Here Are Some Things To Know About Broken Heaters

When it's cold outside and you turn on your heater, you need to be able to count on it to turn on. In fact, there are some instances when getting that heater up and running can be crucial to one's health and even life. If there are young children or elderly in the home, they have a harder time when it comes to maintaining a warmer body temperature when it is very cold. The best way to prevent running into issues when you go to turn your heater on is to know the most common reasons for heater failure.

 System neglect

No one ever wants to admit that they may have been neglectful with regards to caring for their home or any part of it. However, the HVAC system can be easy to take for granted and therefore neglect. You turn it on when you need to heat the house, and as long as it keeps working and doesn't make noises that are too strange to ignore, you enjoy the warmth and go about your day.

It's easy to forget those little, but extremely important things like cleaning or replacing filters and having the system serviced annually.

Pilot problems

There can be many reasons why a heater can experience problems with the pilot light or the ignition switch. A dirty pilot, a dirty flame sensor, or even a dirty burner can do things like put the pilot out, delay the burners from igniting, cause short cycling, and cause other issues that prevent the heater from working.

There can also be excessive wear put on parts like the thermocouple that need to be replaced. All of these things are things that should be repaired by a professional.

Thermostat issues

Sometimes a system won't go on simply because the thermostat isn't on the right setting. Some thermostats can be confusing, and if someone else changed it from the settings you normally have it on, then you may not be able to get the heater to kick on.

Also, there are some thermostats that use batteries that need to be replaced when they go dead. If you know the thermostat is on the right settings and the batteries are fine, then you'll want to call someone out to determine what the issue really is.

Internal mechanical issues

Just as with any motor, there are a lot of moving parts in your heater that have to interact with one another in a specific way to keep everything working as it should. Belts and hoses need to maintain their integrity, and metal parts need to be bolted in place. Loose parts, broken parts, leaks, and any other motor issue should be repaired by a tech before you keep using your heating system.

Contact local heating services for more information.

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