Most people who believe they have a problem with their furnace during the winter months will immediately call and schedule repair service. One of the first things a person needs to determine is if their heating system problems are actually an emergency situation.
Emergency Situation
Once an emergency furnace repair service is requested, a repair technician will be on their way to the home as soon a possible. This is something that can be done during the evening, nighttime or weekend. Should routine service be requested, it can be scheduled with the next open appointment during regular business hours. During the busy parts of the winter months, a technician would arrive the following day or not for several days.
Broken Furnace Symptoms
One of the initial steps in determining if a furnace is broken is to identify the symptoms. Should a furnace completely stop working or should the smell of gas be coming from it, this could be an emergency situation. If someone ever smells gas coming from their furnace, they should leave the home immediately and not return until the unit has been properly repaired.
If a home’s furnace is making some heat but also making a strange sound, it could be cause for concern. It may also not be an emergency situation. A person may be able to resolve the situation by scheduling a visit by the next available technician.
Outdoor Weather
Something a homeowner should also consider is the weather conditions outside. Should the heater in a furnace stop working, or only blow cold air when it is cold outside, the temperature inside a home could become unhealthy or reach dangerous levels in a short period of time.
This could happen if a home has another source of heat or if a house has inadequate insulation. Should we experience a period of warm weather in the middle of winter, this could occur. Should the heater in a furnace not work properly in the spring or fall, having a technician examine it within a day or two shouldn’t be a problem.
Yellow Pilot Light
It’s important homeowners check the pilot light in their furnace from time to time. Should they have a natural gas furnace, the pilot light should always be blue. If it appears to be yellow, it is a definite indication the furnace needs to be repaired. This means the furnace could be leaking carbon monoxide. It is a poisonous gas. If a person sees their furnace has a high level of rust, condensation, a smell of rotten eggs or a yellow pilot light, it should be shut off immediately. A technician should be contacted right away.
Dust
It is common for a certain amount of dust to be in all areas of a house. A furnace is designed to take dirty air from the outside and then heat it. It will then blow the heated air throughout a home. When a furnace gets older, it will struggle to properly filter the air. Should a person notice a higher than normal amount of dust accumulating around their furnace, it could be a concern. Should a significant amount of dust come from the heat registers of the furnace when it turns on, it could be about to break for good. This could cause a furnace to fail and result in an emergency situation during the winter months.
Rapid Cycling
It’s possible for a furnace to turn on and off quickly. This situation is known as rapid cycling. When this happens with a furnace that has worked well in the past, a number of things may need to be checked. A problem could be occurring with the thermostat. It is also possible there is an issue with the wiring. The ignition system in the furnace may be malfunctioning. This is not an emergency situation but does need to be corrected as soon as possible.
Thermostat Not Responding
It is possible for a home to be too cold and increasing the temperature on the thermostat doesn’t help. This could be a problem with the home’s ducts having leaks and releasing the warm air produced by the furnace. It could also be a problem with the furnace’s ignition system and cause it to not turn on at the right times. This may not be an emergency. It’s also a situation that can be easily corrected by a technician.
There are many things that should be taken into consideration when a person is deciding if they have an actual heating system emergency. If it’s a situation that needs to be handled in the middle of the night or during a weekend many things need to be taken into account. This includes access to an additional source of heat. A person’s health and well-being should also influence the decision. Should someone believe they need an emergency heating system repair services in the Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley or Longmont areas, they can contact a dependable company able to provide 24-hour emergency repair work on furnaces. Swan Heating & Air Conditioning will always be there whenever someone needs them for a heating system emergency.