Signature HVAC

Never Put Off Furnace Repairs, No Matter the Time of Year

March 1st, 2021

March is famous for its unpredictable weather, so you can expect to have your furnace regularly heating your home all through the month. And probably a decent chunk of April. But your thoughts are probably already turning toward spring and warmer weather. And summer comes after that! Your furnace will get a nice vacation and you can soak up the warmth.

We certainly encourage positive thinking, but it can sometimes lead into the trap of believing you don’t need to rush to have any furnace repair in King of Prussia, PA should you notice signs something is wrong. Odd noises, short-cycling, uneven heating, higher bills—these are all issues that need professionals to inspect, no matter the time of year. Putting off furnace service, thinking you can get to it in fall because warm weather will soon be here, can lead to some serious problems. Below are reasons we urge you to move fast when your furnace needs help at this time of year.

Why Is My Furnace Having Trouble Coming On?

February 15th, 2021

This is not the kind of question you want to ask during winter. You have your thermostat set for a warm temperature, and the house is definitely cold enough—but your furnace is struggling to turn on, and maybe not getting there. Maybe you hear clicking from the furnace cabinet, and the burners turn on for a short while, but it doesn’t last. If you feel like turning on the furnace is as much a struggle as getting a car engine to turn over on a freezing day, then you may have an issue that requires professional furnace repair in Malvern, PA.

We’ll look closer at what may be happening with your furnace that is creating this frustration.

Always check the furnace filter first

This is a good rule of thumb for any time you’ve got an issue with a furnace not working the way it should or running up heating bills. See if the furnace filter is clogged up and needs to be replaced. A clogged filter cuts off the airflow into the furnace, and without airflow, the furnace will struggle to get the burners lit or any heat moving. The furnace filter should have changes every one to three months, and if you aren’t doing it regularly you can expect furnace problems like this to occur.

The ignition system or pilot light is in trouble

Few furnaces today use standing pilot lights to ignite the burners. If you have an old furnace it may have a pilot light; check to see if it is burning steadily. If you have to relight it and it goes out again soon after, it’s time to call for pros to look into it.

Most furnaces use a type of electronic ignition system to light the burners. Your igniter may not be heating up enough or creating strong enough sparks to get the burners going. HVAC technicians can replace the igniter to fix this.

Obstructed burners

A common source of a furnace that won’t easily start up is because the burners have dirt, grime, or carbon particles on them that’s blocking the gas jets and making it harder for them to get the oxygen they need to ignite. You can’t clean off the burners as a DIY job: professionals must remove the burner assembly and chemically clean it.

Gas flow issues

If you hear a constant clicking sound from the furnace as it tries to start, it may indicate a problem with a stuck gas valve that’s inhibiting the flow of natural gas to the burners. Another possibility is faulty gas lines or even gas leaks. These are potentially hazardous problems, so we recommend shutting off the gas to the furnace and calling for assistance.

Electrical issues

The problem could stem from faults in the control board of the furnace. Gas furnaces rely on these electrical components as much as electric furnaces! Bad relays or broken connections can cause the furnace’s start-up cycle to fail.

If you believe you need help to get your furnace back to working shape, rely on us: we offer service in hours, not days!

Signature HVAC offers the Signature Service You Can Trust! Schedule service for your heating repairs or other heating needs with us.

Signs a Furnace Is Getting Too Old

February 1st, 2021

Here is something you definitely don’t want to happen in mid-winter: your furnace suddenly fails on you. And not only fails, it dies. The sort of breakdown that the furnace can’t come back from. You’ll be stuck having to purchase a new one.

No matter what you might imagine or what someone else may tell you, this shouldn’t be the way your current furnace ends. You shouldn’t run it until it collapses. That’s both wasteful and potentially unsafe. Instead, watch for the indications your furnace is getting too old to keep. Getting ahead of the problem and having a timely furnace replacement is the best way to move on with your home heating.

Why Your Heater Is Leaving Cold Spots in the House

January 18th, 2021

A central heating system is supposed to provide warmth throughout a home, reaching to all the rooms connected to the ductwork. Although not all rooms warm up the same way, the heater should at least provide a general even comfort level for everyone in the household.

