9 Common Problems with Your Heater

Heating systems are essential equipment in every home in Las Vegas. It is vital to provide controlled heating systems providing warmth to the families in cold seasons and cooling the air in the hot seasons. However, the heaters need frequent maintenance to ensure their effective functioning hence allow the families enjoy maximum benefits from their heaters. Over time, many people have been negligent about their heaters, once an HVAC professional has installed the system, they hardly paid attention much to the system, as long as it remains functional, however; this should not be the case, and frequent repairs and maintenance should be conducted to facilitate the proper functioning. Any reluctance in this may lead to more heater problems and may be a danger to your family.

Clogging of Filters

Filters are a crucial part of the HVAC system. They facilitate air flow hence allow proper functioning of the entire system. With time, dust particles accumulate in the filters; they require frequent removal rest it blocks the entire filter preventing its functionality. There is, therefore, every need to frequently check the filter to ensure its adequacy in working and replace it when necessary. If their replacement or unclogging is delayed the filters become blocked, leading to strain on the system as a result of this, the entire system might malfunction and require an installation of a new heating system.

Noisy Heaters

In many occasions noise is a nuisance, causing a lot of disturbance to those in the house and often interruption of activities. This may result from the clogged heaters or the worn out parts of the system. The noise is a signal of some malfunction in the system that ought to be addressed soonest possible rest it destroys the entire system. Given such a warning, it’s better to put the system on hold from any use, until an HVAC repair company has checked it and declared it safe for use. Prevention is far better than cure. You save the lives of all living the house as well as incur fewer expenses repairing the system. Strange noises coming from your heater can be caused by a number of problems. Generally speaking, these odd noises are the heater’s death rattle. Heater repair may be possible, but you will likely be spending more time and money on repair after repair than the heater is worth. At this point, it is usually best to just replace the furnace and save yourself a continuing headache.

Wear and Tear

Estimates of the lifespans of furnaces vary quite a bit but generally hover in the 15 to 20-year range. Inadequate professional maintenance will reduce this figure. Also, keep in mind that electric furnaces tend to need replacing sooner than their oil or gas counterparts. No matter what type of system you have, you should be considering a replacement at around the 15-year mark.

All heaters are bound to wear and tear with time. The rate and degree of this, however, differs from one heater to another and is also determined by the maintenance of the heating system as well as the surrounding environment. Frequent AC maintenance is hence recommended to allow the system serve you much longer and also to minimize the costs that are associated with the wearing out of the machines.

Heater problems associated with wear and tear include:

• overheating
• noisiness
• air flow regulation problems

A well-maintained machine will remain functioning longer as the different parts are well catered for hence no transfer of a problem from one part of the system to another which may render the system obsolete and dysfunctional hence no longer of use to anyone. Appreciating that the machine will wear out sooner or later is essential as you take much are of it and this may elongate its useful life ad it serves you much better in its service time.

But what is it about older heaters that would have them fearing the scrap heap? Other than normal wear and tear that adds up and can cause sudden failure when you least expect it, there are several problems routinely encountered by technicians when they check out older heaters. Any one of these problems, most of which are covered here, can spell the end for any heater. Out of date heaters typically have one or more of these fatal flaws. Out with the old and in with the new.

Increased Cost of Operation

Have you noticed your energy bills rising? They can creep up, so you will have to pay careful attention and do some figuring. If the cost of the energy source that runs your heater tends to run higher than normal during periods when your heater operates, you may need to replace your heater. Of course the bill will go up during normal operation, but if these increases are out of the ordinary it may be time to do some shopping for a new furnace. Replacing your heater can be one of many ways to save energy during winter.

There are some things you should check before replacing your heater. First, make sure that your ducts are not leaking warm air. This can cause a dramatic increase in energy bills because the heater will have to work much harder to replace all of that wasted heat. Secondly, check all of your filters. Dirty filters cause the system to work harder and use more electricity too. If these suggestions do not help, it would probably be best to begin looking at an efficient replacement.

