Furnace Problems That Heating And AC Repair Professionals Can Fix And Prevent | North Richland Hills, TX
A furnace is among the many HVAC systems households use to heat their space during winter. Other types include boilers, baseboard heaters, active solar heating units, electric space heaters, heat pumps, electric resistance, and in-floor radiant.
Furnaces are versatile in terms of the fuel they use for generating sufficient warm air or thermal heat in households. They use an intermediary fluid, which can either be steam or hot water, in a controlled way to avoid accidents.
As much as the furnace provides thermal comfort during cold and wintry seasons, it can be the source of the highest degree of discomfort if they fail to operate optimally in providing warmth.
The malfunctioned heating system exposes you and your loved ones to cold-related illnesses such as hypothermia and frostbite. It might also cause an electrical fire if it overheats and your circuit breakers are faulty.
Some problems with the furnace arise from the type of fuel it uses, including natural gas, wood burning, propane, oil, or electricity. Despite the cause or effects of furnace issues, it is wise to call heating and AC repair service providers whenever you suspect a mishap that makes the system perform poorly in providing heat and warmth in your home.
Below is a list of furnace issues homeowners in North Richland Hills, TX face and how to prevent them.
Problem 1: Faulty Thermostat
Heating systems use a thermostat to control indoor temperatures when the outdoors are freezing. The Energy Information Administration explains that barely 85 percent of households in the country use thermostats, with a higher percentage using non-programmable options than those using programmable central thermostats.
Like other components of HVAC units, furnace thermostats are also prone to fail or malfunction, making your home uncomfortable with unbearable low temperatures.
The freezing temperatures can make the people in your household seek warmth in blankets until contractors from a reliable heating and AC repair company identifies and rectifies the issue. Before making the repairs, the technician starts by finding the root cause of the malfunctioned thermostat:
- Making sure there is a power supply to the thermostat or furnace
- Checking if the battery is dead
- Inspecting for dirt or grime accumulation inside the thermostat
- Checking the location of the thermostat, which should be close to the heating system
- Opening the device to check for loose wiring
- Checking if the thermostat is worn-out due to aging
- Examining if the circuit breaker is off.
Whatever the issue behind the failed thermostat, the hired heating and AC repair expert in North Richland Hills, TX can fix it promptly by either changing the dead batteries, cleaning the thermostat, or re-installing the device in the correct place.
The technician can also fix loose wires, replace the old thermostat with a new Smart or programmable option in the HVAC market, or reset the circuit breaker.
Fortunately, homeowners can get HVAC specialists to prevent problems by investing in the maintenance of the heating unit, which entails cleaning, resetting, or replacing the thermostat.
The professionals from a reputable heating and AC repair company use a checklist to ensure each part of the thermostat is running smoothly. They also make the necessary tune-ups, such as adjusting loose wires safely to avoid sudden failures that can be costly.
Problem 2: Insufficient Heat from the Furnace
Nothing is as annoying as having a heating system that appears operational but does not generate heat to warm up your space. At the end of the month, you will have higher energy bills due to the struggling heating system.
It is vital to understand the reason behind such occurrences to know how to avoid them in the future with the help of an HVAC heating and AC repair company from a nearby heating and AC contractor in North Richland Hills, TX. The experts can link the insufficient heat from the furnace to numerous issues, including
- Faulty thermostat
- Dirty air filters restricting air flow to your house
- Repeated overheating that leads to failure of the high-limit switch
- Lack of electric power due to outages, propane, oil, or natural gas.
- Clogged condensate lines cause the float switch to trip and suddenly shut down the system.
- Leaking air ducts due to wear and tears
- Pilot light problems in gas furnaces
- Unclean flame sensors make the furnace produce cold instead of warm air.
- Dirty furnace burner
Since most of the issues causing the furnace to generate cold air are dirt-related, the heating and AC repair expert should clean the heating system to restore its peak performance and thermal comfort. The professional can also fix the thermostat if it is the cause of the problem.
Preventing the Issue of Cold Instead of Hot Air
Having an HVAC specialist clean your furnace regularly is one of the best ways to prevent any issues affecting the unit.
Properly sealing the air ducts in the furnace and checking their insulation stops air leaks that can create cold and hot spots in your home, increasing thermal discomfort and utility bills.
If your heater uses other fuel types like natural gas, the heating and AC repair technicians can check if the fuel is sufficient.
Problem 3: Clogged Air Filters
Air filters are an integral part of the HVAC system because they significantly determine how the unit operates in cooling or heating your space. The filters remove dirt from the air coming from the supply ducts to ensure clean air gets to the furnace and your home.
If the air filters clog due to lack of maintenance, homeowners face numerous issues that compromise their comfort in the cold season. Problems due to dirty filters can force them to seek immediate heating and AC repair services.
They have high heating bills, cold and warm spots in the rooms, and a significant reduction in indoor air quality. In addition, dirty and clogged air filters can lead to heat exchanger damage, blower motor damage, and overheating furnaces.
