If your heat goes out, then it's fairly obvious that you need to call a heating contractor to make some repairs and get things working again. But sometimes, you need to call a heating contractor even though your heater is still functioning and heating your home. Here are some key signs you need to make that call.
Frequent Cycling On and Off
Your heater should really only turn on and off a couple of times per hour, at most. On days that are not bitter cold, it might not even run this often. If your heater is cycling on and off many times per hour and only staying on for a few minutes at a time, this is a good reason to call your heating contractor.
There are several heater problems that can cause this behavior. The blower motor may be overheating and repeatedly tripping a limit switch before your home can get warm enough. Or, there could be an obstruction in the ducts that is causing pressure to build up in the system and cause the heat to turn off prematurely.
Strange Noises
Heaters should operate pretty quietly. You might hear a click or two when the heater first goes on. Or, you might hear a blowing noise as air rushes through the ducts. Other noises, though, are usually a sign that something is not right. If the furnace squeals and screeches, for example, you may have a torn fan belt. If it's banging or booming when it first kicks on, that could mean you have a gas leak or a broken heat exchanger. It's a good thing that your furnace is still heating in spite of these noises, but you need to have a furnace professional look things over in order to keep it that way.
Weak Airflow
Maybe the air coming from your heater is warm, but the volume seems to be low. You can only feel a slight flow of air from the vents rather than a pleasant rush of air. Weak airflow of this sort tends to mean something is wrong with your blower motor. The fan might not be functioning properly, or there might be something stuck in the ducts or vents. Your home might be staying warm now, but that won't be the case forever unless you call a heating professional.
Just because you still have heat does not mean your heater is 100% functional. Talk to a heating contractor to learn more.
