When you turn on your furnace for the winter, you want it to heat your home so everyone is comfortable. In order for a furnace to do that, it has to run long enough to distribute heated air through the ventilation system to all the rooms.
But you’ve run into a problem: your furnace is shutting down too early, and the house isn’t getting the warmth your family needs. What’s happening? And what can you do about it?
You’ve come to the right place for answers!
You don’t want to head into the winter with a home heating system that might fail during one of the coldest days of the year. You may be stuck with a cold house while you arrange to get the broken heater replaced. But how can you tell that your current heater has come to the end of its service life so you can replace it?
The easiest way is to set the Moose Loose! We’re the experts at new heating installation in Charleston, SC and we can help you determine if your current heater is ready to go or if our repairs can keep it going effectively for several more years. We’ll always be honest with you about what’s best for your home.
You may still feel on the fence about your heater, so before you call us, we’ll go over some of the major signs to watch for that will warn you have a heater ready for retirement.
Fall means many different things to people. For us and our mascot Moose, fall means it’s time to get busy helping our customers tune-up their heating systems. This regular maintenance service is the best way to ensure a heater will sail through the winter with few troubles and work at peak efficiency.
If you’re wondering if you really need maintenance for your heater this year, we’re here to convince you. Maintenance is great for your heater, your comfort, and your pocketbook, and we’ve put together a maintenance program—The Moose Plan!—that makes it an even better deal!
If you’re like most people, you probably switch your thermostat to heat when your house gets below 64 degrees Fahrenheit. You probably set your heat to about 65 to 70 degrees. This is just enough to keep you and your family comfortable during the winter months.
But, what happens if something goes wrong with your furnace? Why would a furnace tripping the breaker be a problem?
The bad news is that furnaces can develop many different issues. The good news is that most of them are easily resolved.
Read on to learn what kind of furnace repair you might need right now.
There are two major reasons why the furnace might trip a breaker. Both indicate that there’s a problem with the electrical circuits in your home.
The first possible issue is the breaker itself. This could be because the breaker is old or faulty. It could also be that the breaker isn’t powerful enough to support the furnace.
The other possible issue is the furnace. It might be that the furnace needs more electricity than the breaker can handle. You might need either a smaller furnace or a stronger breaker.
There are many reasons why a heating system wouldn’t turn on at all. The first, of course, is that the breaker tripped the last time the furnace turned on. This prevents electricity from getting to the furnace in the first place.
It could also be an issue of a short in a wire somewhere. This prevents enough electricity from getting to the furnace to turn it on.
Other issues might include faulty parts or an open service door to the furnace.
Many internal issues cause a low airflow from your heating system. For this reason, it’s very common among heater issues. Causes range from simple issues like a closed vent to more complicated issues like a failing fan motor.
A closed vent is something you can check and fix yourself, so it’s, fortunately, the cheapest issue to fix.
Clogs in the vents also prevent air from flowing as well. This issue, however, usually requires professional help to resolve.
Your furnace repair professionals might also check the fan motor to make sure it’s not failing. If it isn’t spinning as fast as it should, you may need a new motor.
Also among the common heating issues is when your HVAC blows cold air instead of hot. The good news is that this indicates that the airflow and fan motor are both fine. The bad news is that this means your furnace isn’t producing heat.
This is usually the result of faulty parts. A good example of this is the pilot light failing. The pilot light is responsible for creating the small flames that generate the heat in the furnace.
If this piece doesn’t work, then you get a furnace that only blows cool air instead of hot.
This one may or may not be a major issue with your heating system. If you only notice this the first one or two times you turn your furnace on for the winter, then it’s probably alright. The furnace just has some dust in it from the winter.
However, if the smell seems very strong or persists after that, then you may need to have a look at your furnace. This could mean faulty parts or bad wiring. If these issues continue, they could result in an electrical fire.
It’s best to have these issues resolved quickly before that happens.
Short cycling refers to when your furnace turns on only to turn back off quickly. This is bad for your furnace since it causes more wear on its parts. There are also many reasons why this might happen.
For example, if your thermostat is right under a vent, this can trick it into thinking that your house is warming up faster than it is. This causes it to turn the furnace off faster than it should.
