3 Common Causes of Furnace Breakdowns in Suffolk, VA

No one wants to be stuck with a broken furnace in frigid weather. Now that the fall season has started and winter will soon arrive, Suffolk, VA, residents need to be aware of some of the causes of furnace breakdowns. When you know about the following causes of malfunctions, you’ll be better positioned to arrange for furnace repairs:

Thermostat Malfunctions

If your heating system isn’t working, the direct cause may not be your furnace itself. Instead, your thermostat may be to blame — a likely enough possibility, given its role in controlling the heating system.

If your thermostat’s temperature sensors aren’t functioning properly, your furnace might fail to work when it should or will run when it shouldn’t. Alternatively, your thermostat may have a programming issue.

Making sure the thermostat is properly programmed is the best place to start. A quick way to check whether the programming is at the heart of the issue is to set a higher temperature and see whether your furnace turns on.

If this fails to resolve the issue, you may have a problem with a faulty thermostat or wiring. Since this problem has many variations, you will require professional assistance to adequately resolve it.

Clogged Vents or Filters

Air ducts are essential to spreading warm air throughout your home. The air enters the system through an intake vent with a filter. This filter removes pollutants in the air such as dust, pet dander and other allergens.

Over time, debris will clog these filters, restricting airflow. When airflow diminishes, the furnace function suffers as a whole.

It’s standard practice for professional service technicians to change filters during maintenance. However, you should do so yourself at least every three months. If you have pets, you should change the filter more often.

Age of the Furnace

Once your furnace crosses the threshold of about 15 years in continuous service, difficulties will arise, even if you’ve maintained the system well. After this point, repairs become increasingly frequent and the installation of a new system becomes imperative.

You should know that this list of possible furnace problems is far from exhaustive. Whatever your issue and its cause, if you live around Suffolk, VA, call Atlantic Shores Heating and Cooling to schedule professional heating services.

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