Just about everything will break down in some way eventually, but when the equipment in question is your home’s heating system, a breakdown can be a major headache. Imagine: a cold house during the holidays, or nights spent shivering under blankets because the furnace can’t seem to put out enough warm air in your bedroom. These problems can be immensely frustrating but reaching out for timely heating and furnace repair in Santa Rosa can help you avoid lengthy disruptions in your heating service. Whether you use an electric heater or a gas-fired furnace, professional assistance can ensure your comfort through the coming season and many more.
What if you aren’t sure if you need service, though? How can you tell if you might require maintenance, or if a repair call is imminent? Answering these and other questions is an essential step on the road to better management of your home’s HVAC systems. Before you reach for the phone to call for help, start by going through the following list of potential issues your furnace may develop, along with the most common telltale signs that something isn’t quite right.
The key signs that indicate a potential problem
From the outside, a furnace can look like little more than a “black box” — all you know is that inside is everything that needs to happen to make heat for your home. That’s true until it’s not. What should you keep in mind as you watch for the signs of trouble?
First, the age of a furnace is often the biggest indicator of when problems will occur. Though longevity has improved in recent years, the average furnace will still only last between ten to twenty years, depending on use and operating conditions. If you live in a home with an older furnace, it’s wise to assume that some problems will crop up eventually. The older it is, the more likely you are to encounter more significant issues.
Next, always listen for unusual sounds during furnace operation. You should know what everything sounds like during normal operation simply from experiencing it on a regular basis. When you start to hear strange noises, like hissing, squealing, popping, or thumping, chances are something is going wrong with the internal mechanisms. It could be anything from a loose blower fan belt to a failing part. Calling for a heating and furnace repair in Santa Rosa can diagnose these sounds and correct the problem.
Finally, cold air coming out of your vents is perhaps one of the most obvious signs something is wrong. You may get hot air coming from one vent, but lukewarm or cold air in another room. It could be a blower failure, problems in the combustion cycle, and more. If you experience this problem, reach out for assistance to restore the system to its proper operation.
Timely heating and furnace repair in Santa Rosa can be a matter of safety
Some problems can indicate more serious underlying issues than others. For example, it is a good idea to inspect the furnace’s pilot light a few times during the season. In normal conditions, the flame you see should be a brilliant blue color. If the flame is not blue but instead more like the yellow of a candle flame, call for a repair service as soon as possible! Yellow flames in your furnace indicate the incomplete combustion of fuel, in turn often resulting in the production of excess carbon monoxide. Check the batteries in your home’s CO detectors and reach out for help soon.
Taking advantage of professional help
How often will you need heating and furnace repair in Santa Rosa? There’s no one answer to this question. It depends on the age of your furnace as well as the strain placed on it each season. Regular homeowner service, like filter changes, can reduce dust build-up and prevent breakdowns. However, annual servicing is also a good idea to help mitigate the risk of a fault developing in the middle of the winter. Speak to your service provider about service milestones for your particular make and model to learn more in-depth information about how to plan for the future.
Whether you’ve already identified a need for heating and furnace repair in your Santa Rosa home or you’re starting to think that something might be wrong, turning to an experienced provider in this industry is a smart choice. A reliable service provider will arrive on time, work quickly to diagnose the issue, and present you with a clear, concise explanation of what work is necessary to restore your system to its full operational capacity. When their work is done, you can enjoy the peace of mind that accompanies confidence in the restoration of such a vital home appliance to good working order. In the meantime, continue to watch out for common maintenance milestones your furnace may have, such as regular air filter changes.
Valley Comfort conducts heating and furnace services in the following communities: Santa Rosa, Napa, Rohnert Park, Healdsburg, St Helena, Calistoga and Windsor