It might also be because of faulty parts. Furnaces have built-in safety features to prevent gas leaks and electrical fires. These activate when a problem is detected with a part.
If you have a gas furnace, then you should have a carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless, so the human brain can’t detect it. However, it’s also deadly to those who have prolonged exposure to it.
Carbon monoxide is produced by your furnace but is supposed to be funneled out by a chimney. This releases the deadly gas into the air and away from human lungs instead of through your home for you to breathe in.
If your detector is going off frequently, you might have a clog in that chimney.
This issue is a matter of trusting your instincts. You know what your heating system sounds like when it runs. That being said, there are many reasons why a furnace would suddenly become noisy.
For example, there may be a loose part inside of your furnace. When the fan blows, it shakes and rattles that loose part. This vibration travels through the vents and makes your heating system seem quite loud.
If this is the case, it’s best to get an expert out to fix the issue as soon as possible. These issues only get worse if they’re allowed to go on and soon you’ll be dealing with something more serious than a loose part.
Whether you have a furnace tripping the breaker or some other issue, it’s always best to resolve it as soon as you can. This prevents the problem from getting worse and costs more to fix.
And the best place to get high-quality HVAC service is right here at Carolina Climate Control. We’re among the best in the business for both AC and heater repair.
Contact us today and see how we can keep you and your family comfortable this winter.
Did you know that you can increase your furnace efficiency with regular maintenance? Several Americans rely on furnaces to heat their homes. These handy appliances contribute a lot to a home’s monthly energy consumption.
If your furnace is old, damaged, or not well-maintained, you are likely to deal with high energy bills. Regular furnace maintenance will ensure that the appliance works at an optimum level and remains safe and efficient.
Here is a checklist of the services you should expect from a furnace maintenance technician.
The furnace flame sensor is a small metal rod located in one of the burners. The main purpose of the flame sensor is to ignite all the burners on the surface. If the sensor doesn’t detect a flame, it will shut off the furnace.
Additionally, if the burners are ignited but the flame sensor is dirty, it will also shut off the furnace. Therefore, to make sure that the flame sensor works well, the HVAC technician will inspect, remove, and scrub it to remove built-up char.
It is vital to check and test the thermostat to make sure it is operating well. The technician can use a portable temperature sensor to check if the thermostat is reading the right temperature.
If it is on a schedule, they will test to see if it turns on and off as it should. Depending on the type of furnace you have, the technician will also check the fans for speed and ensure that the dampers or valves are functioning well.
They will also program it according to how much time you spend indoors. Programming the thermostat will save you money and make sure your home is comfortable throughout.
Remember if you hear any unusual sounds from the thermostat (especially when the furnace starts) or smell a burnt odor, you should get in touch with your HVAC repair service company immediately.
Your home furnace system also includes an air filter. The main purpose of the air filter is to prevent dust, dirt, and other contaminants from getting into your home. A good rule of thumb is to change the air filter after every three months.
Though you can replace the filter with a few DIY steps, it may be ideal to let the right professionals handle it. HVAC technicians know the best air filter for your furnace and will help you save more.
If you are in a dry climate, your furnace will also include a humidifier. It adds moisture to the air and helps in maintaining the right humidity levels in your home. This is crucial for indoor comfort and good health.
Regardless of the type of humidifier in your furnace, the technician will clean it and make sure it is working properly. Additionally, they will also check to see if the damper is set in the right position and check for any other damages.
Regularly maintaining the humidifier will ensure longevity and efficiency.
The furnace ductwork’s main job is to serve warm air throughout your home. If there are air leaks, mold, or dust in the furnace, the ductwork will not operate as it should.
Therefore, to maintain efficiency, the technician will inspect the ductwork for signs of physical damages, clogs, or rust and clean or repair it.
Remember to keep any condensation or water away from the ductwork. Moisture will encourage the growth of mold. This will cause air leaks and pose a health risk.
This is the core heating system in the furnace. The heat exchanger allows hot gases to transfer heat to the air blowing to and from the air registers. The integrity of the heat exchanger determines how well the system expels the noxious gases.
