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Maintaining your furnace helps keep your family warm, while also ensuring you don’t pay more than necessary on your utility bills. Understanding some of the common reasons people need heating repairs may help you identify problems early and have a technician fix them before they become more costly. 

4 Problems That May Require Heating Repairs

1. Bad Ignition Switch or Pilot Light

If you have a gas furnace that won’t turn on, be sure the pilot light is lit. Relight it following the instructions on your user’s manual. If it doesn’t stay lit, look for a draft that may be affecting the flame. Otherwise, you could have a gas flow problem, which a technician will have to correct.

If your system is electrical and not turning on, you could have a faulty ignition switch.

2. Faulty Thermostat 

Whenever you experience problems with your heating system, check your thermostat before calling an HVAC technician. Newer thermostats are battery-operated, so you may simply need to replace the batteries.

If that doesn’t solve the problem, your thermostat may need to be recalibrated to correctly read the temperature of the room. 

3. Dirty Air Filter

Heating RepairDirty filters can cause a number of problems, which is why you should replace yours every two to three months.

The dust and dirt from a filter can block the limit switch, preventing the fan from turning on. The dust can also enter the heating components, raising the risks of an electrical fire or causing damage that may require heating repairs. To prevent these issues, you could use compressed air to clean the dust from the components. 

4. Odd Smells & Noises

At the beginning of the season, your heating system has been turned off for several months, so it’s common to smell burning dust when it first starts up. You can also expect the system to make a few noises when you operate it for the first time.

However, if the smells or sounds persist, you should shut the heater down and contact a repair technician. Rattling noises in particular could signal that there are loose components inside the equipment, which could cause internal damage.

 

Chuck Ollinger Plumbing and Heating is a family-owned business with over 50 years of experience. Serving the Erie, PA, community, they are dedicated to quality services and customer satisfaction. They work with plumbing, heating, and air conditioners. Learn more about their HVAC services online or call (814) 899-2809 to schedule a heating repair.

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