Identifying When You Have an HVAC Emergency

Identifying the severity of a furnace issue (or HVAC emergencies)
When cooler temps are on the way, it’s time to turn attention to your furnace. While we all have regular maintenance (at least, we all should be) done on our furnaces to keep them running and healthy, but sometimes there are more concerning issues with a furnace that we should be able to identify as a furnace emergency. Furnace emergency, you say? That’s when your furnace is completely dead and won’t turn on. Indeed, it is. But there are also other emergencies we should look out for and when it’s time to call in a professional.

Is your furnace going bump in the night (or any time of day, really)? This is a good indicator that you have an emergency. Not all noises are bad. Some people have louder furnaces when forcing air flow through the house. We’re talking about weird sounds that aren’t what you are used to. The pilot light might be misaligned, the blower motor lubrication ports may need oiling, or there could be a problem with the burner or the furnace belts. You’ll definitely need a professional to come in and fix this right away. Early detection of these problems will save you having more costly repairs in the future.

Do your lights flicker when your furnace turns on? This is a bad sign there is something wrong with your electrical system. You’ll definitely want to call a qualified HVAC technician to investigate and fix this problem, as there is potential for electrical fire.

Is your furnace turning on and off rapidly? This could be an easy fix for you, as the homeowner, to just replace the air filter. Dirty air filters can cause this to happen and can cause damage if not regularly replaced, so make sure to change them out at least every 3 months. If this doesn’t solve the problem, there could be issues with belts and blower motors and it’s time to call in the professionals.

When you find yourself with a furnace that isn’t acting properly or won’t turn on, give us a call at Priority Heating and Cooling and we’ll help get your home warm and toasty again!