These gases include carbon monoxide gas which can be harmful to humans. To ensure safety, it is vital that the technician inspects the heat exchangers and detects gas leaks. Several experts also recommend installing a CO2 monitor or detector in your home for additional protection.
Regular heat exchanger maintenance will help detect any damages in good time and save you from costly replacement.
The furnace blower circulates air throughout the home. It ensures that the heat from the furnaces reaches every part of your home. Note that, if the furnace blows cold air, get in touch with your HVAC company immediately.
To maintain the blower, the technician will check the fan wheel to confirm if they are spinning smoothly. They will replace worn-out motors and check the blades, bets, and pulleys. The technician will oil the moving parts and replace or repair any worn-out parts.
All heating appliances include several electrical units, operating controls, and safety functions. They are designed to make sure the furnace works well and can shut down in case of a malfunction.
Regular maintenance helps to ensure that such systems are well-serviced and operate safely at maximum efficiency. Keeping your furnace healthy and reliable gives you peace of mind.
Therefore, the technician will check for rusty terminals, loose wires, and more.
Routine furnace maintenance and inspection are vital to the efficiency and longevity of your furnace. To have a reliable and well-functioning furnace, it may be ideal to work with a professional HVAC repair and maintenance services provider in your area.
If you are looking for furnace maintenance services in South Carolina, Carolina Climate Control is a one-stop shop for all the heating and cooling services you need. Contact us and schedule your maintenance service today.
Furnace problems are never welcome. A furnace that has stopped working or is blowing cold air is frustratingly inconvenient.
A lot of things can cause your furnace to behave strangely. This blog will look at some of the most common furnace problems, how you can troubleshoot them, and what you can do to fix them.
Your thermostat determines the temperature in your home and configures your furnace to reach the desired room temperature. Sometimes your thermostat can be set incorrectly, which will cause your furnace to blow cold air.
Check to see if your thermostat is set to heat. If it’s set to cool, that may be the problem. You’ll also want to make sure that your thermostat is set to “Auto” and not “On.” The auto setting configures your fan to stop blowing when the desired temperature is reached.
If it’s set to on, this will keep the fan running even when the furnace is off, which means it’ll be blowing cold air.
If you notice your furnace blowing cold air, it could simply need more time to warm up. Some furnaces need upwards of 15 minutes to reach maximum potential. This could also be the case on colder days when the outside air temperature dips below 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Give your furnace time to warm up for at least 15 minutes. If your furnace is still blowing cold air after 15 minutes, call a professional to diagnose the problem.
The air filter from your heating and cooling system will catch dust, dirt, and debris. If your air filter is clogged, it can limit airflow to your furnace, which can cause it to overheat and shut off.
Be sure to check your filter regularly for any dirt or damage. If your furnace is blowing cold air, check the furnace to see if debris are caught in it. If there are, replacing your air filter should get warm air blowing again.
Condensate lines move water condensation away from your furnace. If there’s water present near the igniter, it will cause an ignition failure, which could cause your furnace to blow cold air.
Your condensate lines can clog due to mold or other debris. Make sure to drain the condensate lines. If this seems like too much for you to handle, call a professional HVAC technician and have them take a look at the problem.
Make sure to check your ductwork. If there is damage to your ductwork, this could cause warm air to escape, which will leave some rooms with cold air. This could be due to the age of your system, which can rust over time, or it could be from small rodents or other animals chewing through the ducts.
Make sure to inspect the ducts for any holes or damage. You can seal damaged ducts with tape or replace the damaged sections.
If your furnace runs on gas and is blowing cold air, check the gas lines or supply. You may be running low on gas, which means the pilot light keeps going out. Or, you may have damage to the gas line that supplies your furnace.
The good news is that if there’s a fault with the gas supply, your furnace will automatically shut off. Have a professional check the gas lines and the gas supply for any problems.
Most modern furnaces have safety features to prevent severe damage or disasters from happening. If your furnace is not working correctly, it will shut down on its own. Here are the main reasons why a furnace can overheat and shut off.
Furnaces have many moving parts in order for them to operate. If one of these moving parts fails, it can make your furnace run harder, which can ultimately cause it to overheat. If you believe your furnace is failing due to a mechanical issue, have a professional HVAC technician inspect your furnace for any problems.
