When the winter season starts, you’ll turn on your central heating in Mansfield, LA. And, if you’ve made sure to have its routine maintenance during the fall, the heating system should perform just as you need it to.
But even with the best regular maintenance, a heating system can start to malfunction. The heater may abruptly fail on you without any warning, but this is rare. In most cases, heaters will give off warning signs that they’re in trouble and in need of repairs before they worsen. If you know the big warning signs to watch for, you can call our technicians in time to head off a bigger problem, such as the heater failing to work at all. The sooner you handle heating repairs, the smaller the repairs are likely to be.
What are some of the major signs to watch for? We’ve put together a list for your convenience:
#1. Uneven heating
We put this first because it’s a major warning sign that people often ignore. A central heating system is designed to provide comfort throughout a house as evenly as possible. There may be some temperature differences based on room location (a room with more sun exposure will get hotter, one with low insulation will get cooler), but otherwise, the heater should provide sufficient warmth to all the living spaces. When cold spots start to show up, it means the heater is starting to lose capacity for some reason. Don’t shrug off cold spots—have technicians investigate the heater right away.
#2. Strange or loud noises from the heater
If you’ve already had your heater for a year, you know the sounds it makes as it runs. When you hear something different, or if the heater starts to create a noticeable racket when it’s operating, it’s a reason to call for experts to check for malfunctions.
#3. You need to keep fiddling with the thermostat for comfort
When a heater is working correctly, you can have it stay on one thermostat setting for long stretches and provide the warmth you need. (In fact, we recommend steady settings; they help with energy efficiency.) But if you have to keep adjusting the thermostat up and down to attempt to find a point where the house feels comfortable, something isn’t right! It might be with the thermostat or with the heater itself.
#4. The heater keeps shutting off early
When your heater only stays on for a short time before turning off, you won’t receive enough heat for the house. The sudden shutting down can point toward several serious problems with the furnace, such as a malfunctioning flame sensor or faulty control board.
#5. Heating bills are far higher than normal
When you see your first heating bills of the winter season and they almost send you into shock, that’s a big warning sign the heater is in trouble. If you can’t account for the higher bill, please call technicians to find out what’s causing the problem.
Moon’s Air has provided whole-home comfort since 1971. Call us for service today—it’s good to be Mooned!