When it comes to furnace repair in Gaithersburg, our friendly technicians have been around the block a time or two. There are five common problems that we’ve noticed occur often when it comes to our customer’s furnaces. Unfortunately repairs for these issues can be expensive- but the good news is that they can be prevented. What’s the saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? When it comes to problems like these, it’s much easier to prevent them, than fix them.

Take a look at these five common problems that could be happening with your furnace.

Not Enough Heat

Every winter calls come in with a malfunctioning furnace that isn’t throwing off enough heat. When it gets down to the single digits (or the negatives), a furnace that isn’t properly heating your home can lead to a lot of discomfort. There are several reasons why your furnace could be throwing off less heat.

If your furnace is still throwing off some heat, but it’s just not enough, then you could have problems with a clogged filter or the size of your furnace. Picture your duct system. The farther away from your furnace the air gets, the smaller the ducts need to be. This helps to push the heat evenly throughout your home, instead of having rooms that are often too cold at the outskirts of the house. If this is the case, then you definitely need to call in the experts. When it comes to furnace repair in Gaithersburg, replacing ductwork is not a small or DIY Job.

If your furnace isn’t throwing off any heat at all, then you could be looking at issues with the gas source, pilot light, or be dealing with a malfunctioning thermostat. Because all of these issues deal with hazardous substances, we highly recommend against DIY repairs.

Frequent Cycling

On. Off. On. Off. On. Off.

A furnace that cycles on and off frequently can be really annoying. You might find yourself constantly adjusting the volume on your TV or unable to fall asleep at night due to the sudden starts and stops.

A cycling furnace can be caused by a few different things. The first fix could be rather simple. Try setting your thermostat a few degrees lower or higher. Your furnace could be struggling to maintain a bad thermostat setting. When that happens it has to cycle on and off constantly to maintain the temperature setting. You could also be dealing with a clogged filter. When your furnace has a clogged filter, it has to work much harder to distribute air flow around your house. It may also not be receiving the air intake it needs to function properly. Try calling in furnace repair in Gaithersburg professionals to change the filters. Your furnace needs proper airflow to function, otherwise you’re putting extra stress on the system and greatly shortening its lifespan.

Noisy Furnace

There are several different noises your furnace can make. None of them mean your furnace is functioning well. While a furnace will make some noise, it should be more like background white noise than squeaking, squealing, grinding or otherwise.

Is your furnace making a high-pitched squeaking noise? You could be dealing with a frayed or slipped blower belt. The blower belt helps move the air through your HVAC system. If the belt isn’t as tight as it should be, it can slip and you could end up having issues with even heating throughout your home. If the belt is fraying and breaks, it could get stuck in other areas of your furnace and lead to damaged parts—as well as less hot air.

What may be more serious than a fraying or slipping blower belt, are worn out ball bearings. Is your furnace making a scraping or grinding noise? Your ball bearings could be about to go. As soon as you hear scraping or grinding, shut your furnace off completely and call for furnace repair in Gaithersburg.

Pilot Light Problems

Is your pilot light flickering, yellow, or not turning on? This could be indicative of several different things. A yellow and flickering pilot light could mean that there’s excess carbon monoxide in your gas furnace. Clearly, this is a large issue. If you suspect that you could be dealing with excess carbon monoxide, call for professionals with training in furnace repair in Gaithersburg immediately.

However, not every flickering pilot light has to do with carbon monoxide. Instead, you could be having issues with your thermocouple. A thermocouple is a safety device that detects whether or not your pilot light is on. When the pilot light is lit, the thermocouple keeps the gas line open to ensure it stays lit. If the pilot light goes out, the thermocouple automatically shuts off the gas line to prevent a build-up of gas in your home. If your thermocouple is malfunctioning, it could be shutting off the gas line unnecessarily and preventing your pilot light from staying lit.

Pilot light problems can be dangerous. If you’re having problems with your pilot light, feel free to do some research, but unless you have training in HVAC repair, call the experts in furnace repair in Gaithersburg.

Wear and Tear

Many furnace problems are caused by regular old wear and tear. From cracked heat exchangers to dirty filters, the most common furnace problem of all is too much wear and tear and not enough maintenance. Almost every furnace problem can be prevented by quality and timely maintenance. That’s why Rod Miller offers service agreements that feature twice yearly check-ups and full testing on all system components.

When it comes to furnace repair in Gaithersburg, we want you to start off with furnace maintenance to prevent expensive repairs. If you want to sign up for a service agreement or need your furnace repaired, get in touch with us today. One of our friendly associates will be sure to contact you shortly.