Beyond a Breakdown, Which Heater Issues Are Most Urgent?

Your heater isn't broken, but it's definitely acting strange. You don't want to call your HVAC technician for something minor, but you also don't want to ignore potentially urgent heater issues. Here's a brief rundown of which are the truly urgent heater issues and which ones are no big deal.

Identifying Urgent Heater Issues

Pay attention to how your furnace sounds, smells, and feels. Screeching noises may mean a pressure problem or a loose belt. Popping and buzzing indicate electrical problems. Loud banging may mean a delay in the gas ignition. All of these are urgent heater issues that should be dealt with immediately.

If you smell burning the first time you turn on your furnace at the beginning of winter, it's probably not a big deal. It's dust that has accumulated in the offseason, which is now burning off. However, if the smell doesn't go away after a few minutes or reappears every time you turn on the furnace, then it's more serious. Call your HVAC technician.

Likewise, if you smell gas, it's a serious problem. Get out of the house and call your gas company — and 911. Once you're sure everyone's safe, call your HVAC technician as well.

Finally, if you don't feel air coming from your vents, even though your furnace is on, you should call for a repair. It could be indicative of several different issues, but the bottom line is, your house isn't getting warm the way it should be, so your furnace needs fixing.

Minor Issues

So which ones aren't urgent heater issues? If your heater causes the power to go out in your home, it may seem dire, but in fact, it's probably just an overloaded circuit. This tends to happen more as systems get older and use more energy. Make sure you're not running any other major appliances on the same circuit.

Similarly, if the thermostat stops working, the most likely culprit is a dead battery. Try replacing it rather than calling for repairs.

For help with your urgent heater issues, contact us at Air Assurance. We provide Broken Arrow with quality home-comfort solutions.

All About Furnace Smells

When you turned on your furnace for the first chilly weather this fall, you may have been aware of a burning smell pervading the home. As most homeowners know, this furnace smell is nothing more than the dust that's collected on the combustion chamber during the time the furnace is unused. The dust quickly burns up when the furnace is turned on. It's nothing to worry about, as long as it does not persist past a couple of hours.A very strong burning smell, or a persistent burning smell is, however, something you should be concerned about. Common causes of persistent burning odors are dirty air filters blocking the heating system and perhaps causing overheating, or blower malfunction. You can change the filter and see if the burning smell goes away. But if it's a blower malfunction, you will need professional help.

Other Common Furnace Smells

Rotten Egg Smell

This smell usually signals a gas leak. Turn the furnace off and open windows. Then clear out, taking all the living creatures in the home with you, and call your gas company. They will have to fix the leak before the HVAC tech can work on the furnace.

Electrical/Metallic Smells

This might be a burning odor, indicating components inside the furnace are getting too hot. If you smell this type of odor and the furnace shuts down randomly, it may be a protective mechanism. Call your HVAC company right away.You may also smell unfamiliar odors associated with the burning caused by aging or worn parts made of metal or rubber. Again, you'll need an HVAC tech to identify the source of the smells and replace the parts before they malfunction and cause damage.

Musty or Moldy Smell

This is a problem more commonly associated with the air conditioner. However, if you have damp conditions inside your home or your HVAC system, and mold spores have taken hold inside the parts or the ductwork or vents, have your HVAC tech check it out.

For more on identifying a furnace smell, contact Air Assurance. We serve Broken Arrow and the surrounding area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, call us at 918-217-8273. Credit/Copyright Attribution: “piotr-marcinski/Shutterstock”