We should be spending the winter season warm and cozy at home. This is the time to play board games with family members, watch the snowfall from your windows, and drink hot cocoa.
But how can you stay warm if you are having a furnace breakdown?
Ironically, the winter season causes many furnaces to break down. The cold may be beautiful, but the season sure comes with a few caveats.
Causing furnace problems is just one of them! The cold can break pipes, indirectly speed up dirt-build up, and cause your electricity bill to skyrocket.
Preparation is key when it comes to dealing with possible furnace issues.
So what are the common furnace problems? How do you deal with a broken furnace? Are there other ways to keep warm while you’re waiting for furnace repair services?
We have answers to all those questions and more. So stick around and keep on reading.
Common Furnace Problems in the Winter
One of the best ways to prepare for furnace problems in the winter is to know the common issues that may arise.
It’s easy to get stressed out if you are not familiar with common furnace problems that occur during the winter season.
You might even start tinkering with your furnace too much or hastily buying a new space heater.
Furnaces and other heating systems are pricey. We want to avoid unnecessary purchases of new space heaters as much as possible.
So let’s get to know why your furnace can’t seem to keep up with the winter cold. Check these out:
Blowing Cold Air
Air is much drier during the colder seasons. This makes it harder for your furnace to heat up the air and keep your room warm.
This means that your furnace needs to exert extra effort just to produce enough heat to keep your space warm and cozy.
To make things easier for your furnace to warm your home, try using air humidifiers to add some moisture to the air inside your home.
Frozen Furnace Pipes
The months of December, January, and February are known for having periods of freezing temperatures.
This means that your furnace’s pipes are at risk of getting frozen. This temperature change will cause the material making up your pipes to expand and contract.
Eventually, your furnace pipes will crack and break leading to leaks and inefficient heating.
Frequent Cycling
You easily lose heat during colder months. Once the winter season hits, you better expect to lose heat at a faster rate than normal.
To maintain your thermostat’s settings, your furnace will go through more frequent heating cycles.
Frequent cycles mean lower efficiency for your furnace. The colder it gets outside, the more often your furnace goes through heating cycles.
Luckily, facing these issues doesn’t mean that you have to replace your entire furnace unit. Those are quite expensive, and we want to help you avoid buying a new one as much as possible.
So we’re including a few tips on what to do when your furnace breaks.
What to Do When Your Furnace Stops Working
The last thing we want is to have a broken-down gas furnace in the height of winter. So what do you do if your furnace suddenly decides to fail?
You don’t have the right skills to fix it yourself, and we do not recommend any DIY fixes. You risk damaging your whole unit.
So here’s how to deal with a failing/broken furnace:
Check if It’s Turned On
We don’t usually use our furnaces and portable space heaters other than to stay warm during colder seasons. So we might forget to switch it on.
If your space is feeling a little chilly, try to check if your heater is switched on.
Check the Thermostat Settings
If your heating unit is turned on and it’s not heating your space, then it might be because the thermostat is on the wrong setting.
Try calibrating it to your desired temperature and see if it heats up your home. If not, then try out the next tip.
Check the Filters
If you’re noticing cold spots around your home, then it’s an indication that your furnace is not providing enough heat to your home.
It could be because your furnace’s filters are blocked. Because it’s winter, your furnace has to exert more effort in heating your space.
This increases the amount of debris and dust that get trapped inside your gas furnace’s filters.
For all you know, your furnace filters could be covered up in dirt build-up. So it’s worth having a quick peek.
If it is, then simply change the filter and you’ll be good to go. Not sure how to change them? An HVAC technician can help you with that!
Check Your Air Ducts
If you can feel hot air blowing through your furnace’s air vents, but there are still cold spots in your home, then it could be a problem with your air ducts.
Check the dampers if they are open. These are handles that protrude from the air ducts that control the airflow.
Call a Professional
If you tried all steps above and your furnace is still not providing enough heat, then it’s time to call up a professional HVAC technician.
They will be able to detect issues and find the best ways to solve them before they get worse.
What To Do While Your Furnace Is Getting Fixed
Your home will feel as cold as a freezer without your furnace. So what are the things you can do to keep yourself warm while it’s getting fixed?
Let’s talk about a few:
- Grab a few heating pads
- Bundle up in warm clothes and heated blankets
- Take advantage of the heat your stove and oven produce when you cook
- Drink some warm tea
- Use your clothes dryer to warm up your blankets and sweaters
These solutions are more effective for heating small spaces. If you live in a larger home, you can focus the heating in one small room in your house.
IMPORTANT: Do not fall asleep with your oven turned on as this is a fire hazard.
Making Sure Your Furnace Heats Your Home
Your furnace is your best friend during colder months. Because you need something to keep your home warm in the winter, your furnace will most likely be running 24/7.
Furnaces are made to last you years of use, but they’re not indestructible. You also need to help them a little bit when it comes to heating your home.
Fortunately, assisting your furnace in keeping your home as warm as an oven is a lot simpler than you think.
Here are some ways you can make sure that your furnace is able to heat your home all winter long:
Set the Temperature Higher than You Normally Would
As we mentioned above, it’s slower to heat dry air. It is also much easier to lose heat during colder seasons.
To help raise the temperature inside your room much faster, set your thermostat 2 to 4 degrees above your normal heating settings.
Keep Your Windows and Doors Closed
In order to maintain the temperature inside your room, you have to make sure the heat stays inside. To do this, you have to make sure that all your windows and doors are closed.
Yes, this even includes your garage doors.
Cold drafts can easily undo all the heating your furnace has done inside your space. So make sure to secure every nook and cranny in your room that might let in cold air from the outdoors.
Look Out for Dirt Build-Up
Because your furnace is working overtime to produce enough heat, its filters are trapping more dirt and debris than usual.
This means that there is a higher risk of blocked furnace filters.
So make sure to regularly check your filters for signs of build-up and clean/replace them before it affects your furnace’s efficiency.
Call for an Inspection
Because cold weather can cause a furnace breakdown at any moment, you need someone with the right know-how to inspect your unit.
An HVAC technician can easily diagnose issues that may cause a furnace system breakdown and suggest ways to fix and prevent further damage.
Maintaining Your Furnace Throughout the Year
The cold can be harsh on our household appliances. Even to furnaces and other alternative heat sources.
The rapidly changing temperatures can crack and break pipes, causing your furnace to be inefficient in heating your room.
Most furnace issues make themselves obvious in winter. So it’s important that you get routine check-ups to spot issues before they get worse.
Luckily, there are many furnace service providers in Mukilteo, Washington that you can approach.
Companies such as BELRED are more than capable of keeping your furnace in tip-top shape throughout the years.
Quality maintenance is something you are sure to receive when you work with our team at BELRED. We handle furnace maintenance, repairs, and installments.
Dial (855) 345-6161 to set an appointment with our team!
All you have to worry about is staying warm while our technicians take a look at your furnace.
Give our phone a ring or check our website for pricing and other details.
