Furnace repair is one of the most important pieces of annual home maintenance. You can put off cleaning your gutters and patching small cracks, but your furnace can – in the dead of winter – become a matter of health, safety, and even life.

EL PASO, TX, February 03, 2021 /Neptune100/ — The heat in your home keeps your family safe from freezing temperatures, especially for the very young, old, or those who are ill. “When temperatures suddenly drop, a family may not have time to book a timely furnace repair,” says Jose M. with SoBellas

For these reasons, it’s important to pay attention to your furnace, keep up with maintenance and – most importantly – to schedule repairs as soon as your furnace begins showing signs of failure or poor performance. According to Jose, “The best times for furnace repair are in the spring to prep your furnace for time off or in the fall before the first switch-on.” But if your furnace is running poorly right now, your call will be prioritized to ensure your furnace remains functional to keep your family safe during the cold-weather season.

Symptoms That Your Furnace Needs Repair

Know the signs that your furnace is struggling. The sooner you identify poor performance, the sooner repairs can get your furnace back to keeping your family warm and safe. Here are the most common and identifiable symptoms of a heater that needs repairs.

Weak Heating
Strange Noises
Unpleasant Smells
Irregular Heating
Furnace Won’t Turn On or Switch Off
Cycling Thermostat

Furnace Repair Services Available

When you call for repairs, there are a few different things that can happen next depending on what your furnace needs. Your technician will perform an initial inspection and then explain the steps of repair that will get your furnace working properly again. Here are the most common types of furnace repair that you can expect. In many cases, more than one of these solutions will be enacted to ensure your furnace continues reliable performance for the next year and longer.

Furnace Cleaning

Furnaces can get choked up just as AC units can. Dust and other debris can build up inside the unit, covering the electrical components and reducing the effectiveness and increasing the rate that parts need to be replaced. It’s smart to have your furnace cleaned yearly but it becomes necessary once your furnace starts to choke.

Changing or Clearing Clogged Furnace Filters

Furnace filters are the component meant to reduce the need for furnace cleaning. There are two kinds of furnace filters, your typical HVAC filter which is regularly replaced and permanent filters which must be gleaned. Gas furnaces, for example, are more likely to have a permanent filter. While homeowners can often replace a clogged disposable filter on their own – usually near the air intake vent inside the house – a permanent filter needs to be removed and professionally cleaned before your furnace is unclogged.

Furnace Ignition Repairs

Gas furnaces need ignition to create heat. To do this, you need a pilot light and an ignition assembly. If the ignition or pilot light have stopped functioning, then so too will your heater. Sometimes a malfunctioning ignition is more dangerous than one that won’t start at all. Your technician will inspect and repair the ignition should this be necessary – before your home freezes or anything is harmed.

Replacing Worn-Out Furnace Parts

Lastly, there is part replacement. Most home heaters are built to last, but all the parts wear out at a slightly different rate. Plastic tends to become brittle over time and fanblades often break – causing the signature rattling or scraping sounds of a broken furnace. Wires can corrode, fray. Electrical components eventually burn out. Rather than replace your entire furnace, replacing one or two parts is often the best way to get several more years of reliable heat from your home heating unit.

When to Call for Furnace Repairs

When should you call for furnace repairs? Jose recommends “scheduling your repairs immediately after noticing poor performance from your furnace.” If the weather is freezing and the matter is an emergency, we’ll schedule you for ASAP emergency furnace repairs. If your furnace is just starting to perform poorly, we can coordinate schedules for a more timely repair appointment. If your furnace has been limping along through the winter and you have yet to call for repairs, a springtime shut-down visit is a good idea to ensure your furnace works when it’s time to turn it back on next fall. And if cold weather is approaching in the autumn, it’s smart to have your heater inspected as you prep for the switch from AC to heat – before heat becomes vital to your home’s safety.

Does your furnace need repair? Would you like to schedule a furnace check-up to ensure that your winter time can be free of emergency repairs? Contact us today. We’re proud to offer the full selection of furnace repair, installation and maintenance services to homeowners across our local area.