As fall moves along and winter is looming right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about your heating system and preparing it for the colder months!
Experts say the time to turn your heating system on is well before you actually need it to heat your home up.
Taking a few days to test it out and make sure everything is running well saves you from sitting in a cold house.
While this is a great way to do some preventative work in your home, it’s also important to pay attention all season long.
Getting issues checked out as soon as they arise saves you time, frustration, and even money on occasion.
We’ve outlined the top six signs that you need a heater tune-up and that it’s time to call in the professionals!
1. Cold Spots Throughout the Home
Obviously, the purpose of a furnace and heating system is to keep your home at the temperature you choose even when it’s freezing cold outside.
Anytime your system isn’t doing that job completely, it’s cause for concern.
Sometimes cold spots are easy to find when they occur in common areas you spend a lot of time in throughout the day.
But sometimes they can happen in much less conspicuous places and can go unnoticed for a long time.
To avoid this, it’s a good idea to move through your house when the heater is on to check for lack of heat on a regular basis.
There are a few reasons you could be having this kind of uneven heat but a common problem is that there’s not enough power to move the air throughout the whole system.
2. Higher Than Normal Bills
There are so many bills you have to pay each month as a homeowner, it can be easy to just pay it and forget the amount.
But we strongly recommend tracking the total each month and keeping an eye on any trends you find.
Electric bills are a great indicator for the health of your HVAC system, they typically tend to be much higher than average when you’re in need of furnace maintenance.
Sometimes these issues can be handled by performing regular maintenance on your own, like cleaning out the filter or ducts.
When those things don’t make a difference on your next bill, it’s time to call in the professionals.
3. Extreme Loud Noises
It’s normal to hear the air moving through your system as it runs.
You’ll also likely be able to hear some typical AC noises, such as the fans as they turn on and some low motor noise.
But anything beyond that is a definite problem!
An HVAC system is made up of so many moving parts, it’s common for things to loosen up over time.
This makes it so those parts can’t perform their function but it also leaves the whole system vulnerable to damage.
Parts have a specific path for their motion and anything outside of that leads to excess friction.
When you hear rattling, banging, whining, or anything else out of the ordinary, you need to have the internal machinery checked out immediately.
4. Unpleasant Lingering Smells
Once you’ve been in a house when the heating system turns on for the first time in a season after being off all summer, you know the distinct smell that comes with it.
The burning of dust that has accumulated throughout the system should only last for a few minutes.
After that initial period, your heating system shouldn’t have any smells coming from inside at all.
In fact, if you smell anything when the unit is running you definitely have a problem on your hands.
Musty or Mildewy smells mean you have condensation and excess water somewhere.
Rotten odors could mean something is stuck in the vents.
And anything burning is a sign you should turn the whole thing off and get help immediately.
5. Cycles Are Irregular
A well-functioning HVAC system should be able to keep up with the desired temperature and keep your home feeling pretty consistent.
To do this, it runs in cycles where it’s either off or pushing through the heated air to build the temperature.
Normally, there is a pretty consistent pattern you can see for these cycles.
They should be regular but not too often and should be a medium length of time.
Every unit and house is different, so it’s hard to say exactly what the cycles should look like.
The main thing is to notice when it’s out of the ordinary.
This means it’s having to work extra hard or just plain isn’t able to reach the temperatures you’re looking for and you’re going to need some maintenance or repairs done.
6. Regular Breakdowns
Every system and every machine is prone to breakdowns, it’s just a part of life.
It’s unrealistic to think that you’ll never have to do any HVAC maintenance or repairs throughout its lifetime.
But regular minor issues are a sign that you have a larger underlying problem that should be dealt with as soon as possible.
Even things like the filter that needs to be changed outside of its designated window every time can be red flags you should follow up on.
Having the whole system, including all of the mechanics inspected by a professional will hopefully shed light on the issues so that you can get things figured out.
It’s Time for a Heater Tune-Up
Making sure your home is in perfect order is a constant job, there always seems to be something that needs to be taken care of.
Paying attention to your furnace as it’s working to heat your home is the best way to know when you need a heater tune-up.
After your amazing team comes to take care of all your HVAC maintenance needs, it’s a good idea to set up a schedule where your systems can be regularly inspected and any issues can be taken care of!
If you’re interested in setting up an appointment for a professional to come and look at your HVAC system, contact us today!
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Need help with your heating system? We can help! Contact the Surprisingly Affordable HVAC experts at Scottsdale Air Heating & Cooling to get more information here: 480-359-7141 OR you can request service here.
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