How to Fix Heater Problems: 5 Common Furnace Issues

Your furnace plays a very important role in keeping your home comfortable during the cold winter months. It would be lovely if these worked flawlessly 100% of the time, but that is unfortunately not the case. Furnace problems can always arise and make your home a frigid and uncomfortable place to be.

While reaching out to an experienced and qualified team like Metro PHA is always a good idea, it’s still smart to be aware of common heater problems and what you can do to fix them. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some furnace-related problems you might run into, and how they can be fixed or dealt with.

Furnace is Blowing Cold Air

One of the most common problems with heaters is that they blow cold air instead of warm air. As you can imagine, this can make your winters very cold, and you need to deal with this problem quickly. The first thing to do is to check your thermostat to ensure it is at the right temperature and was on the right setting. If it was, then the issue likely stems from a lack of fuel, a malfunctioning part or a dirty air filter.

Certain Rooms are Not Getting Any Warm Air

Another common issue is that certain rooms simply don’t get any cold air, or don’t get as much as they should. This clearly isn’t an issue with the furnace as it is pumping warm air somewhere, but there are some potential culprits. This is often due to either air filter issues, or leaky ducts. If your ductwork going to a specific room has gaps or leaks, the warm air could be escaping before it gets a chance to get to the room. Also, be sure to check the vents and registers in the room where you are getting no heat. If you have furniture over vents or other debris, it could limit the effectiveness of your heating.

Furnace Won’t Turn Off

A furnace that won’t turn off is another problem that many homeowners need to deal with. The first thing to check is your thermostat. Many people set it to “on” instead of “auto”, and this can lead the furnace to run much longer than you need it to. If it is set to auto and still won’t turn off even when the set temperature is reached, this is often a malfunction in the blower or a miswired thermostat, and will need to be fixed by someone with the experience to do so.

Short Cycling of the Furnace

While a furnace should cycle on and off a couple of times every hour, if your furnace is rapidly turning on and off, it is a problem. This may lead to only certain areas of your home actually becoming warm, and can wreak havoc on your energy bill. These shorter runs can also negatively impact the heat exchanger, too. The size of the unit, position of the thermostat and a dirty filter can all potentially lead to this issue, so consider calling in a professional and see if they can narrow it down.

There is a Strange Noise or Smell Coming From the Furnace

Another common furnace-related issue is strange sounds coming from the furnace or ducts. This could be rattling, clanking, banging, buzzing or any other sound that you don’t generally hear. In addition to strange noises, always be aware of any strange smells that are coming from the furnace. If you encounter either of these, it’s a good idea to simply turn your furnace off and call a professional. There are many reasons why your furnace may smell weird or be making weird noises, and it’s best to have a professional come inspect things.

In conclusion, we hope this article has been able to help you learn about and fix various different problems with your heater.