During cold, winter months here in Utah, you rely on your furnace to keep your home and family warm. The last thing you want is to wake up on an extremely cold night and realize that the house is freezing, and the furnace has stopped working. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to your furnace when it’s giving you signs that it’s having trouble working correctly and get professional help, if needed. Below we’ve put together a list of 6 signs that your furnace is going out. Pay close attention to see if you notice any of these issues in your home.

1. Aging Furnace

The average lifespan of a furnace is approximately 10-20 years. When your HVAC is over ten years old, it’s important you pay attention to how it’s performing. For instance, if your furnace starts to make strange noises, this may be cause for concern. Listen for banging, rattling, or popping sounds.

If you’re unsure of the age of your furnace, check the manual if you have it. You can also look for a serial number and contact the manufacturer to help you determine the date. If you find your HVAC unit is on its final few years of life, it’s a good idea to contact your local Furnace Repair company to start your research on new models.

2. Higher Utility Bills

Oftentimes homeowners see a utility bill that is higher than normal and assume it’s a reflection of the fluctuation in temperatures. If you begin to see your utility bills growing, it can be the result of an HVAC unit that has lost its efficiency. Well-maintained, newer furnaces typically perform at a peak efficiency level, but as mentioned above, older units don’t.

Depending on the issue, you may be able to have a local furnace repair company fix the problem. But if you can’t fix the furnace, replacing your unit may be a better solution than trying to repair an older unit.

3. Abnormal Amounts of Dust

Dust in your home is a normal part of living. But when you notice the dust is increasing, and no matter how much you dust and clean it keeps reappearing, your furnace is possibly the culprit. First you should check your furnace filter. If it’s dirty, clean or replace it. Filters should be changed every 1-2 months. If you have maintained the unit correctly and there is still large amounts of dust in your home, your furnace isn’t doing its job correctly to remove the airborne particles from the warmed air.

4. Your Home isn’t Warm

When you’re cold inside your home even when you’ve got the heater on and running, this is probably the most obvious sign your furnace isn’t working correctly. Instead of running to the thermostat and bumping up the temperature, check to ensure the thermostat is working correctly in the first place.

The next thing you should check is your pilot light. Is it lit? If it isn’t lit, light it and make sure your unit is pushing warm air through it. If nothing you’ve tried is working and your house is still cold, you should consider contacting a furnace repair company to inspect your HVAC unit.

5. Odd Smells

Furnaces typically smell like the fuel they use, especially when they first turn on in the cold fall evenings for the first time. As the HVAC unit runs, those orders dissipate. If you notice a strong smell of fuel near the furnace or an odor suddenly appears and doesn’t go away over time, you may have an issue with your furnace.

There are many various things that can cause these odd smells, from excessive dust inside the unit or a gas leak. If you notice these odd smells and can’t determine the cause, contact your local HVAC furnace repair company for help in identifying the cause.

6. Discolored Pilot Light

A healthy pilot light is typically flickering in a blue color. This is because natural gas is primarily made of the chemical compound methane, which turns blue. When you notice that the pilot light is a different color, especially yellow, this could mean you have a ventilation problem.

A pilot light changing color comes when gases like carbon monoxide don’t disintegrate like they are supposed to. Carbon monoxide can cause health problems for your you and your family and can even make your HVAC unit more combustible if it’s not addressed.

Your home is a big investment, and you want to enjoy it during the winter months while feeling warm and safe. After reviewing these signs above, are there any signs that apply to your home’s furnace? If one or more of these signs are currently a problem, it may be time to contact your local HVAC service company. Signs like these we’ve listed above shouldn’t be ignored, because when furnace issues are caught early, it could save you money and headaches in the long run.

Contact the expert technicians at 1^st American Plumbing, Heating & Air if you are experiencing of these signs and ask for one of our qualified HVAC technicians to assess your problem. Whether you need minor or major repairs to your current furnace, or you are in need of a new furnace or a new thermostat, we are here to help. We’ve been servicing the Salt Lake valley for over 25 years, and there’s a reason why we’ve received over 300 5-star reviews. We look forward to speaking to you and helping with all of your HVAC needs.