What to do if Your Furnace is Making a Loud Noise

December 10, 2022

Furnace Making Loud Noises? Here’s Why and What to Do Furnaces always make some noise whenever they are running. However, any loud or unusual noises are usually a sign that there is some issue with either your furnace or the blower fan. If you only hear the strange sound occasionally and only ever for a short time, it may be nothing to worry about. However, if the noise persists, it is definitely something you will want to get checked out as soon as possible. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common furnace noises, what they mean and how they can be fixed. Booming Noise When Furnace Starts There are some cases where your furnace will make a loud booming noise when it starts that almost sounds like a small explosion. If you ever hear this noise, you should turn your heating off until you can have an HVAC technician inspect and clean the furnace. This booming sound means that your furnace burners are overly dirty and need to be cleaned. Dirty burners often cause a short delay before the furnace ignites. This leads to some gas flowing out into the combustion chamber and basically results in...

View Article

Read More

Steps to Take When Your Furnace Fails

November 10, 2021

What Can You Do When Your Furnace Fails The winter months can bring harsh weather. You need to have a functioning heating system. Unfortunately, your heating system can fail when you need it to support you the most. Here are some steps you can follow if your home heating goes out and some reasons why your home heating system might fail. Shut Off the Gas Shut off the gas to your gas furnace immediately. Doing this prevents carbon monoxide leaks, which can be dangerous for your health. Almost 50% of homes in the United States use natural gas for their heat. If your home heating system suddenly fails, pay attention to any strange odors. Natural gas does not produce natural odors. Natural gas distributors add mercaptan to natural gas to give it a sulfuric smell. If there is a gas leak in your home or your furnace is producing gas, but it is not being burned, you will smell rotten eggs. Natural gas is between 85% and 95% methane. This colorless, odorless gas is flammable. Inhaling methane can cause nausea, headaches, and suffocation. If your heating system fails, turn off the gas. If you smell sulfur, exit your home. Contact...

View Article

Read More

How do Furnaces Work?

November 16, 2018

How Furnaces Work Most homeowners use furnaces or their home heating needs. They are among the oldest and most popular heating systems. When they first came into existence, furnaces were fueled using coal and wood. These days, they mostly use heating oil, propane, electricity, and gas. Newer models have AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency) ratings of 98%. This means that only two percent of the fuel goes to waste. It is important to know a few things about your furnace. The more knowledge you have, the better you are equipped to deal with problems if they occur. Thermostat and Gas Valve For your thermostat o turn on, it must get a signal from the thermostat. It is, therefore, unable to function without one. Once you set the temperature, the thermostat will activate your furnace whenever temperatures go below it. When the temperatures are low and your thermostat sends a signal to the furnace, the gas valve opens and the burner is ignited. The gas valve and thermostat control the amount of air that is getting into your furnace. The Heat Exchanger When the burner is ignited, the flames heat the heat exchanger. This heat is circulated in tubes in the...

View Article

Read More

How to Prevent Frozen Pipes this Winter Season

January 5, 2018

There are tips that you can follow to ensure that your pipes don’t freeze and burst this winter. As we deal with this unusually cold winter, many homeowners cringe at the prospects of rising gas and electric bills. If you live in St. Louis, you know that the weather can be unpredictable. When it comes to winter, there is nothing worse than a cold snap that keeps everyone indoors and can compromise your pipes. One pipe leak can lead to flooding, water interruption, and huge costs. Instead of trying to clean up afterward, prevention is the best medicine to ensure that your pipes don’t succumb to the cold weather and wreak havoc on your home. St. Louis HVAC contractors and plumbers have to follow certain guidelines about where pipes and heating and cooling vents can be located, but that doesn’t always work to protect them from freezing when the coldest weather sets in. However, there are tips that you can follow to ensure that your pipes don’t freeze and burst. Keep your Cabinets Open If you have a plumbing or HVAC piping underneath your cabinets, then leave the cabinets open. When the doors are shut, it is hard for the...

View Article

Read More

Does Your St. Louis Furnace Need Attention?

November 29, 2016

With the winter season just around the corner, it is essential to check if your furnace is in proper working condition to brace the long, cold months. While your home’s furnace may seem to be in top working condition, it is good idea to have regular maintenance performed to prevent sudden problems from arising. It is also important to remember that all maintenance checks should be conducted by an experienced and trained St. Louis HVAC technician. It is beneficial to understand what signs indicate that your furnace needs attention. Here are some of the signs to look out for: No Heat The first and most obvious sign that the furnace needs repair is lack of or no heat emanating from the vents. Moreover, if the furnace has been running for some time and the vents are giving out cold or room temperature air, or if the house feels cold despite a running furnace, it is time for furnace maintenance. Increasing Bills It is important that HVAC owners keep a tab on their utility bills. Increasing bills or abnormally spiked utility bills also indicate a problematic furnace. Another way to check the efficiency of the furnace is by keeping a tab...

View Article

Read More

Fixing Common HVAC Problems – St. Louis HVAC

November 27, 2015

A broken HVAC system can be a major source of frustration for a homeowner. Whether your air conditioner suddenly stops working in the middle of summer or your heating pump fails to perform as expected on the coldest day of winter, you need to fix the problem as soon as possible. Air Leaking If you are using an older HVAC system, chances are that a large percentage of the hot or cold air being produced inside the system is leaking through the cracks and crevices in the ducts. As a result, you may need to set the temperature much higher or lower to get the same heating or cooling effects. Replace the old, deteriorating ducts with new ducts made of sturdier materials. Some amount of wear and tear is usual with any duct system, but ducts made of highly durable materials help prevent air leaking problems for years. Air Dumping This is a common problem with HVAC systems installed in rooms with more space both in horizontal and vertical directions. Maybe your heating and cooling system is dumping the hot or cold air in a particular space rather than spreading the air uniformly throughout the room. As a result, you may notice a significant...

View Article

Read More

7 Warning Signs Your Furnace is on the Fritz

January 28, 2015

7 Warning Signs Your Furnace is on the Fritz Check out the following 7 signs that should alert you to the need for a service call before the whole HVAC system breaks down on you. Age of the Furnace The average life expectancy of a furnace is 16 to 20 years. If yours is around that age, consider having a new one installed. Shopping for a new furnace in an emergency situation in the middle of winter may lead you to making a poor decision. Call your local HVAC company to help you decide the right size for your home, and pick one that is going to provide the most comfort efficiently. Utility Bills Are Increasing If your utility bills seem to keep rising without explanation, the furnace may need a tune-up. A poor running furnace is going to suck up resources and cause your bills to skyrocket. If your heater is running longer to provide heat to your home, it is time for an HVAC technician to provide HVAC maintenance. Replacing Parts Have you had to have parts replaced recently in the last couple of years? The last years of a heater’s life can be costly and you will find your HVAC...

View Article

Read More