This winter is going to be a cold one in Southern California. It’s time to check out your heater and make sure everything’s working properly. We suggest you do the same by checking for these five commons signs of heating system failure.
1. Burning Smells from Ducts
The first sign of danger is any burning smell in or around my house. If something’s burning, you’ll want to know about it. Everyone’s heating system is different, but if a fire wasn’t lit in the fireplace, nothing should be burning. The ideal thing to do will be to turn things off, look around the house, scroll through the news. If you notice something is off, call an expert to check the pilot, air filters, drain lines, heat pump, and ductwork to pinpoint the problem.
2. Inconsistent Temperatures
You’ll typically notice your heating systems aren’t working when you are cold. The first thing to do is to check the thermostat. Even with a Nest or Ecobee smart thermostat, the heating system can fail. If your thermostat is struggling to maintain the temperatures you set, the problem lies in the furnace or HVAC system, not the thermostat.
3. Heating System Not Starting
Even if you are not trained in heating repair, there are still a few basic troubleshooting steps you can perform on a gas or electric heating system. Without even touching it, you can feel whether it’s generating any heat. You can also check any valves or listen to tell if it’s working. If not, something needs to be repaired.
4. Abnormal Energy Bills
You should constantly monitor your electric bills in comparison to your energy usage. Even with a solar setup, checking usage regularly is a proactive approach to maintaining expenses. There’s nothing worse than being slapped in the face with a skyrocketed utility bill during the holiday season. We all have too much to do these days.
5. Strange Noises
Unless you’re living in a haunted house, there’s no reason to hear any strange noises coming from the air ducts. No furnace is ever silent, but abnormal knocking, squealing, or grinding is a bad omen. Pay close attention to the noises and describe them to an HVAC professional who can get it fixed.
At Home Comfort Cooling, Heating & Plumbing, we will examine your system to find the cheapest way to get your heating system back up and running. There’s no problem too big or too small for our experienced team to diagnose.
Don’t get left in the cold – contact us today to schedule an appointment with a professional consultant who will get your heating system running.
