Temperatures all around the United States are dropping as winter makes its presence known. Keeping your home warm and toasty will require the help of a functional heating unit. Making mistakes that failing to have your HVAC system maintained or ignoring repair warning signs can lead to your heating unit giving out when it is needed the most.
In the past year, homeowners spent far more money on repairs and maintenance. As a homeowner, you need to educate yourself about how your heating unit works. This will allow you to spot problems early on and fix them before extensive damage is done.
Read below to find out more about common problems that can cause your heating unit to malfunction.
Leaky Ductwork Can Cause Problems
The HVAC system in your home has a variety of important components. While your furnace warms the air drawn in from the outdoors, it has to travel through your ducts to adequately heat your home. The ducts are fed by large duct pipes. These pipes are held together with tape and specialized mounts. As time goes by, cracks may start to form in your ductwork.
If these cracks go undetected, they may start to cause problems. The cold air on the outside of these ducts may start to mingle with the warm air from your furnace. This can cause frigid indoor temperatures, which is why fixing these leaks is imperative. The only way to address these cracks and holes in your ductwork is with the help of an HVAC professional. These professionals can either patch your existing duct pipes or install new ones if needed.
Dirty Air Filters
If you want to keep warm air flowing through your home during the winter months, you need to realize home important clean air filters are. When air is pulled from outdoors into your home by your HVAC system, dirt, dust and other allergens will come along for the ride. It is the job of your air filter to catch these dust and dirt particles before they enter your air supply.
As time goes by, the allergens trapped by your air filter will start to affect the airflow. Leaving a dirty air filter in place can reduce the amount of air that is able to circulate in your system. Not only will this make your home colder in the winter, it will also lead to your HVAC unit getting overworked. This is why changing your air filter once every two months or so is vital to the long-term health of your unit.
Pilot Light Issues
Many of the homes in the United States are over 25 years old. If your home is older, then your heating unit probably has a pilot light. Pilot lights help to ensure that the natural gas pulled into a furnace is ignited properly. If this light goes out, it will be impossible to keep a home warm. Instead of trying to check and fix pilot light issues on your own, you need to let professionals handle this complex and dangerous job.
Is your heating unit giving you trouble? If so, the team at KD Mechanical is here to help.