How a Broken Furnace Can Contaminate Your In-Home Air

When we think about a broken furnace, we often think about it in the sense that the furnace is not working at all or as well it could be in order to heat your home fully. Certainly, this is a problem on colder nights; but a "broken" furnace doesn't always mean it isn't functioning, and not realizing that your furnace could be broken and still functioning could be letting dangerous pollution into your home.

Often, pollution from the furnace doesn't come from a problem, but rather a lack of maintenance. Every year, you should have a maintenance technician out to your home so that they can check the furnace and ductwork. As homes are typically not well ventilated during the winter, to keep out the cold; dust, carbon, and other contaminants often stick around. Said contaminates are blown and settle into the air or carpeting, thus affecting the overall air quality in your home. Much of the time, simply changing the air filter can prevent a lot of contaminants from entering the home. However, if you have breeches in the ductwork, then an air filter may not completely stop pollutants until that breach is fixed.

Of course, the major worry about a furnace polluting your air is the silent killer – carbon monoxide. Usually, the appliance functions to keep this out of the home, but one crack in the heat exchanger or the combustion chamber and it can enter the system, and then enter your home. Therefore, it is so crucial to have your furnace inspected every year or at least have a carbon monoxide detector installed in your home to catch a problem before it becomes deadly. While these issues can be costly to repair, they can prevent something devastating from happening. Your air quality could make your family sick, but carbon monoxide is on another level of danger.

If you want cleaner and healthier indoor air then please do not hesitate to contact us here at Kent Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. - we're here to help!

Don't Let Your Furnace Turn into a Safety Hazard

As the temperature outside drops, your furnace keeps your family happy and warm. However, without proper maintenance your furnace's health can drastically diminish, meaning your unit can become a serious safety hazard. Luckily, fending off a potential hazard simply requires you to carry out a few easy tasks, which, when done regularly, will ensure your furnace is operating safely.

Maintain the Area around Your Furnace

When most people think about maintaining their furnace they jump straight to changing the filter and cleaning their units’ internal parts. While both of those tasks are crucial, they aren't the only steps you should take. Removing clutter and cleaning the area around your furnace are also key components to protecting your home and family. Dust build-up and boxes stacked near your unit, especially if the boxes contain flammable materials, equal a serious fire hazard. Finding other areas in your home to store unused household items and vacuuming the space on a regular basis will minimize the fire risk your furnace poses.

Test and Replace Carbon Monoxide and Fire Detectors

If you didn't test the carbon monoxide and fire detectors in your home at the start of the heating season, don't put it off for another minute. Allowing one or more of the alarms to stop working is truly the difference between life and death. Changing the batteries in your detectors or replacing the alarms once their life expectancy of 5 to 7 years has passed is crucial to safeguarding your family against a possible life altering furnace malfunction.

Be Vigilant

Odd sounds, funny smells, and an overall drop in performance are all signs something is wrong with your furnace. Allowing the issue to carry on without getting it checked out by a HVAC specialist can quickly turn your unit into a serious safety hazard. Remember, staying vigilant and catching an issue early can stop a dangerous malfunction from occurring.

Schedule an Annual Inspection

The best way to ensure your furnace is operating safely is to schedule an annual inspection. During an inspection, a HVAC technician cleans your unit and examines it for potential malfunctions (such as a carbon monoxide leak or wiring issues that could cause a fire!). Having a professional inspect your heating system is crucial to the unit functioning safely throughout the winter.

If your furnace is malfunctioning or you would like to schedule an inspection, please contact us today and we'll be happy to help you! Our team here at Kent Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. cares about your safety and comfort.

Signs that Immediate Furnace Repair is Needed

Your home furnace is a very important appliance that needs to be properly taken care of as it is responsible for keeping your home warm. While a furnace is a very reliable appliance and can last well over a decade, they do need maintenance and repairs from time to time. In some situations, there could be more serious problems that could pose a safety concern or evidence that the furnace is near failing. There are several signs you should look out for that could indicate that you are need of immediate furnace repair.

Pilot Light

If your furnace is powered by natural gas there will be a pilot light that should always be the color blue. However, if you find that it is yellow, it could be an indication of a very serious problem. A yellow pilot light could be an indication that your furnace has a carbon monoxide leak, which is a very poisonous gas. If your pilot light is yellow, you should turn your furnace off and call your technician immediately.

