El Paso furnace repair with some great tips
Although your furnace in El Paso is usually your savior during cold winter days and nights, it can also turn into a safety hazard if you’re not careful. When proper maintenance is neglected and warning signs are ignored, you risk a major malfunction which can lead to a carbon monoxide leak or a fire. To help you avoid the danger of a faulty furnace, we’ve provided 3 safety tips every homeowner should follow.
Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that can go completely undetected due to it being odorless, colorless and tasteless. Protecting your family against a leak begins with a properly vented furnace. Unfortunately, poor ventilation can lead to a deadly situation. During the combustion process toxic gases are created. Those gases need adequate ventilation to exit your home; otherwise a potentially fatal disaster may occur. Ensuring this doesn’t happen requires two crucial steps. The first is hiring a furnace repair professional to install your system and the second is scheduling a tune-up before the start of every heating season.
If your furnace’s flame burns erratically and it appears either yellow or orange, it is highly recommended you call your local heating repairman. While there are multiple reasons behind a discolored flame, dirt in the unit’s burner is a common one. Unfortunately, this can negatively affect your unit’s gas and oxygen combination which may trigger a carbon monoxide leak. Periodically checking the flame to ensure its color is blue and that it is burning steadily can save you from a serious safety hazard.
While tune-ups plus consistent maintenance is crucial to a healthy and safe furnace, the upkeep of the area around your unit is also important. Keeping the area free of any combustible objects is key to preventing an accidental fire. Another critical step is riding the surrounding area of dust and dirt. Sweeping on a regular basis can help prevent unwanted debris from effecting your furnace’s performance.
Proper installation and maintenance combined with the use of carbon monoxide detectors makes your home a much safer place throughout the heating season. However, if you are concerned your furnace is malfunctioning or you would like to schedule a tune-up, please contact us today in El Paso and we’ll be happy to help.
Furnace Repair Pro’s Tips for Cleaning Contemporary Thermostats
When most folks think of cleaning their home’s heater, thoughts of replacing filters and removing buildup from around the pilot light come to mind. Although they can most certainly cause a heating system to malfunction or become less efficient, there is one other area our furnace repair pros would like to mention. It’s the heater’s thermostat. Like any other item inside homes and businesses, it sometimes needs a good cleaning too.
Start by shutting off the power to the thermostat and taking a look at the outside cover. Is it coated with nicotine stains, dust or other grime? If so, take a clean, anti-static, lint-free cloth and try to remove as much surface dirt as possible. To get rid of the nicotine stains, try dampening the cloth with a non-toxic plastic cleaner and then rubbing the affected area for a few minutes. Just make sure that none of the cleaner gets onto the display screen or makes contact with the thermostat’s electrical components.
Next, dry the thermostat’s exterior with another anti-static, lint-free cloth. Then open up the front panel and examine the working components. If they are dirty too, try removing the loose debris with either a clean makeup brush, paint brush or a can of compressed air. Should that fail, its best to leave the remaining dirt to our furnace repair pros. They’ll be able to tidy up the thermostat’s connections as needed.
That’s generally all that’s involved with cleaning an electric powered thermostat. If your home or business has a battery powered one, don’t forget to check the battery compartment. As our furnace repair pros can attest, it is not uncommon for the connections to develop a corrosive coating from time to time. They can typically be wiped down with a cotton swab that has been lightly dampened with household rubbing alcohol.
When to Call for Furnace Repair in El Paso
Every year, your furnace becomes the single most important appliance in the house. Autumn sets in, the temperature drops, and the furnace is switched on. As it gets colder, running your furnace becomes a matter of survival at home. Even a weak furnace can make your house unpleasantly cold. While our winters are short, they are also extremely cold. It is vital that your furnace is able to start up cleanly and maintain for however long the freeze lasts. If your furnace is not working correctly, repair becomes necessary.
Of course, it can take some time for a furnace to warm up and not all furnaces work well. So when do you call for repairs? Where is the line between coaxing an old furnace and risking a freezing outage? We’re here to help shine some light on the right time for furnace repairs in El Paso, TX.
Signs Your Furnace is Failing
Early Signs
- Can’t Keep Up with the Thermostat
- Weak Airflow from Vents
- Barely Warm Air or Excessive Heat
- Clicking and Rattling
When you first turn on your furnace, there are early signs that you’ll need repairs before winter gets deep. While most people smell a little burning dust when the furnace fires back up, watch for signs of systemic poor performance. If the furnace can’t get within two degrees of the thermostat regularly, or if the vents can’t push air these are bad signs.
If your furnace isn’t producing much heat or if it’s pumping too-hot air, you’ll want an inspection. Some amount of rattling is normal, but regular clicking and rattling can be an early sign of damage.
Emergency Signs
- The Smell of Burning
- Banging and Scraping
- Constant Clicking
- Unresponsive Unit
If any of these signs appear, call for repairs right away and tell us it’s an emergency. The smell of scorching dust shouldn’t last longer than an hour, especially with a quick air-out of the house afterward. If the burning smell persists – and especially if it smells like plastic, rubber, or metal, call for emergency repairs.
Loud sounds from the furnace or clicking that never stops are also signs that your furnace is spiraling out of maintenance. Finally, if your furnace stops responding, don’t wait for the next freeze. Call for repair immediately.
Scheduling a Furnace Repair
If your furnace is still limping along and/or the weather is not yet freezing, you can schedule a furnace repair through our usual interface. Choose a day and time that works for you and we will plan an inspection. Your repair will be complete in one or two visits, depending on if parts need to be ordered. your technician will have advice on how to get intermediate performance from your furnace or if you need alternate plans.
Talk to us about the symptoms your furnace is displaying and we’ll take care of your furnace repairs promptly.
Emergency Furnace Repairs in El Paso
Furnace repairs are among those that can be an emergency. If the temperature is dropping and your home doesn’t have a working furnace, the family is in danger. Likewise, a furnace that is functioning unstably could put the house at risk. Call for repairs immediately and let us know that it’s an emergency. We will help you identify and repair the heater, and to make alternate housing plans if there is any delay in restoring heat to your home.
If your home furnace is not functioning correctly, with too much or too little heat, contact us today for El Paso furnace repairs. Scheduled or emergency, we’ll ensure that your home is safe and warm this winter.
To learn more about keeping thermostats and heating systems in pristine shape, please contact our furnace repair pros today.
The guys in the yellow booties are here for all your air conditioner repair needs, along with expert swamp cooler conversions. Look to the pros if you have any questions about converting to refrigerated air conditioning with SoBellas Home Services of El Paso, Texas. Call us with questions like, how much does refrigerated air cost or anything about El Paso refrigerated air conversion.
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