Serving Greater Pittsburgh Since 1933
24 Hour Service
Autumn is here and soon you’ll be using your furnace to heat your home. A common concern among homeowners is when you turn your furnace on for the first time after a period of non-use and notice a burning smell. Let’s go over what’s the likely reason for a burning smell and whether it needs our attention. Whether you have a gas or electric furnace, understanding what causes this can help you determine if it’s normal or if it’s a sign that you need furnace repair in Whitehall, PA.
How have your heating bills been so far this winter? Have they been surprisingly low or shockingly high? If it’s the latter, this blog post is for you! No one wants to pay more for something when they could be paying less.
Your home’s heating costs are dependent on a number of factors such as the insulation in your home, the quality of your ductwork, and how efficient your furnace is. When your furnace is running efficiently, it provides a whole host of benefits in addition to cutting your heating costs such as reducing the need for furnace repair. Let’s go over 5 important factors to be aware of so you can feel confident you’re paying the least amount of money on heating expenses.
When your gas furnace is working properly, you’ll hardly even notice it. Other than the sound of it turning on and off and the whoosh of air through the vents, it shouldn’t make much noise. And at the beginning of the heating season, you’ll probably smell dust when you turn it on for the first time. But otherwise, your furnace should be operating silently and without emitting any smells.
When your furnace gives off weird smells, it’s a sign to sit up and take notice. Your furnace is trying to tell you that it’s not operating as it should. Depending on the type of smell, the issue behind it could be something that requires urgent attention by a professional HVAC company to something ordinary and run-of-the-mill. Let’s go over 5 common furnace smells and what they mean.
You’ve turned on the heater and are right to expect a prompt response from the system. However, it’s been close to an hour, and all you’ve got is an increase in your frustration and the number of complaints from everyone in the house who is too cold.
We understand why a stubbornly cold house would be frustrating and we want to help. Often, the lack of heat is one of the signs that you need a furnace repair. We will explain this and other warning signs below so you know when you need to schedule expert repairs.
Let’s put it this way—a cracked heat exchanger is not a minor repair need by any means. If you’re using a gas furnace to heat your home this winter, then you need to be aware of the things that can go wrong.
Before we continue, it’s worth mentioning that a gas furnace is not inherently dangerous. But when it’s ignored, ill-maintained, or even aged passed the point of its useful service life (10-15 years, depending on the manufacturer) it can become hazardous.
The same can be said for any gas-powered appliance, as they all have the potential to develop safety issues. While these systems do have a special feature to turn the system off if something malfunctions inside the system, a heat exchanger crack can be subtle and insidious. Read on to learn more!
Keeping warm during a Pennsylvania winter is already a challenge in itself. It shouldn’t be something that could cost you or your loved one their health. It is a sad fact, however, that lives are lost each year to a preventable heating issue that leaks deadly gas into your home.
We are, of course, discussing the threat presented by carbon monoxide in your home. There are multiple homes in the area that utilize natural gas as fuel for appliances in their home, such as their stove or your furnace. If that gas leaks into your home though, it can go from being helpful to harmful very quickly. Here are some facts that you should know about carbon monoxide and how to protect yourself from its effects.
For the most part, the weather in our area is relatively predictable throughout the year. As we transition into spring, however, it really could go either way. We may start seeing much warmer temperatures in just a couple of weeks, or we could have some more cold weather ahead. If the former occurs, you’ll likely be tempted to turn off your furnace for the season and not give it another though. However, if you have repair needs, delaying them could leave you with a headache and a costly repair bill.
Ignoring any sort of heating system malfunction can cause it to turn into a much bigger problem, leaving you with a broken down heater next fall when you need the system the most, or depending on the circumstances even a malfunctioning air conditioner—for example if the problem is a ductwork or an air filter problem.
But how do you know when you actually have furnace problems that need managing? We’ve provided some helpful signs below.
What if someone asked you, “what’s the last thing you need right now?”
You probably wouldn’t have a fast answer off the top of your heat, but what if one of the options was “a broken down heater”?
We’re guessing this got your attention! The fact of the matter is, if there is any time of year that a furnace is going to break down, it’s right around this time of the year, when your heating system has already been through a lot of work and is struggling to do more. Fortunately, if you had fall maintenance done before this season began, you likely have little to worry about.
What if you skipped maintenance, though? Or what if you have an aging furnace and you’re not even sure of its status? Well then keep reading for some common problems we get calls for mid-season, and if you notice your furnace exhibiting any of these symptoms, please give us a call!
Heating is an important part of home comfort around our area! Sure, we may get plenty of use from our air conditioners but our heaters get the brunt of the work throughout the year. That said, you need yours to perform flawlessly, right?
The only way to ensure this is the case is to have it routinely maintained by a professional. Every year, our technicians can come out to fully inspect, clean, and adjust your furnace as needed. If we see areas of improvement, we’ll alert you so that you can make a repair call right away. Tackling repair needs when they are still small is the best way to fend off bigger, costlier emergencies.
Of course, regardless of maintenance, it’s a good idea to be aware of common furnace repair needs so that you can be on the lookout. What are the most frequent? Read on to find out just a few.
Are you one of the over 64 million homeowners in the U.S. who use natural gas for winter heat? It is that popular—but that also means that there are more people that may be dealing with safety issues. We don’t mean to say that gas furnaces post an inherent risk to homeowners—they don’t. They wouldn’t be installed in so many homes if so. In fact, current standards for gas-heating manufacturers put a special emphasis on maintaining safe operation.
But, if your furnace isn’t well cared for, you could certainly run into problems. No gas-appliance can be 100% problem-proof if it’s not adequately maintained. There’s one gas furnace danger, in particular, you should be aware of in an ill-maintained system, and that’s a cracked heat exchanger.