3 Sounds You Need To Listen For

Written By: Westland Heating & Air Conditioning Westlake, OH 

Our homes in Westlake make weird noises from time to time. This is to be expected. But the furnace in your home might be a different story. If you start to hear certain noises it might be a good idea to call for furnace repair services. At Westland Heating and Air Conditioning, we’ve responded to countless calls for furnace repair service in Westlake. So that our customers can have a better understanding of their furnace, we put together a few of the most common furnace sounds that should cause trouble.

Squealing

If your furnace makes a squealing sound when you start it up, you should probably call for service. This isn’t a life-threatening problem, but it can be annoying. This happens when the blower’s belt or bearings have worn out. This can be easily fixed by a professional Westlake heating technician.

Rattling

If you hear a rattling sound when you turn on your furnace this a very serious problem. While it might be that some screws are loose on one of the covers, it can also indicate a problem with your heat exchanger. The heat exchanger in your furnace has two jobs: first, to heat the air going into your home and second, to exhaust the harmful combustion fumes out of your house. When the heat exchanger cracks, those dangerous combustion fumes, that can include carbon monoxide, are blown into your home. Call your local heating contractor immediately.

Rumbling

If you have a fuel oil furnace and you hear or feel a rumbling when you start it up, this could be another critical problem. The cause of this is unburned oil in the combustion chamber continuing to burn after the unit is turned off. This could also leak carbon monoxide into your Westlake  house.

Roaring

If your furnace erupts with a loud roaring sound, like when you fire up a welding torch, this is a very bad sign. It means that there is an uneven mixture of fuel and air.

Furnace Fixes for the Handy Homeowner

Next time your furnace shuts down, check these five fixes before calling your Denver HVAC company . This trouble shooting guide will help you to repair your furnace yourself. Troubleshooting your furnace problems is worth considering before making a call for furnace repairs. These steps will show you and explain how you can diagnose and fix common furnace problems. Only you know just how handy you are consider your abilities before performing these steps safely and properly.
Proper furnace maintenance is the best way you can prevent common furnace malfunctions from happening. Furnace servicing should be carried out at least once a year. Even if your furnace was was installed professionally there are times when it will cease providing heat. The reason for the furnace failure could be anything from an airlock in the fuel pipe, blocked fuel inlet, or a problem with the controls. The following explains some of the most common issues you can fix on your own.

1. Check for leaky or blocked ducts that diminish airflow
If your furnace is running but there are cold rooms in the house, check to see if the registers are open. Next take a look at the ductwork you can access without trouble. Look for space between sections of the ducts and branching areas. If you find gaps seal the sections with foil tape. Finally check for handles, these are dampers, coming from the ductwork if you find any make sure they are open.

2. Change filters
Old dirtied filters are a common cause of furnace issues. Dust and grim hamper airflow and if the filter is too dirty is clogs and the heat exchanger will overheat and shut off causing your house to remain cold. A dirty filter can lower the efficiency and lifespan of your furnace. When the heater is running but heat is not going into any of the rooms in your house it's time to replace the filter.

Your owner's manual will show where the filter is located and what it will take to remove it. Changing flat filters monthly will help increase efficiency. All filters should be checked monthly. Checking the filter should be done by holding it to a light source. If you can see the light clearly it is time to replace the furnace. Most pleated filters will be OK to use for up to three months however you should change them more frequently if you have pets.

5 Signs It's Time to Replace Your Furnace

Written By Jeffry Ahbe

There are several quick and easy ways to know when it's time to replace your gas furnace before it costs you cash or becomes unsafe. A efficiently working furnace is part of a healthy and cozy home environment. Your heating system should heat the home without using a large amount of energy or polluting the in home air quality. Knowing the warning signs of a heating system that is on the way out is important so you can avoid an all out crisis situation in your home. Learning that your furnace is no longer; working in the middle of a February blizzard could leave your family out in the cold. Denver furnace companies are often busy in the winter months and you don't want to be waiting for repairs in a cooling home.
Do you know the age of your furnace?
Knowing how old your furnace is will help you know about how much longer you should expect it to last. The average life span of a home furnace is 17-20 years. If your furnace is approaching it's late teens, you should start looking for it's replacement. Waiting until your furnace breaks down will necessitate a quick purchase which may not be right for you. One quick way to know if your furnace is getting old is to look for a pilot light. If you find one, your furnace is well past it's life span.

Has your burner flame changed color?
If you burner flame has changed from blue to yellow, it is a sign that carbon monoxide is being created by your furnace. Other possible signs carbon monoxide is present are streaks of soot around the furnace, moisture on windows and other cold surfaces, rusting on flues and appliance jacks, and leaking from the base of the chimney.

Troubleshooting a Gas Furnace

By Bob Formisano, About.com Guide

The Conventional Gas Furnace
The conventional gas furnace (up to 89% AFUE) is an appliance looking like a large box that does the following:

• takes in cold air,
• cleans it with an air filter,
• heats it up with a gas burner using a steel heat exchanger,
• distributes the warm air with a blower motor through your home's ductwork

The heated air then cools down in your home's various rooms and returns to the furnace through return air grills and ductwork.The cold returning air enters back through the air filter into the furnace to complete another heating loop.
Sometimes there is a humidifier mounted on the furnace or the return air ductwork.
Furnaces come in different efficiencies measured in AFUE.
Once in a while things don't work quite right and you need to troubleshoot a gas furnace repair or relight a standing pilot if it has one. Conventional furnaces may have electronic ignitions which need special troubleshooting.

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