Keeping your furnace well-maintained and operating at peak efficiency is essential to staying warm and cozy in your home during the chilly Georgia winters. Older models often begin to malfunction as they age, and parts become worn from years of use. Knowing the danger signals to look for allows you time to repair or replace your unit before it fails completely.

Here are a few warning signs that could indicate it’s time to have an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) contractor out for a visit:

• Some rooms are too cold, while others are too warm: Are some of the rooms in your house not getting enough heat, while others are getting too much? This is a sign your unit can no longer distribute heat properly throughout your home and needs attention. Possible causes include gas burners that are either dirty or need adjustment, or a dirty air filter.
• Your furnace is making strange or unusual noises: Your unit should not make any noise other than the sound from the blower when it turns on or off. A squealing sound might indicate that a bearing needs lubrication, while a rumbling sound may result from a maladjusted pilot light or gas burners that need cleaning.
• The furnace’s burner flame is yellow: If the flame on the burner, which is typically found on the inside of the furnace’s cabinet, is yellow instead of blue, your unit might be leaking carbon monoxide, an odorless, colorless gas that can be lethal. A yellow flame requires immediate attention from a service technician.
• Your furnace requires frequent repairs: Older models often need frequent repairs during their last few years of use. The older a unit gets, the more difficult it is to find replacement parts. This can lead to inconvenient delays getting your unit working again. If you are having to repair your furnace regularly, it may be time for a new unit.

Watch your system carefully during the heating season, and take action if you spot any of these warning signs. For more information concerning furnace warning signs and other issues relating to home comfort, contact us at Powers Heating & Air. We proudly serve residential and commercial customers in the Fayette & Coweta County areas.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Peachtree, GA and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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