Older homes have an incredible amount of charm and nostalgia. While some of that charm stems from the old-world construction practices of ornate stonework and interesting woodworking, there are also negative aspects of living in a dated home, namely the electrical system. We bought our first older home a few years ago, and it has been interesting to see just how much of a problem the electrical system has been. We knew that we needed to update a large portion of the space, so we started going through and having sections replaced. This website is here to help other people to know when to work with electricians.
Furnace problems can come in a variety of different types, and homeowners will want to be prepared to have these issues quickly addressed. Otherwise, they could find their home cold enough to be dangerous if the furnace fails during a winter storm.
An Overheating Furnace
Overheating may not seem like it would be a serious problem for a furnace, but it can cause extensive damage to the furnace. In some instances, it may even pose a fire hazard. Your furnace will have a component that is designed to turn it off when it starts to overheat. Often, homeowners may notice this problem due to the furnace rapidly cycling on and off. In situations where this regulator fails, the furnace will become extremely hot and may start producing smoke. If your system is showing these signs, it should be immediately turned off to avoid a fire starting.
Pilot Light Problems
Oil or gas burning furnaces will use a pilot light to start the burner. However, the pilot light can start to exhibit unstable performance due to residues collecting on it. Thoroughly cleaning the pilot light will usually be enough to correct these problems. If this fails to restore the pilot light's performance, you may want to have it inspected as this could hint that the pilot light may need to be replaced.
Forced Air Failures
To be able to push the air through your home, a forced air furnace will use powerful fans to rapidly propel the warmed air through the home. When these fans fail, the system may continue to produce heat, but this heat will be lost as it will be unable to be distributed throughout the home. Regular maintenance can avoid these fans from failing or otherwise experiencing performance problems as this will allow them to be lubricated and balanced so that wear can be minimized.
Air Pockets In The Radiators
For furnace systems that use radiators, it can be possible for the heat from the furnace to fail to distribute through the home due to air pockets in the radiators. These pockets can block the flow of heat through the radiators. While it can be easy to interrupt this heating problem as an issue with the furnace, removing these air pockets from the radiators may restore their performance. Radiators will usually have a valve that can be used to let these air pockets escape, but the steps for finding and releasing this valve will vary based on your system's design.
Contact a furnace repair service for more assistance.