When is the Best Time to Check Your Heating System?

Just like any other unit, your heating system requires regular maintenance to keep it healthy and increase its shelf life. It is very easy and common for people to ignore the need to have their systems checked especially if they are functioning as they are supposed to. This is where people go wrong since lack of maintenance means the system could be running with a technical hitch, thereby reducing its shelf life. This article focuses on the telltale signs for scheduling maintenance for your heating system.

  • Increased Levels of Allergens

The filter in the blower is meant to filter dirt and dust when sucking cold air from the living spaces. When the filter goes for so long without cleaning, it could become clogged with dirt and debris and will finally stop carrying out its intended function.

pipes and heating system
The ripple effect of this is that there will be a rise in the levels of allergens in terms of dust and animal dander in the house. This is very risky since you and your family’s health could be compromised.

  • Inflated Energy Bills

An excessively higher rate in energy bills is a sign that something is not right. Having made sure that your electrical installations and connections are okay, the next conclusion is that your heating system is faulty. A faulty heating system will consume excessively more electrical power than it is supposed to. This is because a faulty heating system is trying or working beyond its horsepower to heat your house, thus consuming excessively higher amounts of electrical power. When this happens, the ripple effect is visible in the abnormally higher monthly energy bills.

  • Uneven Heat Flow

Even though heating systems are meant to provide us with warmth during the cold winter months, the heat should not go to the elevated levels to cause discomfort. To prevent this scenario, a heating system has a thermostat to detect the rise and fall of warmth in the house and automatically turn the system on. A faulty heating system means the thermostat cannot properly regulate the amount of heat it blows into the house. Sometimes it will be too much or too low, thus causing you and your family serious discomfort. When this happens, schedule maintenance of your heating system ASAP, failure to which you might be forced to pay more for serious repairs.

  • Unusual Noise

Heating systems have a blower that distributes heated air into our living spaces during the cold winter months. When the system fails, the blower is forced to run at an excessively higher speed than it ought to, hence producing so much noise. At times, the noise could be too much to a point of shaking the equipment. Unless emergency maintenance is scheduled, the system may experience serious damage that could even send it into complete dysfunction. Be sure to differentiate noise from the microwave, refrigerator, and that of a faulty heating system.

  • Visible Damage on the Unit

In best-case scenarios, you can see visible damage to the unit. For example, the filter of the blower could be clogged with debris and cause unusual noise coming from the system. At the same time, the duct through the furnace could be cracked, blocked, or even have some holes where flames can be seen coming off. At times, you could also see some cracks, rusting, or damage on the heat exchanger, something that can be manifested with some flames. When you see any of the above signs, it means your heating system has a problem and it is time to schedule maintenance.

Even with the above signs and symptoms, do not be too quick to jump the gun yet. Some other signs such as rising monthly energy bills, higher humidity, and noise levels could be a sign of failure in other aspects within the house. For example, the insulator is designed to prevent heat loss to the outside, especially during the cold winter months. Once it is faulty, so much heat is lost to the outside thus inflating your monthly energy bills. In addition, higher levels of humidity could be a sign of failure in your air filter. Unless you are so sure that an unusual noise is coming from the heating unit, noise could come from just equipment like microwave, refrigerator or even the air filter. A broken heating system can cause many inconveniences like going without heat during the freezing winter months. To avoid such scenarios and increase the longevity of your equipment, ensure to schedule maintenance of a heating system once every year.