Furnace Problems That Lead to a Breakdown
When the weather is frosty outside, you can at least take consolation in the fact your furnace is keeping you warm and toasty indoors. However, if your furnace malfunctions, you might be left shivering indoors as well. In some cases, a furnace breakdown can be an emergency. You don't want your family to be in freezing conditions for very long. Other times, you might tough it out until repairs can be done. Either way, you'll want a furnace repair professional to take a look at these problems that cause a furnace to break down.
A Fan Relay Goes Bad
A fan relay is a part between the thermostat and the blower fan in your furnace. The thermostat triggers the relay, and the relay starts and stops the blower. If the relay goes bad, it might blow a fuse. When that happens, the blower won't run at all and the furnace repair professional has to determine the cause of the problem. When the relay goes bad, there's a good chance warm air will stop blowing out of your furnace registers, and then it won't be long until your house gets chilly.
The Furnace Runs a Long Timer Doesn't Shut Off
Your furnace is designed to kick on and run for several minutes and then turn off for several minutes. When your furnace starts turning on and off erratically, or when it runs for a long time without turning off, there could be something wrong with the equipment.
If nothing else, your power bill will skyrocket with your furnace running all the time. However, excessive wear could be hard on your furnace parts, so it's a good idea to call in a furnace repair professional to figure out why your furnace isn't cycling like it is supposed to.
One cause for this problem could be that the outdoor weather is much colder than usual so your furnace has to run longer to keep up. However, the problem might also happen when your furnace blows air that isn't as hot as it should be. When that happens, your home won't meet the temperature set on the thermostat and your furnace runs a long time without heating up your home. This can happen for a number of reasons, including having a bad element in an electric furnace.
The Combustion Area Makes Odd Noises
If you have a gas-powered furnace, it's important to keep up with maintenance -- that includes checking and cleaning the combustion area. If your furnace starts making odd noises, like small bangs, when it starts up, that could be a sign the combustion sequence isn't operating as it should. This can happen when the area is coated with soot, and this can be dangerous.
So, if your furnace makes weird noises, call a furnace repair professional to find out why so you don't have to deal with a serious problem such as a cracked heat exchanger or a blowback that shoots soot into your home.
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