Your heating unit is what you rely on to make it through the cold winter months. Should it fail, it could very easily lead to serious issues when the temperature drops in your home. The key to keeping your heating unit functioning optimally is to look out for signs that it’s time to repair your unit. Here are four signs your home’s heating unit needs professional repairs.
1. You’re Noticing Strange Noises or Smells
Has your heating unit started to make noises when it starts up? Are there strange odors wafting throughout the house when your heating unit is on? Strange noises and sounds are generally signs that there are issues with the unit itself, although it could be due to problems with your ducts or even clogged filters. You can reach out to a local HVAC professional to better diagnose the issue and get the help you need to eliminate sounds and odors.
2. Your Utility Costs Are Rising Without Explanation
It’s normal for utility costs to rise up and down, especially when you’re running your heating unit more frequently. That being said, you may have noticed that your electric bill is much higher than it should be. Even taking into account changes to billing rates, you may be stunned that your electric bill is so high. If you’re paying substantially more in utilities while running your heating unit just as often as you have in the past year, this could point to issues with your heating unit.
The older appliances are, the less energy efficient they become. If they’re struggling to do their job, this could also be the cause behind higher electric bills.
3. You Don’t Feel the Heat in Your Home
When you heat up your home, you should feel the heat everywhere throughout the house. However, you may notice that there’s not much warm air being pumped into your home or that there are cold spots throughout the house that your heater isn’t able to reach. A heating unit that needs repairs might not run as efficiently, causing your house to be colder and your heater to run all day in an effort to compensate for the issues it’s currently experiencing. If there are any changes in how effectively your heater is running, there’s a good chance that it needs to be fixed.
4. Things Don’t Kick On Easily
Does your heating unit ever try to turn on, only to fail several times before it does? If things aren’t running optimally, you might need to get professional help. Some might chalk up these issues to a thermostat, but it’s important to remember that thermostats only act as switches. If your heater isn’t turning on properly, it’s likely a heating unit issue.
Heating units are likely to experience numerous issues throughout their lifetime. The good news? Most of these can be fixed with the right repairs. Keep an eye out for the common issues above and get your heater repaired as soon as you can to avoid high energy costs and dangerously low home temperatures.