A broken furnace on the coldest day of winter is a nightmare scenario that no one should have to experience. Although we’ll always be there to quickly fix your furnace should that ever occur, wouldn’t it be better to avoid a breakdown altogether?
Luckily, your furnace will give off signs when its performance is suffering or when it’s time to be replaced. Being a good homeowner involves being aware of these signs so you can avoid an interruption in service. Here are some red flags to watch out for that indicate you probably need furnace repair in Colorado Springs.
Furnace Age
Do you know how old your furnace is? This is a vital piece of information to know about your furnace. If you don’t know it, look up the serial number on your furnace. With that, you can determine when it was manufactured. The next time you have a service call, you can also ask one of our technicians to help you determine this information.
The reason why the age of your furnace is so important is that a furnace that’s near the end of its lifespan can start to deteriorate rapidly. Furnaces have estimated lifespans of 10-15 years. If your furnace is in this range, you should be aware that it’s reached an age where it’s likely to become problematic. Decreased efficiency, higher heating bills, or a sudden breakdown are possible.
Safety Concerns for Gas Furnaces
If you have a gas furnace that is near the end of its estimated lifespan, there are potential safety hazards you should be on the lookout for. Although gas leaks are rare, they are possible. When they happen, they tend to occur in older furnaces that don’t have the safety features that are common in new furnaces.
An old furnace can potentially leak gas if it develops cracks in the heat exchanger. This part of your furnace acts as a metal shield between the combustion chamber and the blower. It helps transport heated air from the furnace into your home When cracks develop through aging and wear and tear, that effective seal between the breathable air in your home and the flue air is compromised.
Signs to watch out for include the smell of rotten eggs or sulfur in your home. The carbon monoxide detector is going off. Or you’re experiencing the flu-like symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning such as headaches, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness.
Decreased Efficiency and Increased Heating Bills
It can be easy to overlook a furnace that is slowly losing its efficiency because the signs can be subtle. The furnace may be taking longer to heat your home to your preferred temperature. Or it may be unevenly heating rooms of your home, but you don’t spend a lot of time in those rooms and haven’t noticed.
But when your heating bills suddenly skyrocket, that’s something that’s easy to catch. Paying high heating bills and getting a poorly performing furnace in return isn’t ideal. You deserve to have an energy-efficient furnace that’ll heat your home to a comfortable level without having to overpay for utilities.
Don’t let the weather get you down. Contact Brown’s Heating & Cooling for professional furnace repair.