This crazy Louisiana weather will have many of us wanting to turn on the heat one day, and the air conditioner the next. Before you switch your thermostat to heat, there’s something important you need to consider: is your furnace even safe to turn on? That may sound dramatic, but trust us, it’s not an exaggeration. Ensuring your furnace is in good working condition is crucial to avoiding potentially dangerous—and often deadly—issues like carbon monoxide poisoning, fires, and health hazards. In this article we are going over furnace repairs before turning on the heat and why it saves lives.
Before you throw your faith into an untested furnace, there are essential steps every homeowner should take. Chief among them is scheduling an inspection with a certified HVAC technician. Why? Because you just never know what might be lurking inside your furnace after it’s been dormant for an extended period. This is especially important if you’ve had any recent home renovations or repairs. Let’s dive into the potential issues you could encounter:
Why Furnace Repairs and Inspections Are a Non-Negotiable Before Turning On the Heat
We know, the last thing you want to do when you’re eager to warm up your home is to call a technician for a furnace repair or inspection. But here’s the thing: running your heating system without a proper tune-up can do more than just leave you shivering on a chilly night. It can put your entire household at risk.
One of the more serious issues is carbon monoxide exposure. This invisible, odorless gas can seep into your home due to malfunctions in your furnace, like a cracked heat exchanger or disconnected flu pipes. And it’s lethal. Even a small leak can cause headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Prolonged exposure can lead to death. This is no minor issue, and unfortunately, it’s more common than you think. At Advanced Air Conditioning and Heating, we’ve come across countless situations where our technicians found dangerous issues during routine inspections that could have had catastrophic results if left unchecked.
Another common problem we see is rust or corrosion in older furnaces. The metal components inside your furnace, especially in units older than 10 years, can degrade over time. Rust may create holes, leading to dangerous gas leaks, not to mention inefficiencies in heating your home. Furnaces are designed to contain combustion gases safely, but any breach in that system is a potential hazard waiting to happen.
Have you ever had work done on your home, like replacing your roof or even remodeling? Well, those large-scale jobs might’ve impacted your furnace more than you realize. We’ve seen furnace flu pipes knocked loose during the roof construction. It’s an easy oversight when you’re focused on getting a new roof installed, but those pipes carry dangerous gases, and if they’re not connected correctly, they can leak directly into your living space.
Common Reasons a Furnace Might Not Work Properly
Before flipping that switch, let’s explore a few more reasons your furnace might not be operating at its best. And worse, it could even be dangerous.
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Blocked or Dirty Air Filters: A dirty air filter might seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can lead to your system working overtime, causing it to overheat or even shut down completely. This overheating can lead to stress on the heat exchanger, which, over time, could crack and allow dangerous gases to escape.
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Pilot Light or Ignition Problems: Older furnaces often rely on a pilot light, while newer systems use an electronic ignition. If these components aren’t functioning properly, your furnace won’t heat efficiently—or at all. Worse, a faulty ignition system could lead to gas buildup.
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Thermostat Issues: Sometimes, the problem isn’t even the furnace itself. If your thermostat is malfunctioning or miscalibrated, it might not signal your system to turn on. This can be frustrating, but it’s one of the easier fixes for a trained technician.
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Electrical or Wiring Issues: Your furnace requires power to run, and any electrical issues—such as blown fuses, tripped breakers, or loose wires—can keep your system from operating. It’s always safer to have a professional assess these electrical problems rather than trying to DIY it. Trust us a DIY electrical fix gone wrong could be more costly than the original problem.
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Ductwork Problems: The ducts that deliver warm air throughout your home could be leaking, clogged, or improperly installed. This results in poor airflow and uneven heating, forcing your furnace to work harder and leading to potential system breakdowns.