If your furnace can’t keep up when Cincinnati, Ohio temperatures drop, you need an HVAC technician to perform repairs or replacements. Homeowners need a dependable furnace to them comfortable in the winter, so it’s important to address issues as soon as they appear. Luckily, there are several ways technicians deal with these problems.
Thomas & Galbraith technicians use their skills to find solutions for every furnace problem. Our technicians tell homeowners about the most common issues furnaces face and the problems they create. Many homeowners want to fix some of these issues alone, but we cover why it’s so important for a professional to perform repairs and replacements.
What Are the Problems When Your Furnace Can’t Keep Up?
Any problems homeowners experience with furnaces cause unnecessary stress and frustration—especially when winter starts. These problems are all common for homeowners with finicky furnaces. If your furnace can’t keep up, it likely displays at least one of these problems. Keep on the lookout for the issues below because they indicate problems with the system overall.
- Poor temperature control. Firstly, homeowners usually experience problems with household temperature control when the furnace can’t keep up. This problem occurs for a multitude of reasons. In almost every circumstance, homeowners feel differences in temperature in each of their rooms. In some cases, one room even contains hot spots or cold spots. The temperature is supposed to be even throughout the home unless zoning systems are in place.
- Poor comfort. Furnaces are made to heat your home so you are comfortable during the winter. If the furnace can’t keep up with this task, it needs an inspection from an HVAC technician. Loss of heat has multiple causes, but most are difficult for homeowners to diagnose on their own.
- Higher bills. When homeowners have underperforming furnaces, they often have higher heating bills. Furnaces use energy to heat your home, but if it uses too much energy it becomes a waste. All energy usage contributes to your bills, so if the furnace lacks efficiency, you often don’t experience a proportionate amount of warmth to the energy used.
- Noises. When some parts break or slip, they cause loud noises in the furnace. Homeowners often hear these noises and assume the worst, which leads them to believe the repair will be quite expensive and they may put it off. That’s not always the case, but waiting to make repairs is certainly opening the door for more system damage to be done – that’s what raises your repair bill.
- Poor air quality. Finally, poor air quality occurs when the furnace can’t keep up. Increases in allergy symptoms, dust in the home, and air pollutants occur when the air quality lowers. Not only are these occurrences a source of frustration, they also cause minor health concerns like chronic coughs, nasal dryness, and frequent sneezes.
My Furnace Can’t Keep Up: The Causes
You likely want to know why your furnace can’t keep up with its regular functions. There are many reasons why problems occur, and most are easy to solve. However, many require the help of an HVAC tech to ensure the repair or replacement is done correctly. Plus, the technician diagnoses the issues homeowners face when the furnace acts up. Here are the causes of the most common furnace problems.
- Heat exchanger. Heat exchangers provide your home with heat because they use heat created by burners to warm the air. From there, the newly warm air travels through the vents and into your home. Problems with the heat exchanger often leave homeowners with no heat and also open the door to dangerous carbon monoxide exposure. Additionally, if the furnace blows out cold air, the heat exchanger is typically to blame.
- Dirty filters. This issue relies on the diligence of the homeowner. Filter changes are one of the only tasks homeowners complete on their own. If the filter is dirty, the air quality decreases because air pollutants aren’t removed. Plus, if it’s dirty, dust circulates through the home and stick within the furnace, causing performance issues. Change the filter as often as the manufacturer’s instructions tell you. Check the filter every month to see if an early change is necessary.
- Blower belt. Blower belts allow the mechanics to work as intended. If the belts fray or slip, the furnace encounters problems. In addition, loud squeals originate from a belt with frays or when it slips. This noise annoys many homeowners because of how loud and consistent the squeals become. Luckily, homeowners are often able to replace a belt on their own. If you are not comfortable making this repair, don’t hesitate to call your HVAC technician.
- Lack of maintenance. Poor furnace maintenance is a main contributor to a furnace that can’t meet your heating needs. Maintenance visits are important to the overall health of your heating system. If your furnace can’t keep up with the needs of your home, it is often because its many components have not received the professional service needed each year to improve performance and efficiency. A technician needs to inspect your system once a year to help remedy preventable issues and improve the overall quality of the system.
- Thermostat. Thermostats determine the temperature of your home, which means if it stops working, it doesn’t tell the furnace when to turn on and off. This problem usually presents as frequent cycles, or a lack of heat when you need it most. Keep an eye on your thermostat settings to ensure the system turns on and off when you want. If your thermostat causes your furnace’s inability to keep up, it needs replaced.
- Unit size. If your furnace can’t keep up with heating your whole home, the size may have something to do with it. A furnace too small for your space isn’t able to properly heat the whole home, and a furnace too big wastes energy because it produces too much heat. Sizing issues are only corrected with heating system replacement.
- Age. Finally, age also contributes to problems in the heating system. Age often causes more than one issue with the furnace as components begin to wear out. Efficiency and expenses are hit the hardest as the unit ages because older systems simply don’t have the same technology as new systems, plus they lose efficiency over time. If your furnace can’t keep up with new technology through updates to the system, it’s likely time for a replacement.
Professional Solutions
Homeowners want to know their furnace problems have simple solutions. In fact, many search for DIY furnace repairs to fix the issue as fast as possible. However, in most cases, this does more damage than the homeowner intends. When a furnace can’t keep up with the needs of your home, it’s time to call a professional to help you troubleshoot. When they find the problem, they fix it with reliable techniques.
- Preventative maintenance. Only professional HVAC technicians are able to perform preventative maintenance checks. When you schedule annual maintenance, you know the system has the help it needs to operate through the winter. Plus, with maintenance every year, homeowners experience fewer issues overall.
- Part replacement. When a furnace can’t keep up because its parts are broken or worn out, HVAC techs replace the parts to restore functionality to the system. For example, a cracked heat exchanger requires a replacement. Only a technician is able to safely perform an installation like this. If homeowners attempt these kinds of replacements, the system usually suffers because incorrect installation often leads to further issues. Plus, not every homeowner has the ability to correctly diagnose such an issue, which adds expenses when incorrect repairs are made.
- Thermostat. Thermostats link to the furnace to tell the system when to turn on and off. If it stops doing this, a technician needs to inspect the device. Some causes of thermostat issues are small and require minimal repairs. However, if the thermostat is malfunctioning, it needs a replacement. The technician helps you decide on a new thermostat and installs it for you, ensuring proper communication with your furnace for best temperature control.
- Upgrades. Lastly, only upgrade your system when you have the help of a technician. If your furnace can’t keep up after repairs and replacements, you need an upgrade. However, it’s important to have a tech install your new system to avoid any preventable problems during the process.
Thomas & Galbraith Helps When Your Furnace Can’t Keep Up
Furnace can’t keep up with regular tasks? In Cincinnati, Ohio, this is unacceptable when the winter hits. Homeowners want to know their furnace works well enough to provide them with warmth throughout the cold months.
The technicians at Thomas & Galbraith are ready to help with any furnace issues you have. We perform thorough diagnostics to find the root of your home comfort problems. This allows our technicians to make accurate repairs to save you money and restore heat in your home faster. Give us a call today for more information on our services and to schedule a maintenance visit before winter starts!