A clogged filter is one of the more common furnace problems. When your air filter is clogged, your furnace will be working harder than expected. If it runs too hard, it can potentially overheat and shut down on its own.
Preventative maintenance is critical for your furnace to run optimally. Depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations, be sure to inspect and replace your air filter every 3-6 months. Doing this can prevent thousands of dollars in repair.
Even with the best preventative maintenance schedule, your furnace can still overheat due to age-related internal failures. Age will lead to corrosion or worn parts. Over time, your furnace will need parts replaced to keep it running correctly.
If this happens, you’ll have to ask yourself what the most cost-effective route to take is when it comes to your furnace issues. Failing internal parts in your furnace can range from a couple hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
If that’s the case, you may want to replace the entire furnace rather than have it repaired.
There’s nothing worse than a furnace blowing cold air on a cold night. The best thing is to look over all the tips we’ve gone over and diagnose the problem accordingly.
Addressing these issues first will most likely solve your problems. If you’ve addressed all of these common furnace issues and you’re still having problems, you’ll need to reach out to an HVAC company and they can help.
We specialize in all heating systems such as furnaces, heat pumps, and geothermal heating.
Give us a call and one of our technicians can help you out right away!
The average heating and cooling system can last anywhere from 12 to 17 years. However, there are ways that you can increase the lifespan of your HVAC system.
One of these is to winterize your home as you start preparing for the changing seasons.
By preparing for winter, you can minimize the wear and tear on your HVAC system and ensure that it lasts longer.
Here are 5 simple HVAC winterization tips to follow in your Lowcountry home this year.
When you are winterizing your HVAC system, one of the most important HVAC tips to follow is to change your air filters. HVAC systems use air filters to keep dust, dirt, and other types of debris out of your air.
However, as they collect this debris, your HVAC becomes less efficient and may not work as well. It can also affect your indoor air quality if you do not regularly change your air filters.
It is recommended that you replace or clean your air filter regularly, so doing this when the season changes is an easy way to stay on top of this.
To make sure your air is clean and that your HVAC is running efficiently, you need to change your air filters as the season changes.
Next, you need to clean your furnace, air vents, and inspect your ducts. Typically, you can get the interior of your furnace cleaned in a regular HVAC tune-up.
However, it is also important that you keep the areas around your furnace clean. This is because small particles like dirt and dust can get sucked into the furnace and your air vents. If you ever turn on your heater and notice a burning smell, it could be due to built-up dust and debris.
It is also important to keep the area surrounding your furnace clear of any flammable items. Never lean items up against your furnace when it is in use.
Next, you need to make sure all of your vents are fully opened and clean. If there is any furniture covering your vents, you need to move them to make sure your vents are unobstructed. During this inspection, you can clean the built-up dirt and dust in your air vents and register covers.
This will prevent airflow from being restricted and will also improve the air quality in your home.
Lastly, you should inspect your ductwork to ensure that there are no gaps that can lead to heat loss and inefficient heating.
If you are unsure of how to inspect your ducts, you can hire a professional to inspect your ducts for leaks. They can also seal these leaks to make your HVAC system run more smoothly during the winter.
Another important tip to prepare your HVAC system for winter is to winterize your outdoor unit. First, you need to clean out the exterior unit. This includes removing leaves, dirt, and other debris that has stuck to the fins.
You should also trim back your bushes, trees, and grass to make sure there is nothing that could damage your outdoor HVAC unit during the winter.
While it isn’t necessary to cover your HVAC system, investing in an HVAC cover can protect your system from rust, ice, and other wear and tear during the winter months.
Finally, you need to turn the exterior air conditioning unit off to make sure you do not accidentally use the system during the winter.
Something else that is an important tip to follow as you prepare your HVAC system for the winter is to test your safety devices, like your carbon monoxide alarms and smoke detectors. These detectors are something that should be in every home to make sure you are protected during the heating season.
It is also a good rule to replace your batteries twice a year to make sure they are always working.
By testing each of these safety features, you can better protect your home and family from accidents while your heater is running.
