Common Furnace Problems

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There’s never a good time for your furnace to malfunction. You know you’re likely to be cold for a while no matter when a break down happens as you wait for a repair. Knowing the most common reasons for furnace problems can help homeowners do the work necessary to prevent a potential furnace break down.

The most common reason a furnace will break down is the lack of regular maintenance. Some homeowners like to skip general maintenance requirements because they don’t want to spend the money on something that isn’t yet broken. In reality, paying for general fall maintenance can prevent having to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars later because of a breakdown. We take our car in to get its oil changed so we don’t need to have our entire engine overhauled, general maintenance on your furnace is the same and will help it to be more reliable and last longer.

Replacing a dirty furnace filter is an easy maintenance task, but often forgotten. Clogged HVAC filters make your furnace work harder than necessary, which can shorten its life. Depending on style of filter and how often you run your system will determine how often it needs replacing. Getting in the habit of checking it on the 1st of the month is great, regardless if it needs to be replaced or not. Give us a call to go over filter replacement and air filtration options. We want the air you breathe to be as clean as possible for you and for the equipment it is protecting!

Ignition control and pilot light failures are also common problems.  All furnaces manufactured after 1978 have electronic ignitions, there are no longer standing pilots on most modern furnaces in the home.  If you have an ignition control issue system may not properly ignite. A faulty ignitor can cause intermittent heat or no heat at all.

Problems from general wear and tear on a furnace. Furnaces work hard. They turn on and off a lot during cold weather. They get hot, then cold. Metal expanding then contracting can cause metal fatigue. They rest for months, then run for hours at a time for months. Over time general wear can lead to furnace issues that could have possibly been prevented. Some parts of a furnace can be replaced, extending the life of your furnace by years, and other failing parts signal the end of the furnaces’ life. As a furnace starts to fail, it will often seem to work and blow warm air, but the air may not be flowing as well or as efficiently as it did in the past. A homeowner may not even realize there’s a problem during the furnace’s decline until it starts to blow cold air or just quits running.

Recognizing what some common furnace problems are, and proper furnace maintenance can make your heating system last longer. If you can’t remember the last time you had your heater serviced, chances are you are long overdue. If you’re looking for an expert HVAC company in Sacramento for furnace maintenance, furnace repair, or a free quote on new furnace installation, turn to us at Perfection Home Systems, Inc.

North American Technical Excellence

Through the years, our company has worked hard to develop a reputation for quality, with thousands of homeowners benefiting from our services. Call Sacramento’s trusted source for HVAC maintenance Perfection Home Systems to schedule your furnace tune-up at (916)481-0658.