November is the month when we can finally expect to see some cooler weather here in California (it is just a forecast, but we have hope). And when that time does come, you can expect to be recruiting your heater for full-time work.
But that begs the question: is your heater ready? If you’re already running your heater at night, then now’s the perfect time to start paying attention to its behavior. It’s also the perfect time to get a maintenance check if you haven’t already. But if you notice any of the following signs, then you’ll want to call in for repairs sooner than later.
Higher Than Usual Heating Bills
Does your heating bill seem particularly… expensive? Perhaps it feels like you never used to spend this much on heating. Or, maybe you’ve just noticed a giant spike in your heating use—a spike that’s very hard to ignore or overlook.
In either case, you could be looking at the result of a problem with your heater. Whether you’re dealing with a furnace or a heat pump, their efficiency and energy usage is always a solid indicator of what’s going on inside the system. It’s possible that a component has fallen into disrepair and is dragging down the rest of the system’s efficiency. It could also be something as simple as an air filter that needs replacing.
It could actually be due to many things, so we recommend getting a comprehensive maintenance check to rule out all the possibilities.
Problems Starting or Staying On
If your heater seems to have trouble starting, or if it only stays on intermittently, it could be due to an issue with the starter.
If we’re talking about a furnace, it could be a problem with the ignition system. An older furnace may have issues with the pilot light, indicating that the components need to be cleaned or replaced. Newer furnaces use an electric igniter, but they can still suffer from malfunctions that prevent them from working properly.
If it’s a heat pump that’s having the issue, there could be many reasons for less-than-ideal performance, including problems with the compressor, refrigerant leaks, or air filters.
There’s also the possibility that these systems could be suffering from short-cycling, a problem that will have your furnace or heat pump turning on and off way too frequently. This is a problem you’re more likely to encounter with a new (and faulty) installation.
Something Very Simple
Sometimes, various heating problems can be solved by something incredibly simple. Rather than have you call for heater repair in Sacramento, CA, there are a few simple things you can try to fix your problem on your own. Even if they sound too simple to work, make sure you’ve:
- Replaced the air filter.
- Turned on the furnace switch.
- Turned the heat pump’s mode to heating mode.
- Locked the furnace’s front panel firmly in place (it won’t start otherwise).
- Set the thermostat to AUTO and have it in heating mode.