahead of them.
This is a time to pay special attention to the furnace in your home. You want to catch any potential issues with it as soon as possible so you can have them repaired before the super chill sets in. Even with regular maintenance scheduled early in the fall (or now, if you haven’t scheduled it yet), a furnace may still run into unforeseen difficulties. As your home furnace starts on its seasonal job, take a look for any of the following warning signs that not all is well.
- Clicking, grinding, or booming sounds – Unusual noises from a furnace that you aren’t used to hearing usually indicate a malfunction. Booming sounds as the burners start up mean that dirt or other grime is blocking the gas jets. Grinding warns of motor problems. And clicking could mean a cracked heat exchanger, which can become a safety hazard.
- Uneven heating in the house – We strongly recommend that you take a tour of your home during the first day the furnace is working steadily. Are the different rooms reaching the warm comfort level you expect, or are there cold spots? Cold spots can mean insulation woes and windows allowing heat to escape. They could also mean a furnace that’s beginning to lose heating power, or damage to the ventilation system.
- First bills of the season are unusually high – When the first utility bills of heating season arrive, and they contain costs above expectations, the cause may come from a furnace suffering from a malfunction that’s making it work harder.
If you notice any of the above problems, call our HVAC experts for repairs right away.
Freedom Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. serves Edina, MN and throughout Minneapolis-St. Paul.