8 Furnace Warning Signs

Discover 8 fast and easy ways to know when to replace your gas furnace before it costs you money or becomes unsafe.

A comfortable and healthy home environment requires an efficient and sound heating system. Such a system heats the home without using large amounts of energy and it does not endanger the indoor air quality by overtaxing the supply of oxygen needed for combustion.

It is important to know the 8 warning signs that your furnace may need replacing. It is especially important not to wait until a crisis occurs.  A cold night in January, with the furnace faltering or failed, is not the time to assess your heating system. Do it now.

Information is the key to making a wise decision. This report will teach you what the 8 warning signs that your furnace may need replacing.

This report is based on research undertaken by the federal Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. It also draws on the training resources of heating and cooling manufacturers, trade associations, and field service personnel.

1. How old is your furnace?
A good place to start is to compare your furnaces age to the national average. The average life expectancy of furnaces in homes today is between 16 and 20 years. If your furnace is close to this age or older, you should begin shopping. Shopping for a replacement furnace in an emergency does not allow time to make your best decision. Most people prefer to replace their furnace as a planned home improvement rather than a panic replacement when your furnace is faltering or failed. For starters, look at your furnace to see if you have a pilot light. If you do, it is almost certain to be over 25 years old!

2. Gas & Electric Bills Going Up?
Rising gas and electric prices are not the only reason for high bills. Furnaces often lose their efficiency as they age especially if they have not been properly maintained. As a result your furnace may run longer to provide the same amount of heat. This will cause your gas & electric bills to go up. The money you pay the gas & electric company every month could be used to pay for new furnace.

3. Any Furnace Repairs in the last 2 years?
Furnaces are like cars. As they age, you can replace one part only to have to replace another part next year. It doesn't take long to spend $500 just to keep the old furnace running. Furnaces incur the most breakdowns in the last 2 years of their lives. Another repair sign is whether you had to wait to get parts replaced. As a furnace ages, it gets harder to get replacement parts. This waiting can really be cold on a below zero night.

4. Does your thermostat keep you comfortable?
Do you feel that some rooms are too cold while others are too hot? Or are you always trying to adjust your thermostat to make your home more comfortable? This is a sign that your furnace lacks the ability to properly distribute the air to keep you comfortable in your home.

5. Is your burner flame yellow instead of blue?
A yellow or flickering flame may be a sign that poisonous carbon monoxide could be created by your furnace. Other possible signs of carbon monoxide are: Streaks of soot around furnace; Absence of an upward draft in your chimney; Excess moisture found on windows, walls, or other cold surfaces; Excessive rusting on flue pipes, other pipe connections, or appliance jacks; Small amount of water leaking from the base of the chimney, vent, or flue pipe; Rust on the portion of the vent pipe visible from the outside.

6. Is your furnace making strange noises?
Old furnaces often start to make some strange noises as they get toward the end of their life. Have you heard any banging, popping, rattling, or squealing noises coming from your furnace? Another noise is when you hear the furnace blower running excessively. Does your blower turn on & off frequently or does it blow cold air sometimes? If so, this is a sign that your furnace may need to be replaced.

7. How have you & your family been feeling?
Furnaces as they age run the risk of developing cracks in the heat exchanger inside your furnace. Carbon monoxide, if present, could leak into your home undetected. Signs of this may be frequent headaches, a burning feeling in nose or eyes, nausea, disorientation, flu-like symptoms. Should you experience any of these, air out your house, open a window to the furnace room and immediately call a gas service technician. Cracks in the heat exchanger can occur undetected which is why no one advises waiting until they occur. 

8. Is your house dry or dusty?
Old furnaces often lack the ability to moisturize and clean the air in your home. Your house air may feel stuffy or stale. Does anyone in your family suffer from allergies to airborne dust, mold, pollen, viruses or dander? Or does anyone suffer from dry nose, dry throat, or dry skin? Other signs may be frequent dust accumulation, static shocks, drooping plants, furniture cracking and musical instruments that do not stay in tune. These signs all suggest that your old furnace is not capable of providing you with the comfort you and your family may want.

Lower That Whoppin' DWP Bill!

The average family spends $2,200 a year on energy bills, nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. In addition to saving money, reducing energy use at home can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help fight climate change.