Increased Carbon Output

Anything that burns fuel has the potential to produce carbon monoxide.Carbon monoxide, or CO, is colorless, odorless and practically undetectable without special equipment. Some symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, confusion, blurred vision and loss of consciousness. Continued exposure to CO after these symptoms take hold may even result in death. CO is nothing to play with, and older furnaces that burn oil or gas have been known to produce unsafe levels of this dangerous gas.

The flame in your unit should be blue and steady. If the flame is yellow or flickering, it may be burning fuel inefficiently and producing too much CO. An excessive amount of soot in the heater is another indicator of this. You may want to check out your chimney. A little soot is normal, but if there is buildup or clumps of soot there may be a huge problem. Remember that excessive soot may mean inefficient burning of fuel, and that in turn could mean CO issues. If there is little to no exhaust coming from your chimney while the furnace is in operation, your home could be filling with CO every time your furnace runs.

More signs that may point to excessive CO production include more condensation on cold surfaces than usual, rusty flue pipes and connections, rusty appliance hookups and water leaking from the base of the chimney or vent.

Inadequate Heating

Have you noticed that some rooms in your home are comfortable while others are too cold? In extreme cases, the rooms closer to the heater are too hot while the rooms further away are too cold. The first thing to check would be your ducts. Leaky ducts will only be able to heat rooms closest to the source of heat.

A heater that is way past its prime and in need of replacement can also cause this problem. This is because older heater are usually just not efficient enough to do their job. So when you set your thermostat, the heater does its best to maintain a comfortable temperature but cannot keep up. It is as simple as that.

The heating process is not a function of one part of the system. It requires a combination of parts to work together towards the achievement of the function. Overheating, inadequate heating or failure to heat at all may, therefore, result from dysfunction of one or more parts of the heating system. When faced with the problem contact your Las Vegas HVAC contractor to check your system. A professional will quickly recognize the problem other than you trying to look for the problem and fixing it yet it’s not your area of specialization. You not only cause more harm to the system but also put your life and that of your loved ones at risk.

Inadequate Maintenance

For every heating system to work efficiently, it requires frequent checks and maintenance. This facilitates recognition of any problems that may be facing the system and addressing them in time before causing much harm to the system. Some Las Vegas residents don’t adhere to this; this may be a dangerous endeavor as the problem may be realized when it’s too late to warrant any heater repairs and it ends up costing them a lot of money to conduct the repair of the system. Moreover, if the damage to the system is severe, it may pose a threat to all people living in the house. Additionally, the inadequate maintenance may weigh heavily on you regarding power costs and more frequent breakdowns that cost you more funds than the little you could use for frequent maintenance.

Dry Air

An old heater cannot properly moisturize air. This results in dry and dusty air in your home. Dry air means dry skin and a high level of allergens. Running a humidifier could help to moisturize the air in the home, but it will not fix your heater. A home that is consistently dry when the heater is running is an indicator that it may be time for a new heater.

Old heaters are generally inefficient and prone to all sorts of problems. Modern heaters are more efficient than ever and operate much more smoothly than the old clunkers of the past. Contact an HVAC company if you’re experiencing heater problems. Putting off an upgrade will only prolong your heating problems and end up costing you more money in the long run.

Dysfunctional Thermostat

The thermostat regulates the amount of air flow and also facilitates the flow of air in the system. It acts as the valve for controlling the entire system. A dysfunctioning thermostat will hence hinder proper air flow leading to low air flowing in the system to fully satisfy the needs of the system. This may result from a problem in the thermostat regulation system or dysfunction of the valves that regulate the air flow, which may only be settled by replacement of the thermostat all together.

A heating system is essential, yet it’s of no use to you when it doesn’t work effectively. Make frequent checks and maintenance to ensure it always remains functional so that you are also assured of the safety of your family and all loved ones. Talk to your HVAC professional to frequently visit your premises and have a look at the current state of your system this will facilitate arresting of problems in time before they escalate causing you more harm be it emotionally, physically or even economical.

Safety of everyone should be the key point, not the comfort of the house. With this in mind, maintenance of all machines and systems in your house will be a priority since you wouldn’t like any harm to befall any of your loved ones. Take good care of yourself and loved ones, you sure will go extra miles to protect them with their safety in mind.