While the old adage goes along the lines of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” this is a line of thinking that can get you into a bit of trouble, especially when it comes to your Dallas home’s heating system. Your home’s heating system is an extremely complex piece of machinery and waiting until it breaks down to have a professional come to service it can wind up costing you more in the long run than you might realize. Proper maintenance is important for heating systems, especially during the winter when your system is going to be seeing a great deal of heavy use. If you wait until your system breaks down then it is too late for maintenance and you will have to deal with repairs. There’s no form of maintenance more important to the long-term health of your system than a regular heating tune-up. Since waiting until your system breaks down is too late, how are you supposed to know when it’s the right time to call in a pro to tune up your system? Fortunately, there are a number of warning signs you can be on the lookout for that will clue you in, and in this article, our team of skilled Dallas HVAC contractors will go over a few to give you a better idea of what you should be looking out for.
Noisy Operation
While everyone’s heating system is going to produce a bit of noise while it’s operating, you want to listen for any noises that you don’t usually hear coming from your system, or any noises that just sound a bit strange. One of the first signs many heating systems display, when they’re experiencing trouble operating, are the strange noises they start to make as components start to wear out or come loose. If you hear banging, rumbling, booming, squeaking, or clanking coming from your heating system during its operation, it’s a good sign that your system is overdue for a tune-up.
Foul Odors
As a general rule of thumb, if you smell something bad while coming from your air ducts while your heating system is running, it likely means there’s an issue. While it’s not uncommon to smell a little bit of burnt dust when first turning your system on for the year, your system should never be producing foul odors during its operation. The type of odors can vary widely, and many of them can be indicative of different types of problems. For instance, if you notice the air coming from your vents smells musty, it could be because you have mold or mildew growth somewhere inside that needs to be addressed. Whatever the case may be, if you notice strange smells coming from your ducts while your system is in operation, it’s a good idea to call in your local heating service pros and have them properly tune up your system to identify and address the cause of the problem.
Inconsistent Temperatures
The primary function of your heating system during the winter is to keep your home at a stable, comfortable temperature for you and your family, and if you notice that your system is struggling to maintain a steady temperature inside your home, or isn’t able to maintain the kind of temperature you and your family are comfortable with, it’s a good sign that your system is in need of a tune-up. Whether your system is in need of a bit of simple cleaning, or you have damaged components that need to be repaired, a heating tune-up will bring all of these issues to light and ensure they are addressed.