We probably don’t have to tell you that the dead of winter is about the worst possible time to have a furnace develop issues. But, it’s actually the time of year when heating systems are most likely to experience problems, due to the added stress they’re under. If you can detect problems early enough, however, you can have them repaired before they develop too much further.
However, you’ll need to be particularly vigilant if you hope to catch problems early on. One of the first indicators that something is amiss with the furnace is the presence of strange noises while the system is in operation. Keep reading for more information about common problem noises, and what causes them. And when you do need quality Camden County, NJ heating services, get in touch with our team.
Grinding
Inside your furnace is a component called the air handler. The air handler is responsible for actually blowing air around your home while your heating system is running. Its motor is equipped with bearings that help reduce friction on the component while it is in operation. These bearings can last quite some time, but they do eventually wear down.
As this occurs, the friction on the air handler motor increases until it begins to emit grinding noises. If you hear this, it’s a wise choice to call for repairs as soon as you can. If the bearings aren’t replaced in a timely manner, the motor may burn out entirely—and it’s more expensive to replace the air handler motor than it is to replace the bearings!
Booming
Is your furnace making a loud booming sound each time it starts up? Then you likely have a problem with delayed ignition. As the burner assembly in a gas-powered furnace combusts fuel, carbon particles build up on the jets. While this might be harmless at first, over time the buildup becomes severe enough that it can cause some of the jets to fire later than they should.
When the jets finally do ignite, they burn through an excess buildup of gas all at once, and this causes the booming sound you hear. Professional cleaning is necessary to clear out the burner assembly, and this isn’t something you want to wait on. As you can probably imagine, any “buildup” of gas can be dangerous for your system, home, and family safety!
Short-Cycling
This is the name given to the process where your furnace turns itself on and off without seeming to complete a full heating cycle. If this happens, you’ll want to call in a pro ASAP. Short-cycling isn’t something you want to continue to let happen.
It accelerates the rate of which the various components of your furnace wear down, which makes breakdowns more likely to occur. If the problem continues long enough, it can short the lifespan of the furnace by years. Be sure to call for repairs as soon as you notice your system doing this.