While it’s possible to avoid many furnace issues with regular maintenance, most Spicewood, Texas, homeowners will experience problems at some point. Short cycling, a cracked heat exchanger, poor airflow, and a system that won’t turn on are all furnace issues that require attention. Read on to learn more about troubleshooting these common furnace problems.
Short Cycling
If your furnace is short cycling — turning on and off repeatedly — you may have a clogged air filter, faulty thermostat or poor airflow. Try replacing the filter and restarting the thermostat before contacting a service technician.
Cracked Heat Exchanger
A cracked heat exchanger creates an unpleasant odor similar to formaldehyde that can cause headaches. If you notice this smell coming from your furnace, turn it off and call a service technician. Other, less obvious signs of a cracked heat exchanger include:
- The presence of soot.
- Cracks in the exterior components.
- A yellow pilot light flame instead of a blue one.
Poor Airflow
Poor airflow is often caused by a dirty air filter, closed vents, leaky ductwork or a faulty air handler. If you’re experiencing weak airflow, change your air filter and make sure all your vents are open. If your airflow doesn’t improve, have your furnace inspected to check for more serious issues.
Won’t Turn On
Check your pilot light or electric ignition if your furnace won’t turn on. If you have an older system with a pilot light, see if the light is burning. If it’s not, turn off the gas, wait 15 minutes and try to relight it. Have your furnace inspected if the pilot light continues to go out.
Newer furnaces have electric ignitions. If your ignition doesn’t ignite the furnace’s burners, reset it by turning the power switch off and then back on. If this doesn’t work, contact a service technician to fix it.
Are you experiencing issues with your furnace that you can’t correct on your own? Give Woods Comfort Systems a call at (512) 253-8927. We can inspect your system and figure out a way to resolve the issue in a timely manner.
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