Gas furnaces are among the best heating options in colder places like British Columbia. The only real issue is that throughout the winter, a furnace experiences quite a bit of strain, which can cause various problems if it’s not maintained correctly. Let’s explore some of the most common furnace issues you can encounter and how annual maintenance can usually help you avoid them.

1. Furnace Isn’t Turning On or Won’t Stay Lit

One of the worst issues you can encounter is when your furnace won’t run or its burners frequently go out. Even though Victoria is more temperate than many other parts of Canada, you still need your furnace to run so that your house doesn’t get overly cold. You’ll need to contact an emergency repair service to get your furnace fixed and working again as soon as possible.

A wide range of things can cause a furnace to no longer turn on. Most commonly, it means you’re dealing with a worn-out or malfunctioning component like the electronic igniter, gas valve or pressure switch. This issue can also arise because the furnace isn’t receiving power due to an electrical problem such as a loose connection or damaged wiring. If your furnace lights, but the flames go out almost immediately, you can be fairly certain that the flame sensor is either worn out or so dirty that it’s unable to do its job correctly.

It’s entirely possible for a component to just suddenly stop working. Nonetheless, most of the issues that can prevent your furnace from running can be avoided by having your furnace maintained at the start of winter. That’s because the technician will perform certain tasks like cleaning the flame sensor and testing it to make sure it’s not wearing out. They’ll also inspect and test all the other important components and ensure that all the wiring and electrical components remain in good condition. If they find any components that are at risk of failing, they can replace them before the worst winter weather arrives and lessen the chances of your furnace malfunctioning.

2. Furnace Isn’t Putting Out Sufficient Heat

You can tell fairly easily if your furnace isn’t putting out as much heat as it should since this will make each heating cycle take longer than usual. On extremely cold days, your furnace could even run for hours without the temperature in your house increasing all that much. The first thing to check when dealing with this situation is the filter. If you let it get too dirty, it will decrease your furnace’s performance by reducing the amount of air that gets pulled into the furnace.

Issues with your air ducts can also lead your furnace to perform poorly. However, insufficient heat is more commonly due to an issue with the burners. For instance, if the burners are dirty and some of the gas ports are starting to clog, it can keep the flames from getting as hot as they should. This happens because the burners aren’t fully combusting the gas, resulting in weak flames that don’t give off as much heat.

You can easily check for this issue by looking inside the combustion chamber to see what color the flames are. When natural gas fully combusts, it produces strong, bright blue flames that burn extremely hot. If you see yellow or orange flames that are somewhat weak and flickering, it’s a sign of incomplete combustion. It also means your furnace is producing carbon monoxide, which only happens when the gas doesn’t completely combust and doesn’t burn cleanly.

This issue is another area where annual maintenance is helpful since the technician will make sure to fully clean the burners and gas ports. They’ll also turn on the furnace and test to see if it’s producing the correct temperature rise, which is the difference between the current temperature in your house and that of the hot air coming out of the furnace.

3. Furnace Is Overly Loud or Making Strange Noises

If you notice that your heating system is running much louder than it usually does, the blower is usually the culprit. Issues like a dirty air filter or dust and debris clogging the blower can make it much harder for the blower to draw air into the furnace and circulate air through the ductwork system. This results in the blower needing to work much harder than it should, which can cause it to make excessive noise.

If the blower is having issues moving the necessary volume of air, it also makes your heating less effective. That’s why one important furnace maintenance task is cleaning the blower and checking that it’s moving as much air as it’s supposed to.

Unusual noises can be a sign of various problems depending on what type of noise it is. For instance, a rattling sound usually means there’s a loose component. A grinding sound often indicates the blower is loose and scraping against its housing. If you hear a loud squealing or screeching sound, it usually means the bearings in the blower motor are worn out or need to be lubricated. A booming sound when the furnace burners light usually indicates an ignition delay, which typically happens because the burners are overly dirty.

All these issues are things a technician will check for when servicing and inspecting the furnace. They’ll also lubricate the bearings and other moving parts as needed to ensure the furnace runs smoothly and as quietly as possible.

4. Furnace Is Leaking Water

This is an issue that will occur only if you have a high-efficiency condensing furnace. This type of furnace is so effective at capturing the heat it produces that some of the water vapor in the combustion fumes cools to the point where it condenses before exiting the furnace through the exhaust flue. All the water then drips down into a drain pan before flowing out through the furnace’s condensate pipes and draining into the building’s drain and sewer system.

The issue is that algae and mold often end up growing with the furnace’s condensate drain system due to the combination of heat and moisture. At some point, the condensate pipes can end up getting clogged with algae, mold and slime. When this happens, water will start backing up in the condensate drain system and eventually leak onto the floor. This is why one important part of maintaining this type of furnace is cleaning the condensate pipes, which greatly reduces the chances of them clogging at some point during the winter.

The best way to keep ahead of maintenance is with an HVAC maintenance plan, which usually includes discounts if any repairs are needed. Serving customers throughout the Victoria, BC area, Darias Heating & Air Conditioning has what it takes to ensure you always have effective heating and cooling. We can service, maintain and repair any type of furnace, and we also work on heat pumps, boilers, air conditioners and ductless mini-splits.

If you need to have your HVAC system inspected or maintained, or you want to upgrade to a new furnace that’s more efficient, give our team at Darias Heating & Air Conditioning a call today.

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