Odd Noises

Another indication that something is wrong is if you hear odd noises. If you continue to hear the furnace running, hear a lot of loud clunking, or hear a rattling noise, it could be a sign that something is loose. If this is not addressed, the loose part could become very problematic. Because of this, you should call your technician immediately.

Smells

Finally, with a furnace you need to pay attention to odd smells. If you smell gas, the scent of rotten eggs, or smell something burning, it could be a sign that you need a serious repair. In these cases, you should turn the furnace off and call your technician as soon as you can. Doing so could help to prevent a fire or gas leak.

Here at Kent Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc., we are always happy to help! Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or service needs you may have.

3 Symptoms of a Malfunctioning Furnace

There is never a convenient time for your furnace to fail. However, preventing a future breakdown is feasible if you know what signs to look for. Spotting the three malfunctions listed below early can save you from spending a night or two without heat.

Frequent Cycling 

If your furnace in Valparaiso IN is healthy it will cycle on when the air in your home drops below the set temperature, and then it will turn off once it reaches the temperature programmed into your thermostat. Unfortunately, when your furnace begins to cycle on and off at random your system is telling you something isn't quite right. Over cycling can be caused by a number of problems, such as, a clogged filter, a faulty thermostat, or a corroded flame sensor. Pinpointing the exact issue isn't always easy. If you can't figure out why your furnace is constantly cycling on and off, contacting a HVAC professional will get you the answers you need.

Increased Energy Bills

When your heating behavior has not changed, but your energy bill is significantly higher the cause is most likely a drop in your furnace's efficiency level. This issue often occurs when older furnaces are nearing the end of their life; however, it can also signal a newer furnace is malfunctioning. Catching this symptom early can stop the malfunction from turning into something more serious in the future.

Excessive Dust

We've all put off dusting our homes before, but when the dust in your house suddenly seems excessive your lack of housekeeping is probably not the cause. An unreasonably dusty home can signal an issue with your furnace's filtration system. The air your furnace pulls in from the outside gets filtered before it is blown through your vents, meaning a lot of the impurities are removed. When the filtration system is not working properly the dust in your home will increase. Changing your furnace's air filter may solve the problem, but if it does not, you should have your furnace inspected by a professional.

If your furnace is experiencing any of the symptoms listed above or you would like to schedule a yearly inspection, please contact Kent Heating and Air Conditioning and we'll be happy to help you.

Signs You May be in Need of Furnace Repair This Fall

With winter right around the corner, it is important that you take a moment to make sure that your furnace is working properly. Having any necessary maintenance performed on your furnace now will help to ensure that you and your family are able to keep warm this winter. Yet, how will you determine if your furnace needs servicing? Read on for a few of the signs to keep an out for which can indicate that your furnace is likely in need of repair.

Your Home is Heating Unevenly

One clear sign that there is something wrong with your furnace is if your home is not heating evenly. If you are overly hot in one room and freezing cold in another, then it is likely that your system is in need of repairs. A variety of issues could be causing this problem, so you will need to consult an HVAC specialist to determine the source of the problem.

Your Furnace Runs Constantly

Generally, a furnace will cycle on and off throughout the day in order to maintain the temperature inside of your home; your furnace should not have to run continuously. If your furnace seems to cycle on more than it used to, this could be due to several different problems. Either there is something wrong with your thermostat that is preventing it from recognizing the temperature in your home, or your furnace is not running efficiently and has to run more frequently to keep your home warm. Either way, you will want to have this problem repaired, since a furnace running more than it should ultimately costs you on your energy bills.

It Makes Strange Noises

Your furnace may make a certain amount of noise when it cycles on and off. However, it should not begin making any loud or unusual banging, groaning, or squealing noises while it is running. This likely indicates that a component within your furnace is failing and will need to be repaired or replaced as soon as possible before your furnace stops working altogether.

It is important to keep an eye out now for signs indicating that your furnace may be in need of repair so that you can have it serviced before winter arrives.

Contact Kent Heating and Air Conditioning Inc to learn more about how you will know when your furnace is in need of repair.