Finally, you need to schedule a furnace tune-up or maintenance with a professional HVAC company.
They will provide all the additional care you need for your furnace and can also provide any additional repairs that you require.
They can also help you identify ways to make your furnace more efficient as you begin to use it more frequently. By getting a furnace tune-up with a professional HVAC company, you can prevent malfunctions in your system from causing worse problems down the line.
Winterizing your HVAC system is vital to maintaining your heater and air conditioner. By following each of these HVAC tips, you can prepare your system for changing seasons.
When you need HVAC maintenance, it is best to leave it to the professionals to make sure everything is done right. If you are looking for help winterizing your home and HVAC in Charleston, Carolina Climate Control can help!
Our team can make sure your heater is ready for the winter. Contact us to learn about HVAC winterization and get a free quote for our services.
Even with our moderate winters here in Charleston compared to the rest of the US, temperatures dip down far enough where having a reliable heating system is definitely a necessity.
Though we’re already past our historical coldest day of the year — January 17th — overnight lows can stay quite chilly through March and April, so having that heating system you can rely on is important even moving into our warmer seasons.
That said, which type of heating system is going to be that reliable source of heat for you and your family in Charleston?
Back in 2019 we jumped head first into this question in our heat pump vs. furnace showdown and even offered an alternative heating solution that many Lowcountry homeowners have opted for.
As we all are well aware 2 years can be quite a long time (especially with a year like 2020 we just had) so let’s get reacquainted with our Lowcountry heating options and see which type may work best for your home in Charleston.
Simplifying things a bit from our original blog post mentioned above, heat pumps — generally speaking — look and function pretty much the same as any air conditioning system you may have installed in your home.
Unlike a typical central air conditioner, however, a heat pump can function in the winter to provide heat to your home. It does this by transferring ambient heat from the outside air into your home — essentially reversing its summertime operation (moving warm air in your home to the outside).
This is obviously a huge advantage for many homeowners. One system to install, one system to maintain and one system to provide year-round comfort.
This advantage does get diminished when temperatures dip far below normal lows, when there is little-or-no ambient warmth to draw from outside to warm your home. Well designed HVAC systems may come with a backup heating source (like the heating options found in many modern air handlers), so you may be alright if that is the case.
Temperatures rarely, if ever, dip low enough to cause heating issues with your heat pump, so that’s why they’re so popular here in Charleston.
Having a dedicated furnace, as you might imagine, means always having a dedicated heat source when temps get cooler in the Lowcountry. Furnaces produce heat by passing electricity through coils or burning some type of fuel, like gas, oil, wood or wood pellets.
Needing that extra fuel to heat your home can obviously mean additional and/or larger bills when you’re running your furnace in the winter.
The additional parts, equipment and maintenance that go with having a furnace can mean more things to worry about as well, especially if you have an older one installed in your home.
When we reviewed heat pumps above, we singled out the “typical” heat pump many homeowners have installed — the models that look pretty much the same as any other central air conditioning system you may see around the Lowcountry. Like those central air conditioning systems, they still very much rely on your home’s ductwork to move heated air into your home.
What we didn’t mention are the ductless heating and air conditioning options you could install in your home.
Ductless mini-split HVAC systems are a great option for reliable heating as well as cooling, just like the more traditional heat pumps, but don’t need your home’s ductwork to distribute heated air. They can be installed individually in rooms or other areas, to allow your family to make more personalized heating adjustments depending on where they are in home.
As many Lowcountry home have more and more issues with their ductwork (flooding, duct availability, etc.), ductless heating solutions can be a great, reliable heating option for your Lowcountry home.
Whichever route you choose for your primary heating source in your Lowcountry home, be sure to discuss your project with your local heating and ac company to make sure you get the best heater installation possible.
With a bit cooler air breezing into Charleston this week, it’s right about time you may be assessing the heating capabilities & needs of your homes’ HVAC system.
Hopefully as you start using your heat setting again, you don’t have any issues — something you probably don’t worry about if you have a comprehensive HVAC maintenance plan.
If you do run into issues, however, you’ll probably be having to make the decision to repair or replace your heating system. Read our post about knowing when to repair or replace your system here if you aren’t sure which one you’ll need for your Charleston home (the post is focused on air conditioning systems, but the same rules apply for your heating system).
