26 May 2017
 Categories: , Blog

It is crucial to make sure that you are well aware of the signs that there is something going wrong with your natural gas furnace. Otherwise, you could wake up one night to a freezing cold house or worse yet, a fire. To help yourself avoid such problems, you will want to take the time to review the following signs of trouble that should never be ignored.

You Smell A Strange Odor

You should never smell anything out of the ordinary when you are near your furnace. If you do smell something, such as a pile of rotten eggs, it is important for you to turn off your furnace. Quickly open some of the windows of your home as you make your exit. The smell could very well be a sign of a gas leak and you need to have it checked out by a professional before you go back in and turn on the furnace. Even if the smell has built up in your house, it will be quickly eliminated by leaving the windows open for a few hours.

The Pilot Light Is Suddenly Yellow

When looking at the pilot light on your furnace, you should notice that it is a blue color. If it isn't and it is yellow, you have a serious problem. Something is terribly wrong and malfunctioning. Since there is a very good chance that the furnace is experiencing a carbon monoxide leak, you will need to immediately turn the furnace off, open the windows for fresh air, and leave the house. Do not return for several hours until after the home has had a chance to air out. Call an emergency HVAC technician to diagnose and repair the problem with your furnace. It cannot be turned back on until the issue is resolved. Remember, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that you will not be able to detect on your own.

Flames Are Shooting Out From Under The Furnace

You should never see any flames shoot out from under the furnace, even when it is first kicking on. If you do notice this, it could very well be a sign that the pilot light is turned up too high. Try adjusting the height of the flame. If you are not able to get the height adjusted, or you are still experiencing this problem after correcting the size of the pilot light, you will need to call a heating contractor. There could be something else that is causing the problem, such as a malfunctioning ignition or the pilot could simply be extra dirty. Either way, your HVAC contractor will be able to figure it out for you and have your furnace running as good as new in no time at all.

Remember that furnace repair is not usually something that the average homeowner will want to attempt on their own, especially when it comes to something flammable such as natural gas. Therefore, you will want to make sure that you have the contact information for an emergency HVAC technician at all times.

For more information, you will want to contact a company such as Advanced Air Quality Services.