3 Signs of an Impending Furnace Breakdown in Wallace, NC

Few things can be more distressing than having your furnace suddenly break down on a cold winter night in Wallace, NC. If you know the signs of a furnace that’s struggling, you can at least plan accordingly and request professional help. Here are three indications that you might experience a furnace breakdown soon:

Age

No furnace can last forever, not even if you’ve been extremely diligent in scheduling regular maintenance and necessary repairs. Once a furnace ages beyond its expected lifespan, its efficiency is likely to decline rapidly.

Different types of furnaces have different lifespans. For those that run on either natural gas or heating oil, the average effective life is about 15 to 20 years. Electric furnaces can continue to operate for 25 to 30 years.

Sudden Starting and Stopping

Your furnace should turn on when the temperature in your home falls below the level on your thermostat and turn off after it reaches that temperature. However, if the furnace starts randomly turning on and off, there’s something preventing it from properly completing heating cycles.

A wide variety of issues may cause this sudden stopping and starting, but some of these things indicate an impending furnace breakdown. For example, dirty air filters, a malfunctioning flame sensor or dirty fan blades may cause havoc with your furnace.

Increased Energy Bills

A sudden increase in your heating bills, even though it doesn’t feel like you’ve been using your furnace more than usual, is a sign that something is wrong with your system. You should schedule a maintenance appointment before the problem escalates and causes a furnace breakdown.

During the winter, it’s especially important to watch your furnace closely for signs of a breakdown. If you notice problems, call Gideon Heating & Air Conditioning to ask for one of our heating service technicians to come over and check it out.

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