When you are worried about a cold winter and how well your heater will be able to keep up with some of the lower temperatures, you need to look at some of the options for helping fix your heater and get it working at optimal efficiency for a long time to come.
Hopefully your heater is in good working order and can last a long time without you having to purchase a new one. But if you have noticed that your heater has to run more than normal or it just doesn’t seem able to keep the home warm, then you may wonder why your heater isn’t working.
There are a few different things that can cause your heater to stop working. Some of the main reasons include:
The Furnace Needs Maintenance
One of the biggest reasons that your furnace is running into troubles and not able to heat up the house as much as it should is that you did not maintain it well. Over time, normal wear and tear, debris, and dust can start to affect the heating system and can lead to some of the break downs that no one wants to deal with.
If you notice that your heater is not as efficient as before, consider how long it has been since you did a scheduled maintenance of it. You should have a technician come out to look it over and check whether there are some potential problems that you need to worry about. Catching the problems right away, rather than later on, can make them easier to fix.
The Thermostat is Not Working
If you have done a good job at maintaining the heater and it is still causing some problems, then the next thing to try on the list is the thermostat. This isn’t necessarily something wrong with the furnace, but it still won’t work the way that you want. Doing a quick check of the thermostat settings to see whether this could be the culprit that you are worried about.
Ensure that your thermostat is at the right temperature and that you have set it to heat mode. If this runs on a battery, you may need to just switch those out to make sure that this simple issue isn’t preventing the heat from working. If you are working with a programmable thermostat, then verify that the schedule put into it is correct.
The Air Filters
Your air filters are a simple, yet important part of your HVAC system. If they get dirty or clogged, they will reduce the airflow in the heating system. This is often enough to cause the system to overheat or shut down. When they are dirty, you need to take the time to replace them. How often you need to do this will depend on who lives in the home and what is recommended by the manufacturer, but you will usually want to get this done between one to three months.
Is he Pilot Light On?
This is something that you will want to check if you have a gas furnace in the home. If the pilot light or the ignition system are not working well, it can make it impossible for the furnace to produce heat. If you have an older furnace that relies on this pilot light, check to see whether the light is lit at the time.
In some cases, the light will not be lit. You will need to take a look at the instructions that came with the furnace, or find a technician, to help you safely relight the pilot light. If you have a newer furnace that relies on an electronic ignition system, you will need to ask a technician to stop by and repair the issue.
The Vents and Ducts
The next thing you need to check out are the vents and ducts. If you have something that is blocking these vents, it can get in the way of the warm air being distributed around the home. Ensure that all of the vents are opened and unblocked because this is going to allow the air from the furnace to flow freely around your home. You can also look for some of the more visible signs that there is damage or a leak in the ductwork because they are enough to reduce heating efficiency as well.
Is It Time to Replace the Furnace?
This is not something that any homeowner wants to know about. They hope that their furnace will be the one that lasts forever and they will never need to replace it. This is an expensive appliance to have around the home and no one wants to find out that they have to take on that expense to keep their homes warm.
However, if you have had the furnace for a long time and it is not keeping the home as warm as it should in the winter, then picking out a new furnace may make a lot of sense. It is a bigger expense that you have to come up with in the moment, but it can help lower your utility bills, save on having someone stop by and fix the unit all the time, and gives you some of the peace of mind that you need during winter because you no longer worry about the furnace breaking down.
Keeping your air conditioner and heater working strong can be critical if you want to stay comfortable in your home no matter the time of year. But finding the right technician to take care of the problem and ensure that your system runs for a long time can be a big challenge. That is
why you need to trust our team at Dipaola Quality Climate Control Heating, AC & Plumbing Repair for all of your household needs. Our team can come to your location, take a look around, and let you know what the problem is right away. We will then work with you to come up with a plan that will take care of the issue and keeps your HVAC system running for a long time to come. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you.