When maintained regularly, a gas furnace can be efficient and cost-effective when it comes to heating your home during fall and winter. It can even last around 15 to 20 years as long as it’s properly cared for by a trusted heating and air conditioning repair technician. But sometimes, your furnace may experience seemingly harmless issues that can turn dangerous if left ignored. Bartlett Heating & Air Conditioning lists some of the most common ones below.
Ignition Problems
Your furnace probably has a delayed ignition issue if you hear a bang or a boom whenever it starts up. This issue is the result of the burners getting gas but being inhibited from lighting up. When this happens, the inside of the furnace has gas buildup, which then dissipates upon ignition but comes with a small explosion. This may seem harmless, but if this is a frequent occurrence, it can put undue stress on your furnace’s interior components, which may then lead to malfunction issues.
Damaged Heat Exchanger
A heat exchanger heats the air that goes into your furnace and blows it into your home to maintain warm room temperatures. This happens through a set of coils or tubes in various shapes depending on the model and fuel it uses. Once it gets extremely hot as the fuel combusts inside, the heat transfers to the air blown over it by the blower motor. After the air gets warm, the blower motor distributes it throughout your home via ductwork.
The metal coils in the heat exchanger constantly expand and contract whenever it warms up and cools down. This makes it brittle and eventually crack over time. Improper venting and old age can cause corrosion to develop on the component. This should be remedied immediately; otherwise, the carbon monoxide exhaust gas that came out of the cracks can escape into your home.
Wrong Gas-to-Air Ratio
Your gas furnace should have the correct mixture of natural gas and oxygen to burn as efficiently as possible. This also ensures it produces little pollution while running. If you find sooty residue in the furnace, it could indicate incomplete combustion, which is when it’s getting too little oxygen or too much gas. It isn’t a problem you can ignore because you waste more gas while the furnace consumes more energy. Plus, it produces more carbon monoxide, which is not a good thing once it escapes to your home.
Whether you need heating repair or an AC clean and check, Bartlett Heating & Air Conditioning is committed to getting the job done efficiently so you remain comfortable all year round. If you live in the areas within Bartlett and West Chicago, call us today at (630) 372-7640 to schedule your maintenance, repair, or replacement service. You can also reach us online to get started!
