Our heating systems are complex pieces of equipment that are designed to last a long time. Over time, harsh winter conditions will place a strain on the equipment and may not be able to keep up with the required workload. When your boiler, furnace or other heating equipment is reaching or has exceeded its warranty end date you need to be aware of some signs of trouble. Here are three things that you need to watch out for that could lead to more serious problems with an older heating system.
1. Your Energy Bills are Higher:
When the weather turns cold, we all expect our energy bills to increase. If your energy bills seem to be higher than they should be, some investigation may be necessary. If you keep track of your bills, any increases could be immediately apparent. The cost of your energy may have increased, but this may not account for the entire amount of the higher energy bill cost. Compare your latest energy bill with a bill from the same time last year and look out for any unexpected spikes in the cost. This could be a sign that a component in your heating system is starting to fail. Get your heating system checked, the issue will not get any better on its own, and the problem with eventually result in a component failure.
2. Insufficient Heat Levels:
If you’re experiencing lower than usual heat levels from your heating system, there could be a few causes, such as a leak in the gas line, a burner issue or a breach in your ductwork. Running a heating system that has one or more of these problems will have a negative impact on your indoor comfort and energy costs. The heating system will take longer to heat your home, and this will increase the size of your energy bill. The system will have to work harder to compensate, this adds strain on the heating system, and it could result in a component failure or system failure. Fixing these problems early will save money on your energy bills and could help to avoid a more costly repair or replacement later.
3. A Reduction in Airflow:
When the airflow is reduced, it could be a problem with a blockage in your heating system. Another common cause is damaged fan or a failing fan motor. The reduced level of air has a detrimental effect on home comfort, but there are other serious consequences to deal with. When this happens, hot air will be trapped in the furnace, and this is likely to damage other components in the system. A more up to date modern heating system will shut down if this happens and the furnace becomes too hot. This only shuts the system off, and the underlying problem still needs to be fixed. Until this issue is corrected the heater will not work as intended, and the airflow will suffer. Once this issue has been noticed, it makes sense to get it fixed quickly. The longer it goes on, the more damage can be caused to related components and the the repair bill will be higher.