Common Late Season Furnace Problems

Many homeowners prioritize furnace maintenance before autumn comes around, and that’s a good thing! However, it’s important to prioritize furnace maintenance year round. As winter comes to an end, consider the wear and tear your furnace has endured over the last few months.

It’s common for furnaces to manifest late season problems, and it’s crucial that you don’t ignore them until fall comes back and you begin to rely on it to keep you comfortable again. Address any late season furnace problems as soon as possible because if you let a broken furnace sit all summer, it will come out of the season even worse off.

Common late season furnace issues include:

• Dirty Burners – Over a season of use, the burners in your furnace can accumulate a lot of dirt. This makes it difficult for those burners to reignite when needed. Typically this manifests in a "boom" noise that comes with delayed ignition. Delayed ignition takes a toll on a furnace, making dirty burners an issue that needs to be addressed immediately.
• Ignitor Failure – Instead of a pilot light, many furnaces have changed to an electronic ignitor to light the gas and run the heat. However, these ignitor often wear out before the furnace itself, making it so they may need replacement. If your heat has stopped turning on late in the season, this could be the cause.
• Motor Failure – If your furnace is igniting, but the air isn't getting into your home, it could be an inducer motor failure. This motor pumps air into your home, and when the motor goes out, that doesn't happen. Typically you will notice a distinct and annoying screeching sound when a motor is going out.

As you can tell, the most common late season repairs come from the items in the furnace that are subject to frequent repeat use. Thankfully, these repairs are usually rather simple to fix. If you think your furnace should be looked at by a professional, contact us today to schedule a time of service.