So … why is your heating system not doing this? Why are you discovering rooms that are colder than they should be?

Uneven heating like this is a common issue a house may encounter, and it often requires professional heating repair in West Chester, PA to correct it. Below are some reasons for these cold spots appearing in your house.

How an Energy Recovery Ventilator Helps Your Home in Winter

January 4th, 2021

Conditions in a house get stuffy during winter. The doors and windows must stay closed to keep heat trapped inside. The only way to enjoy any fresh air that sweeps out the stale and polluted air is to open up windows—and who wants to do that when it’s below freezing outside?

But there’s a solution. Open doors and windows aren’t actually the only way to enjoy fresh air. We can install a device called an energy recovery ventilator (ERV) in your HVAC system that lets you enjoy fresh air all winter without the chills.

Can My Gas Furnace Become Dangerous?

December 22nd, 2020

Giving a straightforward answer to this question might sound alarmist, so before we give that answer, here’s important information to know:

Gas furnaces are built to the highest safety standards for use in homes and rarely create dangers for households where they are used as long as the furnace is cared for properly and repaired as needed.

If gas furnaces were a routine danger for homes, they would never be allowed in homes in the first place! So please take solace knowing that with the right assistance from West Chester, PA, HVAC experts, your furnace should offer you years of safe operation.

However, yes, your gas furnace can become dangerous.

5 Warning Sounds from Your Furnace

December 7th, 2020

When do you know you need heating repair in West Chester, PA for your furnace? An easy answer is “when it stops heating.” But if possible, you want to get your furnace fixed before it fails. This isn’t always possible, but furnaces often send out warning signs that something isn’t right. One of the most common warnings you may notice from your furnace are odd noises.

A furnace makes a standard series of sounds when they operate that you’ll come to accept as the background noise of winter: the whoosh of the burners coming on, the whir of the blower motor and fan, the occasional rumble from the ductwork as it expands with the heat. When other noises, either loud or simply strange, break into this soundscape, you may need to call us to investigate and fix the furnace.

We’ve listed below five of the more common furnace noises that will warn you something may be wrong. When in doubt, don’t try to tamper with the system—call us instead. We have fully-trained and NATE-certified technicians to ensure your comfort and safety.

Is Your Heating System Already Giving You Problems?

November 23rd, 2020

As we start to get into the first true cold weather that makes us shift over to using our heating systems, it’s a good time to pay close attention to how those heaters are working. We hope your heater gets off to a smooth start and that you’ll be able to coast through the winter without problems. If you do need heating repair in West Chester, PA during the season, we’re here to help with fast service in hours, not days!

But right now we want to address what happens if your heating system is already showing signs of trouble as you first start it up. There are some early signs you might see that the heater needs repairs at the beginning of the season.

Is Your Furnace Ready to Retire Before Winter?

November 9th, 2020

If it is, now is the time to have it replaced. The winter weather will arrive soon, and you want to have a furnace in West Chester, PA that you can rely on throughout the whole season and for the many seasons to come.

You probably have suspicions about your current furnace, and that’s why you’re at this blog post. You aren’t certain if you should have a new furnace installed or if maybe you can get a few more years out of the current one if you have it maintained and repaired. The best way to know for certain if it’s time for a new furnace is to call our HVAC technicians and let them look over the heating system and give you advice about the future.

Join Our Comfort Club and Schedule Heating Maintenance

October 26th, 2020

What’s the most important step you can take to ensure you have a comfortable home during another tough winter in West Chester? Arrange for maintenance for your heating system with HVAC professionals! This maintenance service provides your heater (gas furnace, electric furnace, heat pump, geothermal system, etc.) with a thorough inspection, tune-up, and cleaning to help it work in peak condition through the coming cold weather.

It’s simple to take care of heating maintenance in West Chester, PA: just sign up for the Signature HVAC Comfort Club, our specially designed maintenance program. When you join, you’ll not only receive an annual inspection and tune-up for your heater in the fall, but also the same quality service for your air conditioner in the spring. The program includes special membership benefits such as a 15% discount on repairs and priority service so you can jump to the front of the service queue when you need repair work.

Signature HVAC Blog

Never Put Off Furnace Repairs, No Matter the Time of Year