You won’t boost your furnace efficiency by neglecting repair needs!
Look, we get it. In other parts of the country, they’d consider our springtime weather “heating system” weather—but for us, that’s almost laughable. It’s 56° degrees out? Time for shorts and t-shirts. And it’s time to shut off our furnaces for the season.
But there is a mistake that many Chicagoland homeowners make when they stop using their heaters for the season. If they skipped maintenance, or noticed—and ignored—signs of furnace repair needs they might just figure it can wait until next year when they need their furnace again. This can be detrimental to the performance and efficiency of your furnace, and perhaps even your air conditioner, depending on the problem.
Curious to learn more? Read on to learn about some of the furnace repair needs you’re likely to run into as the heating season ends.
Uneven Heating
Have you noticed in recent weeks that when you use your heating, there seem to be some cold spots throughout the house? Or perhaps the air coming out of your furnace vents seems a little lukewarm? Maybe your home just seems drafty—even though you don’t have any windows or doors letting air in.
These are all signs that something might be amiss with your furnace’s ductwork. Ductwork damage also impacts your air conditioner, too. Therefore, it’s something you’ll want to have repaired right away.
Strange Noises
No matter how minor the sound might seem, if your heating system is making a noise you don’t recognize or seems fairly loud and alarming, you’re right to be concerned. A few noises, in particular, that should warrant a repair call right away include a mechanical clanging or banging, hissing, clicking, or even just general noisy operation.
High Energy Bills
It’s natural to see higher energy bills at the peak of wintertime. But if your heating bills aren’t matching your heating use, and they’re much higher than they were this same time last year or even higher than what your neighbors are paying for similar use, it means something is causing your furnace to not work as efficiently as it’s meant to.
Short-Cycling
Short-cycling is the process in which your furnace shuts on and off in rapid succession. This increases the wear and tear on the system. It is worth mentioning, too, that if you have a relatively newer heater and have always experienced this problem with that new unit, it likely means the system was too large for your home. Be sure to talk to our professional technicians about your options if this is the case.
One thing is for sure when it comes to heating repair—the longer you let a malfunctioning heater sit in wait through the spring and summer months with lingering repair needs, the more likely it is for problems to occur. It’s also more likely that you’ll be stuck with a broken down heater next fall when you need the system again!
For reliable furnace repairs in Chicagoland, look no further than Shavitz Heating and Air Conditioning. Contact us today!