3 Common Home Heating Problems
Keeping a Reno home warm during the winter puts a lot of work on the heater or furnace. Winter temperatures frequently dip below freezing, making a heater a vital piece of equipment around the home. When problems happen, homeowners need to be prepared to react to restore the central heating system's performance.
For homeowners, knowledge is empowering. The only thing worse than dealing with a heater that isn't keeping the home warm is being in the dark about the potential problem with the furnace. Luckily, local heater repair specialists are here to help. In this quick article, furnace installation and repair experts share three common problems that can make a heater underperform.
The Unit is the Wrong Size
The first common cause of a heater that can't keep up is a heater sized poorly for the home that it is in. Most often, the cause of this is due to inaccurate load calculation from the installer of the heater. During a furnace installation, technicians use a complicated system to determine how large a furnace should be. They take into account things like:
- Local climate
- Age of the home
- Solar exposure
- Number of windows
- Type of insulation
In a perfect world, this would allow them to accurately size a furnace. But, sometimes poor calculations happen because the heater is improperly sized.
Another cause of this problem is due to additions to the home. Larger square footage makes the furnace work harder. This changes the load calculation and keeps the heater from heating the space.
Problems with the Thermostat
The thermostat is the master controller for the heater for the whole home. So, when problems occur with the thermostat, the results are evident all around the home in cold air drafts. The second common cause of a heater that won't heat a house originates with the thermostat.
Some things can cause a thermostat to fail to heat the home. The first is that it is dirty. Thermostats must have clear airflow around them to accurately read the temperature. When dust is allowed to collect around them, they read inaccurately and won't heat the home.
The second main cause of thermostat problems is poor placement. New wireless thermostats can be placed anywhere in the home by DIYers. One should place a thermostat near the intake for a heater. Anywhere else will cause it to read inaccurately and heat the home poorly.
Poor Air Circulation Around the Outdoor Unit
The third problem of poor heating is common in homes that have heat pumps. Heat pumps use the same mechanism and principle to heat homes year-round. In the winter, heat pumps still use the outdoor coil of the unit to heat the home. When airflow is restricted around the unit, the coil can not adequately gather heat from the outside to deliver it indoors. Restrictions are usually caused by leaves or other natural debris. Cleaning up around the unit seasonally can usually fix problems that originate from this cause.
About 4 Seasons Heating & Cooling
4 Seasons Heating & Cooling is the premier central heating service serving Reno, NV. Commitment to their services is evident in their extended warranties for all of their parts and services. Call today to take advantage of their expert heating craftsmanship and top-rated service.