Heating Installation, Repair & Maintenance

1. No Heat At All

Several issues may cause your furnace to stop working entirely. Faulty ignitors are a common culprit, especially if your furnace suddenly shuts off after operating smoothly. Replacing them is a lower-cost furnace repair and is easy for a trained technician to do. Also, if your heating system hasn’t had regular maintenance, flame sensors can get dirty and keep your furnace from passing its internal safety checks. If you hear multiple clicks, but the furnace fails to start blowing warm air, dirty flame sensors may be your problem. Other possible causes include the thermostat, power, or gas supply.

2. Not Enough Heat

Your furnace may appear to be working, but it can’t keep up with the temperatures outside. First, check your air filter. A dirty filter may be clogging your system. Change your air filter to see if it improves performance. It might save you from scheduling a service call.

3. Heat Cycles On and Off

When your furnace continually cycles on and off, you may have a problem with a thermostat setting or airflow. First, check your thermostat settings. A bump or nudge can accidentally move the settings from heating to cooling or even turn the thermostat off altogether. Next, change your filter to see a clean filter will improve airflow and stop the cycling.

4. Rumbles, Thumps, or Squeaks

Your furnace is designed to run quietly. If you hear loud noises, you likely have a mechanical issue that needs attention. Depending on the sound, you may have problems with your blower wheel, fan motor, ball bearings, or other parts of your furnace. Schedule a service call right away if your system makes troubling sounds. One of our professional heating technicians can help you understand what is going on before it causes more damage to your unit.

5. Fan Blows Constantly

If your heater blower doesn’t turn off, you likely have a problem with your thermostat, blower motor, or limit switch. Scheduling a service call is a good idea when your furnace blows continuously.

6. Lack of Maintenance

Scheduling heating checks for your furnace isn’t always convenient, but HVAC maintenance goes a long way in preventing breakdowns. We thoroughly clean and inspect your entire unit, priming it for top performance. Besides increasing energy efficiency, our system checks can also find parts that are wearing out before they break down. Many times, a system check can keep you comfortable all winter and help you avoid emergency calls when demand is high.

You need your furnace to keep you warm and protect your home from dangerously cold weather. When you experience the need for home heating repair, it can be frustrating and stressful. Here are some quick DIY tips to try before scheduling service for a furnace repair. Problems sometimes have simple solutions, and we would love to save you the time and trouble of having a technician do something that you can easily do yourself.

Check Your Thermostat

The first step to it check your thermostat settings. Is it set to HEAT or AUTO? People often forget to update the settings when the seasons change. It’s also possible to change settings or even turn it off accidentally. Finally, try replacing the batteries. If your unit isn’t turning on at all, that simple fix may be all you need to get your heating system up and running again.

Replace Your Air Filter

Dirt can cause a lot of trouble for your furnace. Honestly, it’s the number one problem we see when heaters aren’t working. When dust builds up, it hinders performance and blocks airflow. To protect your HVAC system, replace your air filters frequently and schedule regular maintenance. Replacing your filter could improve both airflow and heat production.

Check for Adequate Airflow

Your furnace is designed to run with a certain amount of ventilation. Check for furniture, doors, or closed air vents that may be blocking airflow. It’s common practice to close vents in less-visited parts of the house, but each vent has a role in the overall design of your heating system. Try opening up your airflow (combined with a clean air filter!) and see if it improves performance.

Reset The Breaker

Losing power, even briefly, may trip the breaker to protect against surges. Turn the switch off entirely and then on again to restore power to your unit.

If these troubleshooting tips don’t get your furnace up and running again, please schedule an appointment for heating service. Our technicians are well-trained and ready to diagnose what’s going on in your home. Also, we always explain any options you have for repair so that you can make the best decision for your home and budget.

1. Blockage Issues

If your heat pump system isn’t heating sufficiently or at all, there may be a relatively simple solution. The condenser unit outside depends on consistent exchange of air to bring heat into your home. If it’s blocked by foliage, debris or even snow—rare in Alabama, but it happens—then your unit won’t be able to heat your home to its full capacity. Keep your exterior equipment clean and clear.

2. Strange Sounds

If you notice an unusual clicking noise from your unit when it would otherwise activate normally to heat your home, you could have a capacitor issue. Capacitors help control the energy draw of your unit and should be seen to by trained technicians like ours. If instead your unit functions but sounds more labored than usual, it could have to do with your refrigerant levels; see number four below.

3. Cooling Without Heating

Heat pumps are flexible systems that both cool and heat your home. Moreso than most of the rest of the country, homeowners in Alabama will likely find themselves needing both the cooling and heating functions within the same season. This is especially true during fall and spring. If you find that your system adequately cools but not heats, you likely have an issue with the valve that controls the flow of refrigerant within the system’s coils. Again, only qualified P&C technicians should handle repairs involving components like these.

4. Struggling Performance

If your system is clearly struggling to keep up with the cold temperatures outside, or blowing cool air altogether, it could be an issue with your refrigerant level caused by a leak. P&C technicians can check your system for leaks and are EPA-certified to handle the refrigerant you need to get your unit back in tip-top shape.