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7 Signs Your Furnace Needs Service

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After a long winter of near constant operation, it’s important to watch out for malfunctions or damage to your furnace, especially given chilly spring mornings that trigger intermittent activity before the long summer months of inactivity—before freezing temperatures and snowstorms come again next year.

Signs that it’s time for you to schedule an inspection or service call can include:

1. An Unexpected Increase in Energy Bills

If your energy consumption was noticeably higher compared to the same periods the year before, it can signal your furnace isn’t running to the proper level of efficiency and may require service, repair, or possibly replacement if the issues are severe enough or the furnace has reached the end of its useful lifespan.

2. A Yellow-Hued Pilot Light

If you aren’t familiar with how it works, the pilot light is a small flame that burns continuously in many older gas furnaces and is used to ignite burners when the furnace needs to provide heat. The flame coming from this light, which should be visible under the unit, should always burn a clean, bright blue. If the flame looks yellow it could mean a clog in the system is blocking airflow, that there is a mechanical problem, or that the furnace is potentially leaking dangerous carbon monoxide.

3. Your Furnace is from the 90s or Older

A furnace typically has a useful lifespan of fifteen to twenty years, which means that units installed in the 90s are due for replacement. Having your unit checked out now means you’ll be ready for next winter and won’t wake up shivering or with frozen pipes because your outdated unit has failed unexpectedly.

4. You’ve Been Noticing Some Strange Noises

There are plenty of strange sounds a furnace can make, and each one means something. If your furnace creaks, squeaks, booms, grinds, or hisses you’ll want to get an appointment with a trained professional who can diagnose the issue before it turns into something more serious. Sometimes all it takes is a few tightened bolts or a good cleaning to keep your unit running quiet and clean.

5. Your House isn’t Heating up

Poor heating performance can be caused by a number of issues, from bad insulation, to leaky ducts, to thermostat or furnace damage. In any case, if you weren’t happy with your home’s temperature last winter there is no better time than now to check out the problem and get ready for the future.

6. Your Furnace is Cycling Too Often

If your furnace is cycling all the time, switching on and off without delivering enough heat to your home during each cycle, it may point to a problem with your thermostat, or it may indicate a serious overheating issue in your furnace unit which can cause permanent damage if not resolved.

7. It’s Been More than a Year

Being proactive with service appointments is the best way to catch issues early and ensure you get the best possible value and performance out of your furnace, air conditioner, and all other HVAC equipment in your home. That’s why we strongly recommend an annual tune-up and cleaning appointment.

Trust us, checking things out early is better and far more affordable than placing an emergency call when something preventable has gone wrong.

West Michigan’s HVAC Leaders – Call today!

Baumann & DeGroot Heating and Cooling has been providing high quality, affordable heating and cooling service to our friends and neighbors in West Michigan for over 20 years. Our 22 skilled and friendly employees are ready to serve your needs with the highest quality equipment, service, and financing programs available. Contact us today to learn more or to request a quote!

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Baumann & Degroot was founded in 1994 in West Michigan.

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