Don't Wait to Fix Your Furnace If You Notice These 3 Signs of Trouble

The nighttime temperatures in Kenner, Louisiana, are chilly enough to warrant the use of a heating system. While you can bundle up to reduce your reliance on a heater, home heating is essential on the chilliest of nights. A faulty heating system can cause discomfort and drive up energy costs. That’s why you shouldn’t wait to fix your furnace if you notice these three signs of trouble:

Flickering or Yellow Pilot Light

The pilot light and ignition control in your furnace are what allow it to turn on and burn fuel. Your furnace’s pilot light should burn blue. If it burns yellow or flickers, there’s probably excess carbon monoxide in the system. It’s safe to look at your furnace’s pilot light to determine whether it’s flickering or burning yellow. But if it is, you’ll need a professional to clean the air intake valve to the pilot light. Accessing and repairing this part yourself can be dangerous.

Belt and Blower Problems

Is your furnace making a high-pitched squeal? In most cases, this sound indicates a problem with either the blower belt or the blower itself. Repairing this issue can be as simple as lubricating the belt. But it might also be worn. No matter the case, it’s best to leave this repair to a professional to avoid further damage to the heating system.

Burner Needs Adjusting or Cleaning

When the furnace is lit, it depends on a burner to heat the air before blowing it through the ductwork and into your home. If your heating system isn’t blowing warm air into your home, there might be a problem with the burner.

To figure out whether the burner needs adjusting or cleaning, you need to look inside the furnace. There are safety concerns when repairing gas appliances. You don’t want to accidentally cause a gas leak or allow carbon monoxide to accumulate in your home. Therefore, it’s important to have a service technician inspect your furnace every fall.

Do you suspect your furnace requires a repair? Contact Southern Air Heating, Cooling & Plumbing at (225) 217-6224 right away. From repairs to preventive maintenance, we’ll make sure your heating system operates safely at peak efficiency.