Throughout Massachusetts temperatures have been dropping, bringing the day down to the low 60’s and the night as low as mid 30’s. As the days grow colder more and more people are using their furnaces all day long. At the start of this heating season your furnace may appear to be running smoothly. However, there may be a few discreet signs that your furnace is actually struggling. Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning will cover some of these discreet signs your furnace is in need of professional aid. When a furnace provides early warning signs that it is struggling, it is important to act fast. Prolonging furnace repairs or perhaps even a tune-up can lead to furnace failure. To prevent mid-winter failure and your home becoming a giant ice box, you will want to watch out for some of the early signs that your furnace is struggling and is in need of correction.

Strong Odor from Furnace

One of the early warning signs that your furnace has an issue is a foul odor. When starting up your furnace for the first time it is normal to smell a burning like scent. This is the dust and small particles that settled on the furnace burning off. It is typically not dangerous to have a burn smell unless it is constant. If this happens, turn off the furnace and seek professional assistance. However, another odor that you should never smell is the smell of rotten eggs. If there is a rotten egg like odor coming from your furnace then there is a gas leak. A small gas leak can become a major issue if not corrected.

Inefficient Heating

Another early warning sign that the furnace is in need of repair is poor heating efficiency. Even though the furnace may be running and even heating the inside of the home, how well is it doing? Your heating bill can often reveal that your unit is struggling to heat up the home. If the bill is much higher than normal, there is a problem. In most cases, the issue is because of the furnace. However, inefficient heating can be due to an air duct leak or poor insulation. If it is the furnace or other factors at play, the culprit must be located to prevent additional stress on the furnace. Any time the furnace has additional stress heating the home, it will lead to premature wear of the components and even the life of the furnace.

Uneven Heating

A similar sign is uneven heating. When there are hot or cold spots in the home, this is a sign of uneven heating which is causing the furnace to struggle. Uneven heating usually is due to the air duct system and the registers. The air ducts can have a massive leak where the heat isn’t traveling into the various zones inside the house. Air duct leaks can occur and need to be repaired. However, uneven heat can also be due to closed registers. The registers, or also known as the air vents, have fins that open and close. Some homeowners will close the vents, forcing the heat to more active areas of the home. However, this is a major mistake. When closing the registers the furnace will still send the air through the air duct system simply to hit a wall. This puts stress on the furnace and cause uneven heating and an increased heating bill.

Furnace Maintenance, Emergency Repair, Installation, Replacement & More in Springfield, Granby, Holyoke, South Hadley, Monson, Chicopee & Agawam, Massachusetts

When the furnace shows signs that it is struggling and it needs to be inspected, tuned-up or repaired, contact Ambient Heating & Air Conditioning today.