8 signs your Birmingham home needs heating repair

Harsh winter weather can take a heavy toll on your heater. It's easy to take your heater or furnace for granted---until it's suddenly not working. If your heater goes out in the dead of winter, you're left scrambling for a quick heating repair.

Don't let the Birmingham, AL winters get you. It's less hassle to repair your heater before it dies, leaving your family out in the cold. It's time to call a local HVAC company for heating repair if you notice any of these 8 telltale signs your heater is about to go kaput.

8 signs you need a furnace repair

1. Unusual noises

The only noise you should hear from your heater is a soft whoosh of air. Any strange clanking, banging, scraping, or rattling sounds are bad. In other words, if your furnace is making any sound it's never made before, get an HVAC repairman on the phone ASAP.

2. Short-cycling

Is your heater switching on, and then suddenly switching off all day? That's called short-cycling, and it's the first symptom of a big problem with your heater.

3. Dust

If you're noticing more dust around your home than usual, it's not a housekeeping problem. More than likely, it means you need a heater repair. There could be an issue with your ductwork, which is recirculating dust into the home. If you have allergies or asthma, this can make you sick.

4. It never feels warm

People typically call on our Birmingham, AL heating repair professionals when they notice the house isn't warm anymore. That's a sure-fire sign something is wrong! If you can't feel heat blowing from the vent, or the air feels somewhat cool, you have an issue.

5. Non-starting

A furnace that won't start isn't just irritating; it's also a safety issue. If your furnace isn't starting, call us ASAP to keep your family safe (and warm).

6. Higher electric bill

Is your electric bill unusually high? That's probably not your utility company's fault. Your heater uses more electricity to try to keep the home warm. But if something is wrong with your heater, it will continue to use electricity without heating the home, leading to sky-high electric bills.

7. Uneven heat

Is one room in your home nice and toasty, while the others feel drafty? You may have an issue with heat flow or ducts in your home. This can not only cause cold toes, but it can drive up your electric bill in the winter.

8. Yellow pilot light

You want your pilot light to have a blue flame. If it's any other color (typically yellow), that's cause for concern. This means there are too many condensates in the system, which means it's not running efficiently anymore.

The bottom line

The best time to get a furnace repaired is before it goes out for good. Enjoy feeling cozy indoors this winter, but be on the lookout for these 8 signs of trouble. Call an experienced HVAC repair company like Guin Service to keep you warm and safe.