Winter has arrived, and your heating system may be acting up. Before opting for professional help, consider these troubleshooting tips to save time and money in resolving the problem.
Make sure your thermostat is correctly connected, with all circuit breakers turned on (don’t flick them off and on repeatedly). Resetting it back to factory settings might help. Finally, run your system.
When it comes to winter heating issues, troubleshooting can save the day. If you need help with an unexpected issue, you can visit https://www.diamondbackplumbing.com/emergency-air-heating-and-cooling/ for emergency air heating and cooling services.
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1. No heat from the vents
Winter presents many unique challenges, but one of the most frustrating for homeowners is when their heating system turns on, and nothing happens. Luckily, there may be some simple troubleshooting steps they can take before calling in a Saskatoon HVAC professional service technician.
Check your furnace
Ensure the furnace is on because most gas and electric furnaces feature an on/off switch similar to an ordinary light switch near the furnace itself. Unfortunately, it can be easy for this switch to be accidentally turned off during cleaning tasks or other household activities, so double-checking its position could help resolve this quickly.
Check your thermostat settings
Suppose the heat still doesn’t appear from your vents. In that case, it is crucial that the thermostat setting be verified for correct operation and not turned to fan-only mode by accident or another reason, such as an inoperable thermostat or just needing to be operational correctly. A failing or malfunctioning thermostat could also be to blame here.
Checking vents
It is also essential that no furniture or toys are blocking airflow from your heating vents, as this could prevent air from flowing freely into them. Furthermore, heat registers may become blocked with dust and debris accumulating over time – dust collection also contributes to these problems.
In addition to taking these simple troubleshooting steps, homeowners can also check inside the supply plenum of their furnaces to verify whether its thermocouple has not become damaged or burned out and provide more thorough troubleshooting steps – providing greater assurance.
2. The pilot light keeps going out
An essential component of any heating system, the pilot light ignites the gas that ignites your furnace. However, if it keeps going out, it could indicate something amiss within your heating system and should be addressed accordingly.
One of the primary reasons a pilot light may keep going out is due to a problem with its thermocouple. The thermocouple is a safety system that shuts off gas flow if it detects that your pilot light has not lit.
However, sometimes its temperature sensor malfunctions and becomes dirty or gets old, causing it to incorrectly sense when your pilot light has shut it off instead of providing gas flow as planned.
One common cause of pilot light failure can be found in its opening, which is dirt. As dirt accumulates in this space, it prevents flame from fully engulfing the thermocouple and thus falsely triggers its safety mechanism, shutting off the gas flow.
Your pilot light may also be flickering because there is insufficient gas available to power its flame. Professional gas line repairs or duct cleaning could help alleviate this issue; although it might be tempting to try fixing this yourself, working on gas systems is potentially dangerous, so calling in an HVAC service technician can provide faster and safer solutions.
3. Strange noises
If you hear any unusual sounds from your furnace or heating system that do not correspond with its usual humming noise, don’t disregard them. Unusual sounds from boilers, radiators, or pipes could indicate problems requiring immediate professional intervention.
Usually, when hearing a rattling sound from your furnace or air handler, it indicates loose panels on its exterior, which a professional should tighten. Rattling also could indicate internal parts that need tightening up or replacement, but in either case, rattling can indicate looseness within your unit that needs tightening up as soon as possible.
Screeching or scraping noises from your heating system could cause alarm, though they’re both easy fixes that a technician should be able to handle quickly. Screeching means the fan belt needs replacement; scraping sounds could indicate metal pieces touching within your unit – an issue more severe that might require the replacement of major components of your system.
Low humming sounds and clicking are part of regular furnace functions; however, a professional should investigate any loud banging or rattling noises to protect your system and avoid further damage. Knowing what your furnace or heating system is telling you can help you take immediate steps that could save a costly repair bill in the future!
4. Inconsistent heating
An uneven heating system can be one of the biggest headaches for homeowners, even when functioning perfectly. Some rooms might feel too warm, while others will experience an arctic blast of air from your furnace.
Despite how straightforward it may seem, replacing an outdated air filter with a new one might occasionally solve a problem. A dirty air filter makes it harder for hot air to pass through and distribute itself evenly throughout your home; remedy this situation by switching out old filters for new ones.
If the problem continues, there may be an issue with your zone control system. If thermostats do not receive power as expected, they cannot send the appropriate signals to turn on furnaces or heat pump units. In such a situation, recalibration will need to occur on local thermostats in order to achieve success.
Another possibility could be that the ductwork in your home is leaky. Leakage could allow as much as 30% of heated air to escape through cracks in its construction; should this be the case, professional advice should be sought to repair or modify your ducts as soon as possible.