5 Common Central Heating Problems to Look Out For

In the cold, snowy winters around Delaware and Pennsylvania, central heating problems can make you miserable pretty fast. Familiarizing yourself with the most common issues can help you provide vital information to your service professional, so you can have your heat back on as soon as possible.

No heat

Make sure your furnace’s pilot light hasn’t gone out. Then, check your home’s electrical panel for a tripped breaker or blown fuse. If none of these problems are present, your system may have stopped running due to a more complex problem with the electrical or gas supply, which requires professional service. Too little heat If your system’s heat output has dropped, try bleeding the radiators. In a forced air system, your ducts may be partially blocked, losing heat to the surrounding air.

A professional can improve your duct efficiency by cleaning, sealing and adding insulation. Furnace maintenance issues, such as an insufficiently lubricated motor or dirty burners, can also reduce efficiency. Annual professional maintenance helps prevent these central heating problems.

Little or no heat in certain rooms

This usually indicates that you have a duct problem. You may have a blockage, a collapsed flexduct or a disconnected duct joint. If you have radiators, your system may be unbalanced, causing some radiators to hog all the heat. A professional can help re-balance your system. Temperature swings A malfunctioning thermostat will turn your furnace on and off, seemingly at random, causing temperature fluctuations. A miscalibrated thermostat can keep your home cooler or warmer than the temperature you set.

Fortunately, a heating and cooling professional can either replace or recalibrate your thermostat as needed. Knocking pipes Although they may be one of the more annoying central heating problems, loud pipes are usually harmless. Your pipes may be too old, or they may have been fit too tightly. If the noise bothers you, call a professional to have your pipes replaced.

At Sobieski Services, Inc., our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so that they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.

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