5 Furnace Replacement Warning Signs – Is it Time to Replace Your Furnace?

These record-breaking low temperatures aren’t likely to let up anytime soon! Is your furnace prepared to last through the rest of the winter, or should you get a furnace replacement now before it becomes next winter’s problem?

There is no better time than right now to perform a thorough check on your heating furnace to ensure that everything is in tip-top shape.  During your examination of the furnace, if you happen to notice any of the warning signs listed below, then it may mean that you need a replacement in the event that it cannot be repaired.

1. Scale: Considered as rust flakes, scale comes from burning gas and could have potentially harmful effects on your furnace. Scale falls on the furnace burners minimizing the gas flow and causing damage over time from the development of moisture, which could ultimately lead to a significant amount of rust. Let a Feehan Plumbing & Heating qualified technician come out, properly remove the burners, and efficiently clean them. Scale can make its way to the furnace housing bottom, which also can and should be cleaned.
2. Clanking and bumping, a huffing and puffing burner, consistent grinding or chattering sounds or banging: Any and all of these mentioned sounds can be the result of a delayed ignition, electrical issue, or even a belt that has cracked over time. As a general rule, you have a serious problem at hand if you hear something out of the ordinary, which should be checked out immediately. A technician at Feehan Plumbing & Heating would be more than happy to examine these noises for you and provide an immediate solution, if possible.
3. A yellow flame: The flame on your furnace should be stable, clean, blue, sharp, and pure. If you see a flame that is yellow or orange in color then there is dirt present in the burner, which means that the proper mix of gas and air is not being generated. A professional technician from Feehan Plumbing & Heating can come out to your house, and test and clean the system thoroughly. If the problem still persists once the system has been tested and cleaned sufficiently, it may be time for a furnace replacement.
4. A dusty smell: This particular problem doesn’t necessarily raise the concern that your furnace needs to be replaced. However, if your thermostat is turned up and within minutes, your home has a dusty, dry smell then more than likely, the furnace is burning dust that has gotten trapped inside the combustion chamber. Your filter should be changed for maximum efficiency. If the dusty odor is continuous then give a qualified Feehan Plumbing & Heating technician a call. If a gas odor is present, immediately call your gas company.
5. Negative pressure or back-drafting: This typically occurs when oxygen leaves the air quicker than it can actually fill the house. Back-drafting occurs naturally upon the occurrence of negative pressure because there is air rushing through its chimney into the house bringing a halt to the natural venting process. Your furnace doesn’t necessarily need to be replaced if this happens; however, it is a problem with your furnace that should raise concern and be addressed as soon as possible by running, from the exterior of your heating unit, a combustible air duct.