If you have a gas furnace, it’s important to understand what is normal for operation and what isn’t. This way when something is going wrong, you can identify the issue early and call for service before our problem affects how your gas furnace is operating.
Keep reading to learn about three different types of repairs we get calls for when it comes to gas furnaces and the signs of each one. Give us a call for gas furnace repair in Estacada, OR if you do suspect that something is wrong with your unit.
1. Ignition or Pilot Light Issues
A faulty ignition system or pilot light can prevent the furnace from producing heat. It’s possible that your furnace has a dirty flame sensor, which you can try wiping down on your own after turning your furnace off and letting it cool down. If the pilot light itself isn’t the issue, the gas valve may be stuck. It’s possible that not enough gas is releasing into the chamber to begin a heating cycle.
If that doesn’t work, other potential problems include thermocouple failure or electronic ignition malfunctions. These are things our team needs to troubleshoot and fix, so give us a call to schedule service. Whatever the problem ends up being, we can figure it out and prevent it from happening again.
2. Blower Motor Problems
If the blower motor fails, warm air won’t circulate through a home properly. Heat gets trapped in the system and your furnace may even overheat and shut down before completing a heating cycle. If your heater is on and operating, you can hold your hand up to an air vent to see if you feel warm airflow coming out. If not, it’s likely that the blower motor is to blame.
Issues can stem from a worn-out belt, the motor overheating, or electrical failures. Our team can replace any worn out parts like belts and electrical connections, tighten down the bolts that secure the motor, clean out in between bearings, and then add more lubrication for smooth operation.
3. System Overheating
We already mentioned overheating in relation to the blower motor not working. However, overheating can happen for other reasons as well. One of the most common reasons for overheating is a lack of airflow coming into the system. A dirty filter restricts airflow, causing the furnace to overheat and shut down. Having shorter than usual heating cycles is a red flag that the system is overheating and turning off to cool down.
Without enough airflow coming into the system, your furnace winds up working harder in its attempt to bring airflow in against a clogged filter. If you suspect that this is the problem, you can change out your air filter and see if your furnace begins working like usual again. If it does, you may need to begin changing out your air filter a little more frequently than you usually do.
Please call Sydni, our Office Extraordinaire, to schedule your next appointment for heating service! We will take care of you from there!