ENERGY STAR offers the following tips to keep your home comfortable while saving money on heating bills and protecting the environment:

• Maintain heating equipment. Dirt and neglect are the number one causes of heating system failure, so be sure to service your furnace and air conditioning equipment. Now is a good time to schedule a pre-season checkup of your heating equipment with a licensed contractor to make sure your system is operating at peak performance. Check your system's air filter every month. When it is dirty, change it. At a minimum change it every 3 months.
• Use a programmable thermostat. Regulate your home's temperature while you're away or asleep by using one of the convenient pre-programmed settings on a programmable thermostat. When used properly, programmable thermostats can save you up to $180 every year in energy costs.
• Seal air leaks in your home. As much as 20 percent of the air moving through your home's duct system is lost due to leaks and poor connections. Sealing air leaks with caulk, spray foam, or weather stripping will have a significant impact on improving your comfort and reducing energy bills. If you are adding insulation to your home, be sure to seal air leaks first, to ensure you get the best performance from your insulation. Seal duct work using mastic sealant or metal tape and insulate all the ducts that you can access (such as those in attics, crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages). Also, make sure that connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet floors, walls, and ceilings. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork.
• Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products. Whether you are replacing light bulbs or appliances in your home, ENERGY STAR qualified products can help you save energy and reduce energy bills. The label can be found on more than 60 types of products ranging from heating and cooling equipment to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Also, look to EPA's ENERGY STAR program for advice on other ways you can save at home such as using power strips as a central ‘turn-off’ point for electronics and office equipment, making sure computers and monitors are “powered down” when not in use and reversing the blade rotation on ceiling fans to help spread warm air around a room.

Time for Your Home FURNACE Inspection

Have you had your furnace inspection yet? While it may seem like it’s too early, now is the perfect time to have a furnace inspection in time for winter!

Let’s face it – cold weather is on its way, and having a furnace inspection is the only way you can be absolutely sure that your furnace will be able to carry you through the winter months comfortably! The best thing you can do for your furnace every year is to have it inspected early on – we’re talking late September early October. Why? Think about it – would you rather have an HVAC tech come out and spot any problems with your furnace now, or in the dead of winter when it breaks down and the streets are blocked with snow?

Not having a furnace tune up at the beginning of the heating season can cause a number of problems. Not only do you risk your furnace breaking down at the worst possible time, but you also potentially compromise your own personal safety by causing dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide to escape into your home.

A typical furnace tune up and inspection consists of the following:

• Safety test for carbon monoxide (CO)
• Check for hazardous debris in the chimney and flue
• Clean air filters and re-install
• Check operation of thermostat and safety controls
• Check gas pilot safety system and clean as required
• Clean motor and fan
• Check blower operation
• Check condition, tension and alignment of fan belt, and perform required adjustments
• Clean burners and set for proper combustion & ignition
• Check gas piping to furnace

What can you do in lieu of furnace inspection?

There are many things you can do on your own (in addition to having a furnace inspection) that will help keep your furnace in tip-top shape. Some of these things include:

Testing your CO detector – test your CO detector (by hitting the test button) to make sure it works. Replace the battery at this time as well. Don’t have a CO detector? Get one! They are extremely important, particularly during the winter when your furnace is constantly running.

Keeping your furnace clear – make sure there are no clothes, lint or furniture blocking airflow to your furnace. Also make sure there is nothing flammable stored near the furnace that could explode given the chance.

Changing your air filter – this one is extremely important! Clogged filters can significantly restrict airflow to your furnace and seriously hurt its performance. Disposable air filters are pretty cheap, so stock up before you turn your furnace on and change them once a month.

Replacing Your Gas Furnace

Time to replace an old furnace? There are plenty of things to consider. You want to pick the best gas furnace for your needs and not overspend.

When comparing gas furnaces you’ll need to get an idea of their overall efficiency and estimated annual fuel costs in order to determine which furnace is right for your home.

Find out the Annual Energy Consumption of the gas furnace. This is, according to the Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association the way to get an estimate for the annual heating requirements. Another consideration is how much it costs to have a gas furnace with a standing pilot light. It’s estimated these costs can range up to 12% of the total fuel costs.  Today a high efficiency gas furnace with a two stage closed combustion chamber can cut those costs more than in half.

Two and three stage gas furnaces use variable speed blowers which help to maintain a more constant temperature. They bring the air up to temperature before they start blowing it into the house making the initial cold blasts of air from your old unit a thing of the past.

Remember you are hiring someone to work with some of the most dangerous elements working in your home; fire, gas, electricity, ventilation for carbon monoxide Don't cut corners and hire an uninsured handyman for this kind of job. You will want to hire a licensed contractor, who is properly certified and insured.

Some or all of the ducting may need to be replaced. This is often necessary for the energy efficiency of the unit to be realized.

Don’t forget to ask about warranty coverage, which can vary between gas furnace manufacturers. The best way to assure you make the right choice is to make an informed choice.

 And one last tip: Don’t wait until the middle of winter. It’s best to be able to take your time and compare gas furnaces and not have to make your choice when it’s an emergency.