You may not think of your furnace as a potential source of emergency repairs, but unfortunately this is the case in many instances. Anything can go wrong with a furnace at any given time, but certain problems are more likely to happen when things go wrong on a schedule. It is for this reason that we recommend regular maintenance for your heating system. However, there are also times when things go wrong so quickly or out of the blue that they might seem like they will require an emergency repair. These are the times when you need to know what to look for in order to know whether you need a repair technician or contractor to come out right away or whether it can wait until the morning or another time. Keep reading for more information about when you might need the help of a professional HVAC technician.

If the pilot light won’t stay lit

If the pilot light on your furnace fails to stay lit, this is almost certainly a sign that there is something wrong with the control board. Control boards are generally only expected to last for about 10 years, but they can fail at any time. If your board fails before it is expected to, it is likely to cause a whole host of other problems, including the inability to start or turn off the furnace. You should have a professional come out and replace your board if yours fails unexpectedly. If the pilot light is supposed to be controlled by a thermostat, it is also likely to fail. It is usually a good idea to replace your thermostat every 10 years as well, but this can also be a source of problems.

If your furnace is excessively loud

This could be caused by any number of things, but one thing to keep in mind is that the fan inside your furnace is supposed to be loud. This means that if it is unusually quiet, there could be a problem. You should be able to turn the fan off and on with the control board, but if it is exceptionally quiet, you may have a problem with the fan itself. There are two common causes of this problem. The first is that the fan motor is burned out and needs to be replaced. The second is that the fan belt is worn and needs to be replaced. Both of these are relatively simple problems to fix and will likely be fairly straightforward to repair.

If your furnace suddenly shuts off

This is almost certainly a sign that your thermostat is set too low. It is normal for your thermostat to shut off your furnace if it gets too cold, but if it happens too often, it is a problem that can be fixed. You will generally want to set your thermostat about 5 degrees below the current temperature of your home. This will prevent your furnace from coming on when you are expecting it to, but it will also help the unit to run when you need it to. If your thermostat is set too high or too low, it can cause the furnace to turn off unexpectedly. If this happens, you may need to call a technician right away to come out and repair it.

If all of the above don’t apply

If you have gone over everything above and still can’t figure out whether or not you need a technician, don’t worry. There are some other things that can go wrong that aren’t as common, but can still cause a problem. If you notice that your carbon monoxide detector begins to beep when you have the heat on, you are almost certainly going to need to repair or replace your furnace’s CO sensor. CO sensors are generally only designed to last about five years, but they can fail at any time. If yours fails and goes unnoticed for a long period of time, you could have carbon monoxide issues in your home.

Conclusion

Fires, carbon monoxide, and faulty thermostats are just a few of the things that can go wrong with your heating system. If your furnace is over 10 years old, it is likely to begin having problems at some point. When this happens, it is important to know how to tell if you need an emergency repair. If you notice that your pilot light is not staying on, your furnace isn’t producing enough heat, or you are regularly having problems with your thermostat, you should have a technician come out immediately. Other problems, such as a broken fan motor or a faulty CO sensor, are less urgent, but should still be fixed as soon as possible.