Should you go the route of replacing your heating system, you may be presented with yet another question: install a new heat pump unit or install a new furnace?
Generally speaking, most homeowners simply choose to go with whatever kind of unit or setup that was in place previously. This definitely makes sense as the rest of the components of your HVAC system will already be setup for that type of heating source.
Having to replace your heating unit, however, gives you a great chance to look at a few alternative options regardless of which kind of system you are replacing. It may also provide an opportunity for a entirely different setup altogether — more on that below.
To help you review your heating replacement options below is a quick rundown comparing heat pumps versus furnaces, which one may work better in your home and another type of heat source you may not know about.
While there are several differences between a heat pump and a furnace, at the core of their differences is the source of their heat production.
As you probably know, a furnace produces heat by running electricity through metal coils or by burning a type of fuel. Your furnace most likely uses gas or electricity if you’re here in Charleston, but other types of fuels used in furnaces include oil, wood and wood pellets.
A heat pump on the other hand doesn’t burn or consume anything to produce heat. As its name implies, it “pumps” heat from one location to another. So in the winter, your heat pump pulls ambient heat from the outside air and transfers it into your home. We go into more detail about how a heat pump works in this post if you want to learn more about its operation.
Obviously, if it gets too cold outside a heat pump will struggle with keeping your home warm while a well maintained furnace will provide consistent heat no matter how cold it gets outside. This shouldn’t turn you off of heat pumps however as the climate in Charleston is such that it rarely — if ever — gets cold enough to limit a heat pump’s heating capacity. Not only that, heat pumps can provide more than just heating operation as we’ll review below.
The other important difference in system types are their usage throughout the year. While a furnace will most likely sit idle during the summer, a heat pump can reverse its operation to also function as your home’s air conditioning system.
Just as in the winter a heat pump will transfer heat from the outside into your home, it can transfer heat and humidity inside your home to the outdoor air.
This two-way operation is part of the reason most Charleston homeowners go with heat pump systems. Having one system to install and maintain simplifies repairs and can lower maintenance costs in some cases. When the primary need for an HVAC system is air conditioning and smaller windows where there’s need for heating, you can see why heat pumps are the obvious choice for homeowners.
If there are Lowcountry winters where the temperatures dip below a heat pump’s viable operation, though, you’ll be happy about having installed a furnace if you choose that as your next heating solution.
“What other options are there other than traditional heat pump or furnace heating systems?”, you may be saying to yourself. The answer to that question lies beneath the ground.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems have been gaining more and more traction as an alternative heating (and cooling) solution here in the Charleston area, and with some of the tax incentives that come with an installation, are becoming much more affordable for homeowners.
Geothermal systems take advantage of the ground’s natural ability to retain a constant temperature; generally between 55 & 70 degrees Fahrenheit. So even while the outside air temperature fluctuates throughout the year, this underground temperature stays roughly the same. The system taps into that warmer energy and transfers it into your home, exactly how the traditional heat pump takes the warmth from the air and uses it to warm your home.
The source of energy a geothermal heat pump (the technical term for a geothermal unit) draws from, however, is much more reliable because of that constant underground temperature mentioned.
This source of energy is also free and virtually infinite. This means the energy you consume to keep your home warm (or cool) is also essentially free & infinite, driving down monthly electricity bills as much as 70% in some cases. So over time, you’ll be able to recoup your HVAC investment; something that takes much longer than conventional systems.
By installing a geothermal HVAC system, you’ll also save on replacement costs: a traditional system will last about 12-15 years, while a geothermal system (the indoor unit) will last up to 25 years. The underground geothermal equipment can last up to 100. (That’s not a typo by the way, the underground components are really are engineered to last 100 years.)
If you’re still unsure on which direction to go with for your next heating system, you can always contact a heating company near you and let them take a look at your particular situation. An experienced HVAC tech should be able to quickly tell you what’s best, what you can and can’t do, and give you a free estimate for your replacement heating system.
We hope you stay warm this winter whichever choice you make for your next heater, and feel free to contact us if you have any more questions about your HVAC system.
