Sacramento Heating Repairs: 5 Signs You Need to Call an HVAC Specialist

Ensuring that your home is appropriately getting the right amount of heat is crucial for optimizing your home’s energy bill, not to mention your level of comfort. Especially during the colder months of the year, having an adequate heat level in your home is vital for keeping you and your loved ones feeling healthy and happy.  

However, there will be times when some aspect of your home’s heating system is not working as it should. This could be due to a malfunction of the equipment, ventilation blockage, and several other causes. Here are five of the most common symptoms that can let you know that an HVAC Specialist should look at your heating system.

Not Enough Heat Is Being Produced from Your Furnace

Your furnace is a core piece of equipment in your heating system. If your furnace is not working optimally, you won’t generate enough energy to provide the heat your home needs. 

There are a variety of reasons why your furnace may not be producing enough heat. Some of the most common reasons for substandard heat include holes in your air ducts, the blower motor (what’s responsible for pushing air through your air ducts) is worn out, the air filter is dirty and needs to be swapped out, in addition to other reasons. 

Making sure your furnace is producing enough heat will result in a much more energy-efficient bill (more on this in a moment), and a quick inspection from an HVAC specialist will often be enough for them to know precisely what is wrong.

You Hear Abnormal Noises Coming from One of Your HVAC Unit

A noise, like rattling or booming, is rarely a good sign for a machine. This is especially true with any heat or cooling unit. 

If your furnace, air heat pump system, or any other motorized component in your system is making a noise, this usually has to do with some mechanical issue. The most common mechanical problem is that a motor is either malfunctioning or is scraping up against something internally. 

If you hear a sound that is not normal coming from one of your machines, we highly encourage you not to sit idle. While noises often do not immediately bring about any problems, they are almost always symptoms of a more significant issue. 

In most cases, it will cost you a lot less money to fix a noise-related issue than the long-term effect that will occur. A quick call to Upton Air will help ensure that you are not spending more money than you need to.

Unpleasant Smells Are Coming from Your HVAC Unit

Are one or more elements of your HVAC system giving off an unusual smell? A properly working system will not provide any scent, cluing you to a more significant issue. 

There are a variety of smells that may be produced from a malfunctioning system. Some scents include a gaseous smell, an oily smell, an odor like rotten eggs, and more. Odors like these can be brought about for various reasons, including electrical issues or natural gas leakage. 

If you smell something weird coming from one of your units, this should be an immediate red flag. Your next step should be to call a technician to have them come to your home to investigate and repair the root cause of the odor.

Your Furnace Does Not Stay Lit

Like we mentioned prior, a furnace that is not generating enough heat is a cause to call an HVAC specialist right away. Another of the possible root causes for this that deserves a bit of an extended description, though, is that your furnace may not be staying lit. 

There are several common reasons why a furnace may not stay on. Here are a few common reasons. 

• Your furnace has a dirty or damaged flame sensor. This is one of the most common reasons. If your sensor is dirty or damaged, it will not detect if there is a flame, leading it to shut off for perceived safety reasons. 
• There is a mechanical issue. Two of the more common problems with a furnace not staying lit are due to your furnace’s circuit board or pressure switch going bad. Both are vital in keeping your furnace operating correctly, and a malfunction with one of these will result in a flame that is not consistent. 
• There is an issue with the airflow, causing the air not to become combustible. Airflow is essential when it comes to producing flames in a gas furnace, a process called combustion. For combustion to occur, a gas furnace will require airflow that is not being blocked. Otherwise, your furnace will not be able to maintain its flame. 

For all three of these reasons and more, an HVAC specialist can repair for you.

Your Utility Bill Is Higher Than Expected

Have your bills been higher than they have been in the past? There may be a reason for this. 

In many cases, a higher-than-normal energy bill results from something utilizing more power than usual to work. This could be a result of one of the previously mentioned causes or something else entirely. 

Suppose your bills have been pricey lately and you have not had an inspection recently. In that case, you may want to consider having a technician inspect your home and see if anything warrants further investigation or repair.

Call Upton Air in Sacramento for All Your Heating Needs

One small problem, at least initially, may not seem like a big issue. However, if your home is not adequately being provided with enough warm heat and airflow, in addition to other symptoms like the ones listed prior, you will likely end up spending more money, in the long run, to keep your house warm. 

There is no need to fear, though, as our experienced technicians can care for any issues you are encountering. Since 1983, Upton Air has provided evaluations to homes like yours to help keep your home nicely heated.  Your home is an investment, so keeping it from developing any problems in both the long and short term is a wise choice. If you think your heating pump, hot water heater, or anything else is not working correctly, please get in touch with us right away for this or any other heating repairs you may need.