Common Furnace Issues

While your furnace is designed to have a long, useful life, there is a chance that something will go wrong with it. In a lot of instances, a furnace problem is relatively easy to fix. A trained technician can correct the problem quickly, or a homeowner might be able to do some troubleshooting on their own.

Dirty Air Filter

This one is by far the most common furnace problem, but luckily, it’s also one of the easiest to fix! When the air filter in your furnace gets clogged, it makes it harder for your heater to draw air into the mechanical components. This causes your furnace to work harder than usual. Given enough time, your furnace may even shut off to protect itself from damage. This scares homeowners because, at first glance, it looks like the furnace died. Before you panic, try changing the air filter. Simply shut off the furnace, remove the old filter, and insert the new one.

Broken Thermostat

The thermostat is a device that communicates with your furnace to let it know when it should turn on and how hot it should make your home feel. If the thermostat stops working properly, it can seriously impact your furnace’s performance output. You may notice problems like sporadic heating, short cycling, or the inability to turn it on or off. Your home may feel unusually cold or excessively hot. It’s possible that your thermostat has died and needs to be replaced, but the problem could be as simple as dead batteries. Swap out the old batteries for a fresh pair to see if that helps.

Pilot Light Issue

One of your furnace’s most important components is the pilot light, sometimes referred to as the ignition control or the ignitor. When the furnace kicks on, the pilot light produces a small flame that burns natural gas to generate power and heat. Without a pilot light, your furnace won’t be able to produce heat. You may hear your furnace repeatedly trying to turn on over and over again without successfully running through a full heating cycle. Contact Toshack if this issue occurs.

Normal Wear and Tear

Over the years, your furnace will begin to wear out. Components that have gone through years of heating cycles may become dull, bent, slow, or jostled out of place. If just one of these components fails, it can cause the entire unit to stop working. Figuring out exactly what component is damaged is difficult without an untrained eye. Many furnace repairs can be completed in just one visit from a technician.

Lack of Regular Maintenance

Without routine maintenance, your furnace will begin to break down and age much more rapidly than a well-maintained furnace. We recommend performing at-home maintenance like changing the air filter and updating the thermostat batteries once every three months. On top of DIY maintenance, you should have professional maintenance performed annually. During a professional furnace tune-up, a technician will clean, lubricate, and calibrate the entire heating system from top to bottom.

Need Furnace Repair? Contact Our Heating & Cooling Contractors for a Quote Today!

Toshack is proud to serve clients in the Brockville and Kingston areas. For furnace repair services and more, contact us today for a quote!