You cannot afford to overlook failing to call an HVAC company in North Richland Hills, TX for urgent heating and AC repair services.
Contacting them should be a priority once you notice musty odors indoors that make your loved ones sneeze every time and increase the case of upper respiratory illnesses.
Since air filters eliminate dirt from the air, they clog due to any elements, pollutants, or contaminants that cannot pass through the membranes, such as:
- Dirt from air ducts
- High amounts of dust and debris
- Rodents from leaking air ducts
- Grime
- Mold growth in the air ducts
- Substandard filters are prone to clog faster than high-quality air filters.
Though they cause havoc in HVAC systems and increase energy costs, dirty air filters are the simplest to fix by heating and AC repair professionals. They only need cleaning if they are the washable types or replacement with new ones.
The experts remove the clogged filters for more advanced options, such as the HEPA filters, which have a higher efficiency rating of 99.9 percent, to restore the peak performance of the furnace. They also clean other parts of the heater for perfect results.
Preventing Clogged Air Filters
The only way to stop the system from having dirty air filtration units is to hire a heating and AC repair corporation to clean or change the filters.
Failure to clean them regularly can lead to multiple issues, such as overheating and sudden breakdown of the heating HVAC unit.
Problem 4: Faulty Safety Switch on the Furnace
Another common furnace issue that can compromise the thermal comfort of people in your home is a malfunctioning safety switch, which heating and AC repair contractors can fix.
The limit switch regulates the internal temperatures of furnaces. It responds to the temperatures set on your thermostat, preventing overheating.
A limit safety switch in perfect working condition ensures the warm air is safe for everyone indoors because it goes off once it reaches the intended temperatures.
The safety or limit switch also protects the heat exchanger from breaking as it shuts off immediately before the temperatures become too high for the furnace to handle and your loved ones to bear.
Like other components of the furnace, a limit switch is also likely to fail, exposing your loved ones in North Richland Hills, TX to excessive heat that can lead to burns or death due to fires.
You can notice the blower in the heating unit constantly operating without shutting off, cold air from the system, and short cycling. These indicators should make you call for emergency heating and AC repair services.
The switch can malfunction due to several issues, such as:
- Clogged air filters that restrict sufficient airflow in the furnace
- A dirty temperature sensor can make the heater overheat
- Wear and tear of the switch due to old age or repeated overheating of heat exchangers.
- A damaged limit switch
Hiring qualified contractors for heating and AC repair service ensures the limit switch is functioning at its peak by cleaning the air filters and temperature sensors.
They also clean up the entire system to avert the possibility of the unit getting dirty, lowering the chances of an overheated heating unit. Moreover, the experts can replace the safety switch if it is old and worn out.
Preventing Limit Switch Issues
Heating and AC repair techs can help reduce the chances of limit switch problems by regularly cleaning the air filters and the temperature sensor. Since the switch has a shorter lifespan than other components, it requires frequent replacement.
Problem 5: Rapid Short Cycling Issues
A furnace that frequently turns on and off in a few minutes can be annoying. The heating unit turns on for a while, and before the room temperature reaches the set temperature, it shuts off instantly, leaving the room cold instead of warm. Short cycling can lead to higher energy bills because it consumes more power to run efficiently.
Some of the reasons behind the frequent short cycles of the furnace that heating and AC repair technicians can identify include the following.
- Clogged or damaged vent pipe
- A failed thermostat
- Dirty air filters
- Damaged igniter
- An unclean flame sensor
- Oversized furnace
Heating and AC repair contractors in North Richland Hills, TX can fix the issue by cleaning the air filters, flame sensor, and vent pipes. They also make repairs on the damaged parts, such as the igniter and thermostat, to ensure the heating unit operates seamlessly. The technicians can fix the damaged igniter or faulty thermostat if they are the problem.
Prevention of Short Cycling Issue
HVAC experts can stop your furnace from short cycling by helping you get the correct size that meets your heating needs. They periodically clean filters, flame sensors, and vent pipes to avert the issue of the furnace frequently turning on and off.
Problem 6: Installing Furnace in a Dirty Environment
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, most AC issues arise from poor service procedures, lack of maintenance, and poor installation of systems, which applies to furnaces. For the heating system to perform efficiently, the HVAC experts need to install the system in a clean environment to avoid obstruction of clean air and numerous clog issues.
Placing the furnace in a cluttered or dirty space leads to clogging issues that can adversely affect its performance, thus the need for heating and AC repair services. Additionally, a furnace near flammable materials increases the chance of fires if the system overheats.
If the area around the heating system is unclean, the heater also becomes dusty and dirty. An HVAC contractor can advocate for keeping the surrounding area of the furnace clean to boost the optimal performance and make it look good.
Get Furnace Repair and Maintenance Services Today!
Furnace problems require quick heating and AC repair services to protect people from the low temperatures that can threaten your health through frostbite and other diseases that emerge from coldness.
Therefore, when you notice any issues with your heating unit, call One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating of Fort Worth – North Richland Hills, TX to address them. Our support team is available to take your call at any time.
Check out our previous blog on this topic here.