The idea of central heating was developed earlier than you might expect in 2,500 BC. While people back then mainly had to rely on fire and sunlight to keep them warm, today we have far more complex devices like heaters to warm up our homes. The problem with heaters is that they can break down without any warning and it is often difficult to figure out what the problem is.
If you need home heat repair and don’t know where to start, all you need to do is check for a few basic problems to get to the root of the issue. Keep reading and learn more about how it works below.
Dirty Air Filters
Many people tend to think that when something happens to their heater that it is usually something very involved and complicated. However, more often than not, your home heating problems are probably rooted in something very simple and easily fixable. One of the most common problems that heaters have involves the air filters.Â
The air filters, of course, are designed to keep the air inside your house as clean as possible. That way, as the heater circulates and warms the air inside your house, you won’t have to breathe in a bunch of dust and other debris. Instead, all that debris will get trapped inside the air filters.
This is especially true if the air filters are particularly fine and tight, so they’re able to trap even the smallest particles of dust. However, the problem with these air filters is that they can often get clogged in only a short period of time. This is especially true if you live in a dusty, dry region or if you have pets.
If your air filters become clogged, you may notice a variety of issues not only with your heater but also with the quality of air inside your home. First of all, it will be difficult for the heater to circulate air through clogged air filters. For that reason, the air inside your house may not be heated in an evenly distributed way.
The Details
At the same time, your heater will be working as hard as usual, if not harder, and the cost of your heating bills may go up as a result but your home may not be as warm as it’s supposed to be. You may also find that the air inside your house is stuffier and dustier than usual.
Again, this is because the heater is no longer able to filter all the particles out of the air as usual. To fix this problem, all you need to do is check the air filters. If you find that they are completely clogged with dust, replace them and you will immediately see an improvement in the functionality of your heater.
Your heater should be able to distribute the heat properly throughout the house again and the air inside your house should be much cleaner. Replacing the air filters is quite an easy task and it shouldn’t take you very long. But what if this isn’t the problem affecting your heater?
Daily Wear and Tear
Another common problem that affects a lot of heaters is daily wear and tear. There is not much that anyone can do about wear and tear. After all, heaters do not last forever and they will eventually break down after years of use.
This is especially true if you live in a cold climate and use the heater for the majority of the year. If you live in a warmer climate, on the other hand, your heater may last longer since you won’t use it as often, but even then, it still won’t last forever. The heat that the heater produces on its own will actually damage it over time.
It may cause certain parts of the heater to deform or bend out of place, making the heater less efficient than usual. The excessive heat may cause certain parts of the heater to break as well. Sometimes, the heater may stop working completely without warning.
Whatever problems you might be having with your heater, it is important to consider how old your heater is. If it is only a few years old, the problem likely doesn’t have to do with any wear and tear. But if your heater is a decade old or even older, there is a good chance that your heater is having problems because it has gotten worn down over the years.
Of course, you will want to double-check and make sure that the problem is due to wear and tear and not due to something simple like air filters, as mentioned before. After all, there are many furnace problems to consider, and you never want to make the mistake of assuming that a singular problem is at fault.
What You Need to Know
To check whether your furnace issues are indeed due to wear and tear, you’ll have to take a close look at your furnace. If you find that certain parts of your furnace look strange or damaged, this is a sign that your furnace has indeed worn down over time. Keep an eye out for signs of rust and corrosion.
Also, look out for any pieces of the heater that are bent, dented, or otherwise misshapen. Even the smallest deformations can cause big problems when it comes to heaters. Even if you can’t see any visible issues right away, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t issues deeper inside the heater that you might not be able to see.
If you aren’t sure what to look for when examining your heater, you can always call up some professionals instead. They can take a look at your heater for you and tell you whether the problems you’re having are due to typical wear and tear or if there is some other problem you’re dealing with. Whatever the case, if your heater is worn down due to age, you will likely have to replace the whole thing in favor of a new one.
Lack of Maintenance
More often than not, many furnaces start to have problems due to a lack of maintenance on the part of the owners. The problem is that many homeowners have no idea how to maintain their heaters. After all, where should you start?
What are you supposed to do to make sure that your heater stays in good shape over the years? Because many people don’t know how to look after their heaters, they let their heaters go untouched for years at a time. This, however, is a recipe for disaster.
If you never look at your heater and maintain it, you’ll never know if there are factors that are degrading your heater and making it break down faster than usual. A lack of maintenance can cause all sorts of issues with heaters.
For example, a sign of this problem is that your energy bills are much higher than usual. This is because your heater is working harder than usual but still not able to produce as much heat as it’s supposed to due to not being maintained properly or repaired when necessary. Another sign to look out for is that your house may feel colder than usual even when you turn on the heater to a high degree.
What to Know
Again, your heater may work hard to produce heat, but it still may not be able to produce a lot of heat or it may not be able to distribute the heat properly throughout your house. Needless to say, these problems can be quite frustrating to deal with and they are far more common than you might expect.
A large number of heater complaints are due to a complete lack of maintenance. Often, heaters are left in desperate need of repair for months and even years at a time, but homeowners have no idea because they never bother to check their heaters. If you don’t know how to maintain your heater, then it is important to call up some professionals to do it for you.
That way, you won’t have to deal with these heater problems in the first place.
Common Problems With Home Heat Repair
You may be in need of home heat repair without even knowing it. Some of the most common problems that affect heaters include dirty air filters, lack of maintenance, and daily wear and tear, among others.
If you need someone to come and look at your heater, contact us here.