When your furnace kicks on, you hear a bit of a noise, then you feel warmth begin to fill the house, and you stop thinking about it. But in the background, your furnace goes through its paces trying to keep your home warm.
There are so many components and aspects of its operation that a broken furnace in Tampa, FL isn’t exactly uncommon. Let’s talk about what signs you can’t ignore and what they mean.
Unusual and Loud Sounds
You know your furnace. You know that it usually runs a big loud at the start, but quickly quiets down and fades into the background. But now you’re noticing that it’s loud, or perhaps you just hear a noise that you know it normally doesn’t make. You’re right to be concerned.
The problem is, this in itself isn’t a problem, just a signal that something’s wrong. There could be a multitude of issues under the surface, but the only way you’ll know what it is for sure is when you have an HVAC technician take a look.
Pilot Light Keeps Going Out
When your pilot light goes out, it’s likely because there’s soot buildup around the flame sensor. The whole job of a flame sensor is to make sure there’s a flame going that keeps your furnace moving, and if that flame goes out, any gas in your furnace that’s not been burned yet could escape into your home’s air.
The flame sensor makes sure that doesn’t happen. But it could be so dirty that it thinks there’s no flame even though there is, causing it to kill the pilot light as a defense mechanism. By the way, it’s good that it’s doing its job, but it’s also impeding your ability to heat your home. This takes a service call to repair properly without voiding your furnace’s warranty.
Suddenly High Heating Bills
Heating season kicks in, you get your first bill, and it’s astronomically higher than the same bill from this time last year. If the gas rate hasn’t gone up and it’s not an exceptionally colder season than last year, that bill might stand out to you—as it should.
Your furnace has a level of efficiency, defined by an AFUE rating. This tells you how much fuel gets turned into warm air for your home. But even with that rating, it can drop when your furnace hasn’t been maintained or it has a broken component that, although doesn’t impair its operation, does make it work harder to achieve the same results.
Don’t Ignore Classic Furnace Repair Signs
Furnaces have so many potential problems that can spring up, and it’s important to pay attention to them all. We’re ready to help you fix any furnace problem you run into, and set you up with proper maintenance moving forward so that you have a low chance of running into these again. All it takes is a phone call.
Contact The A/C Guy of Tampa Bay Inc. today to schedule your furnace repair as soon as possible.