Furnace Repairs: 4 Signs Your Gas Furnace Needs Repairs
Gas furnaces are ideal because their energy costs are less than those of an electric furnace. Nonetheless, gas furnaces are subject to random malfunctions or breakdowns as they get older.
Prompt furnace repairs can prevent such issues from disrupting your heating. Here are four signs your gas furnace needs furnace repairs.
1. Carbon Monoxide Alerts
Gas furnaces come equipped with carbon monoxide detectors to warn you of a carbon monoxide buildup. If your carbon monoxide detectors turn on while your gas furnace is on, there could be an issue.
Gas furnaces should burn gas without producing carbon monoxide as a byproduct. The carbon monoxide detectors can warn you that the furnace is not burning the gas properly. Common reasons your gas furnace can leak carbon monoxide include a cracked heat exchanger or fuel line.
Irrespective of the cause, when your carbon monoxide detector flares up, turn off the furnace and call a furnace repair contractor.
2. Screeching or Banging Sounds
It is normal for a gas furnace to produce a humming sound when running. But if you hear screeching or banging noises, the furnace probably has a malfunction or loose component.
Screeching noises occur when the fan belt wears out or lacks lubrication. The screeching results from excess friction of moving parts. Banging noises occur when loose components toss around the furnace cabinet. For instance, if the fan comes loose, its blades strike the furnace's interior causing banging sounds.
Call a furnace repair contractor as soon as you encounter any strange noise from the furnace.
3. Frequent Short-Cycling
Short-cycling refers to a gas furnace turning on and off sporadically. Short-cycling occurs when the limit control switch breaks down or malfunctions.
A limit control switch is a safety feature that prevents the gas furnace from overheating. Thus, when the furnace reaches extreme temperature, the limit control shuts it down to let it cool. Once the furnace cools down, the limit control switch turns the furnace on again.
When the limit control switch malfunctions, it loses its ability to determine if the furnace is overheating. As a result, the limit control turns the gas furnace on and off at random. If your gas furnace randomly turns on and off, have a furnace repair contractor check out your limit control switch.
4. Yellow Pilot Light
The flame of a gas furnace should burn blue. But, if the flame turns yellow, it indicates that the gas furnace is not burning fuel efficiently. Common reasons why your gas furnace burns fuel inefficiently include:
- Clogged air intakes
- Poor oxygen supply
- Changes in gas to air ratio
Irrespective of the reason, if you have issues, turn off your gas furnace and call a furnace repair contractor to inspect the unit.