When people think about the great state of Arizona, they typically think heat. That’s an earned reputation since many of our cities live above 100 degrees during the summer.
What a lot of people don’t think about in reference to Arizona is how cold it can get during the winter. Believe it or not, depending on which city you’re in, a cold winter night could easily dip into the low 20’s.
Whether your business operates out of a colder pocket of AZ or you’re in a more mild climate, chances are, you’re going to be using your furnace at some point between November and February. To make sure that your furnace is ready to go when you need it to be, watch out for these signs that a furnace tune-up may be in order.
1. Your Heating Bill Is Higher Than Usual
Was your heating bill higher than it usually is last winter? It could just be that we got hit with a particularly cold season… It could also be that your furnace needs to get looked at.
Furnaces that are pulling more gas or electricity than they have in years past are units that are almost always suffering from thermostat issues, vent clogs or any number of other fixable problems.
2. Dust Is Emanating From Your Unit
If your furnace has forced air, the heat that it blows out should be free of dust. While it can be hard to see dust blowing out of your unit, try to assess whether or not your house gets dustier when your furnace is on versus when it’s off.
Dust build-up on counters and tables when you have your furnace running is a sign that your unit and any vents that it’s attached to need to be cleaned by a professional. Left unattended, dust and other allergens that push out of a furnace can cause reactions and may exacerbate breathing conditions like asthma.
3. You Have to Perform Tricks to Get Things Working
We’ve all had that appliance that “works” so long as you violently kick it while you flip it on and off. While workarounds like that make for fun stories and can be helpful in a pinch, you don’t want to have to rely on them for the long haul.
A furnace that needs to be coaxed into starting is a furnace that’s almost certainly on its last legs. A furnace tune-up could breathe a fresh breath of life into a unit like that before it dies completely which will force you to replace it altogether.
4. Dangerous Smells
If you’re noticing odd smells coming from your furnace, try to deduce whether or not the smells remind you of gas fumes. If they do, shut down your unit immediately.
Furnaces that smell like gas could have cracks in their heating exchanges which heightens the risk of fires and explosions. In an emergency situation like this, keep your furnace off, turn off your furnace’s pilot (if possible) and call a heating professional for assistance.
5. Your Flame’s Color Isn’t Blue
Flame color is one of the fastest ways that you can figure out whether or not a furnace tune-up might be a good idea. A furnace that’s firing on all cylinders should boast a deep blue flame. Any other color is cause for concern.
A particularly dangerous flame color is yellow as it may indicate a carbon monoxide leak. If you see a flame color other than the color blue in your furnace, shut down your unit until you can get a professional’s opinion.
6. Uncharacteristic Noises
Stop us if you’ve heard this one… You’re talking to a customer and your conversation gets disrupted by loud popping or dinging noises coming from your furnace. You and your customer pause, realize that it’s probably nothing and keep chatting.
While it’s true that most furnace noises don’t mean catastrophe, disruptive noises from a furnace are not normal and will probably grow more disruptive (and costly) if left unattended.
7. Your Thermostat Doesn’t Seem to Be Working
If you’ve been on this earth long enough, you know the difference between what 55 and 75 degrees feels like. That may be why you’re left scratching your head when you turn up your furnace to 75 degrees and still find yourself freezing.
When there’s a disconnect between what your thermostat is saying and what your body is feeling, you either need to run to the store to buy some cold medicine or you need to call in a local heating professional to perform a furnace tune-up.
8. You Haven’t Had Your Furnace Checked in Years
In a perfect world, you’d get your furnace looked over once per year. We get that most people won’t go through the trouble of doing that but if your furnace has been left unintended for 3+ years, it’s time to take action.
Even if your furnace seems to be working fine, we’re willing to bet that with professional cleaning, you’ll be able to save money on your company’s gas/energy expenditures.
A Quick Furnace Tune-up Could Mean More Comfortable Customers
Fall and winter will be descending on Arizona businesses soon. If you want to keep your customers warm and shopping, you’re going to want to invest in a furnace tune-up. That’s especially true if you’re experiencing any one of the warning signs that we’ve outlined throughout this post.
Our team wishes you the best of luck staying warm and we welcome you to check out more of the information that matters most to Arizona businesses by browsing additional content in our digital publication.
