Furnace Repair Cincinnati is the process of fixing or replacing a furnace, a heating system that uses natural gas to heat your home. Regular cleaning and maintenance of your furnace can help it stay efficient and functional for a long time.
Some repairs may be simple enough for you to do on your own. However, if your repairs are complex or involve safety concerns, consider hiring a professional.
If water is leaking around your furnace, it’s important to act quickly. If left unchecked, the water can damage electrical components like circuit boards and cause your furnace to stop working altogether. Luckily, there are some easy fixes for this problem.
First, turn off your furnace to prevent more water from leaking out. You can do this by turning off the switch on the front of your furnace or turning it off at the breaker box. Once it’s off, you should then clean up the existing water with napkins, towels, a mop or even a wet vac if necessary.
Once you’ve done this, it’s time to determine where the leak is coming from. The most common issue is a condensation line clog. This is a pipe that allows the hot water produced by your furnace to drain away, and if it becomes clogged, this can lead to a water leak. Another possibility is a damaged heat exchanger. Heat exchangers are responsible for transferring heat throughout your system, and they can develop cracks or corrosion over time. If this is the case, a repair service will be required to replace the heat exchanger.
A final possibility is a vent pipe problem. This can occur when a vent pipe becomes clogged with debris or has a low slope, which means that combustion gases stay inside the vent pipe for longer than they should and can start to condense.
It’s also possible that the leak is coming from your plumbing pipes, which can happen when they break or clog, or if the pipe isn’t properly installed. If this is the case, it’s more of a plumbing issue than a furnace repair issue, and you should contact a plumber to fix it instead of an HVAC professional.
If you have a WeCare Protection or Maintenance Plan, we’ll take care of your furnace so that problems like this don’t ever occur. Contact us today to find out more about our plans and how they can save you money on heating and cooling services in the future. We also offer emergency heating repair to address problems as soon as they arise.
Clogged Filter
Clogged filters are a common cause for furnace problems, and one of the most preventable. A dirty filter makes your blower work harder, which reduces efficiency and increases the wear and tear on parts like the heat exchanger. This can lead to costly repairs down the road.
Dirty filters also prevent your home’s air quality from being as clean as possible. A clogged filter means that pollutants are allowed to circulate throughout your property, causing respiratory issues and contributing to stronger allergies. If your family members have chronic respiratory issues, you should make a point of checking and changing your filter regularly.
Changing your filter every three to four months is a good idea, and booking routine maintenance services can help keep your filters in tip-top shape throughout the year. It’s also a good idea to have your home’s ductwork checked periodically, to ensure that they are clean and free of debris.
A clogged furnace can be very dangerous for your home’s occupants. When a heater is starved of air, it will produce high levels of carbon monoxide (CO) – a colorless and odorless gas that can be fatal to people and pets. CO poisoning can also cause a number of other serious health problems.
Furnace problems are caused by a variety of factors, including improper care and poor maintenance. If you notice that your heating bills are rising, make sure that you are putting a clean filter in place.
If your furnace is working, but some rooms are colder than others, check the ducts to see if they are obstructed or blocked. If you have ducts with dampers, make sure that they are open. Also, check to see if any of them have been closed off or sealed shut with standard cloth duct tape, which quickly deteriorates and can leave gaps where pollutants can enter your system.
If your filter is very clogged, you should consider swapping it for a new one immediately. A clogged filter is dangerous, and it will reduce your furnace’s efficiency and may damage your system over time.
Faulty Thermostat
A faulty thermostat can prevent the heating process from starting at all, or cause it to start and stop repeatedly. If the thermostat is showing a blank screen or displaying an error code, you’ll need to call in a professional for repairs. Oftentimes, though, the problem is as simple as changing out the batteries or dusting the thermostat cover.
If you have a newer thermostat, it may be able to alert you when something is wrong by naming the issue on its display or using a flashing light to let you know there’s an error. If yours doesn’t, a faulty thermocouple, flame sensor, or other internal component could be to blame.
A rattling, banging or clunking sound from the furnace is another sign that it’s time to reach out for a repair service. These noises usually indicate that the inducer motor is loose or that it’s worn out. Depending on the severity of the issue, your technician may need to replace the motor altogether or simply reattach it to the furnace.
Other common issues that require professional attention include a faulty blower fan, which can’t circulate air properly without the motor, or an ignition problem, which can be caused by a number of things, including a damaged thermocouple or pilot light. If your ignition problem isn’t addressed quickly, it can lead to dangerous carbon monoxide poisoning.
Once you’ve identified the types of problems that need to be fixed, it’s time to find a company with the right expertise and experience. It’s always a good idea to get referrals from friends, neighbors or colleagues, but you can also use online customer review resources to check out local options. Be sure to consider a wide range of factors when choosing which company to hire, such as pricing, availability and reliability. Also, keep in mind that working around electrical components can be dangerous and should only be performed by individuals who are comfortable with the task.
Faulty Hot Surface Ignitor
A faulty hot surface igniter in a furnace may be one of the more common reasons your home’s heater won’t turn on. It’s a component that works much like a toaster and generates heat by forcing 120 volts through an exposed, resistant material, in this case silicon carbide or silica nitride. The ignitor is also very fragile, and its failure may result in a fire.
If your furnace won’t start, it may be because the ignitor is clogged with dust and debris. It’s a good idea to check the filter on a regular basis to prevent this issue. You can also try cleaning the ignitor to see if that helps.
Before you begin, shut off the power to your furnace and wait until it cools down completely. Then unplug the ignitor and remove it from its mounting location. If you have a multimeter, turn it to its lowest setting for resistance readings (ohms) and place one probe on each of the terminals of the ignitor. You should read between 50 and 400 ohms of resistance, indicating that the ignitor is functioning properly.
If you don’t have a multimeter, you can still test the ignitor by connecting the other end of the probe to the gas valve. You should hear and feel a “tick” sound as the valve opens and the gas begins to flow. Once this occurs, you should see and feel the ignitor glow and hear the fan turn on.
You can also check the voltage at the pressure switch by connecting the other probe to the chassis of the furnace. It should read 24 volts, meaning that the switch is closing when the thermostat calls for heating.
If your ignitor still won’t function properly, it’s time to call for professional help. An HVAC repair technician will know exactly how to handle the job and ensure that it’s done correctly. Plus, they’ll be able to spot other potential problems that you might not have noticed. It’s important to have a well-functioning furnace throughout the winter so that you can stay comfortable inside your home.