Tag: winter

10 Common Causes for Furnace Electrical Failure

Jan 17, 2022

10 Common Causes for Furnace Electrical Failure

  • Heating
  • Miscellaneous
furnace electrical failure

Your heating system broke down in the middle of the coldest night of the season. Oh no! Before you call a professional for furnace repair, you need to know what caused your system trouble to begin with. If it’s a result of bad electrical connections, you definitely need to know what went wrong, even it just comes down to a blown fuse. The clock is ticking, and the weather isn’t getting any warmer.

Here, we’ll explain what kinds of electrical problems can sink your furnace’s performance so you can call for help before you’re left without heat at all.

The Importance of Furnace Maintenance

Your furnace has a big job. It’s tasked with keeping your family warm and comfortable during the winter months. With proper maintenance, your furnace will continue to heat your home efficiently for many years to come, helping you save money on utility bills while providing a steady flow of heat throughout your home. If left unattended to, however, your furnace could leave you facing costly repair or replacement bills. Improperly maintained furnaces often have shorter life spans and increased safety hazards. Not to mention, they can leave homeowners without heat when they need it most.

10 Common Causes of Furnace Failure

Wondering what leads to furnace electrical failure? The following are 10 common problems incurred by improperly maintained furnaces:

  1. Clogged filter. Dirty or clogged filters reduce airflow, which ultimately forces the furnace to work harder to circulate air. Clogged filters can also damage the limit switch, which is responsible for controlling the fan. Be sure to clean your filters regularly, or simply swap them out for new ones.
  2. Loose wiring. When your furnace is running, it causes a certain amount of vibrations. Over time, these vibrations can cause internal wiring to become loose, which can eventually lead to an electrical short. A single loose wire can be difficult to find, so it’s best to have regular tune-ups to ensure your wiring stays tightly connected.
  3. Incorrect fuses. It’s essential to equip your furnace with fuses large enough to handle the capacity of your heating system. If a fuse is too small, it will almost assuredly result in electrical problems.
  4. Dirty fuses. Dirt and soot are normal parts of your furnace’s daily life, but it’s important not to let these elements build up. Excessive grime can impede your fuses from being able to connect to the electrical components. To ensure sustained connectivity, be sure to keep your fuses cleaned as part of regular, ongoing maintenance.
  5. Exposure to water. Water and electricity don’t mix. If your furnace is tucked away in a damp place or located near any water leaks, an electrical failure is likely in your future. Seal any leaks to remove excessive moisture that could cause your furnace’s electrical system to fail.
  6. Transformer failure.  Transformers are responsible for converting energy into the correct voltage necessary to run your furnace’s controls, ignition, and timer. If your transformer isn’t functioning properly, it won’t support your home’s electrical system correctly. If you’re unsure about your transformer’s capacity, it’s best to contact an HVAC professional as soon as possible.
  7. Faulty starting capacitor. The capacitor is to your furnace as the starter is to your car. It’s necessary to get the system started. If your capacitor is on the fritz, it may cause intermittent electrical problems. Faulty capacitors can be replaced fairly inexpensively, which should solve the problem.
  8. Faulty blower motor. Motors require a good amount of energy. If your blower motor is failing, it will put additional strain on your power source, eventually leading to an electrical short. A faulty blower motor should be replaced by an HVAC expert.
  9. Failed valves. Natural gas or propane furnaces are equipped with valves that regulate gas pressure. If a valve is malfunctioning and unable to open and close properly, the pressure regulators will not work properly. This can cause the malfunctioning valve to heat up, resulting in an electrical short and a blown fuse.
  10. Thermostat control wiring problems. There are plenty of wires surrounding your furnace, and if someone isn’t careful, he or she could inadvertently move or disconnect the wires that interact with your thermostat. The control board of your furnace has a separate fuse that keeps it from getting too hot. Beyond the surface lies your furnace’s wire frame, which can easily be the culprit for blown fuses and short circuits, particularly if someone erroneously found their way to this thermostat control system and relocated some of the wiring.

When it comes to your home heating system, it’s always better to be proactive, rather than reactive. Furnace electrical failure can leave you out in the cold when you need heat the most. To ensure your heating system stays healthy and happy, schedule regular furnace tune-ups with HVAC professionals.

For More Information on All Things Heating Maintenance, Call NSHEC Today!

Contact North Shore Home Energy Today for the Best in Heating Maintenance!

Check Out Our Current Specials!

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By nshec

Furnace 101: Everything You Should Know As a Savvy Homeowner 

Dec 30, 2021

Furnace 101: Everything You Should Know As a Savvy Homeowner 

  • Heating
  • Miscellaneous
furnace

The most common source of home heating in the United States is the furnace. But most people don’t understand how this amazing piece of machinery really works.  It’s either out in the garage or in the basement, out of sight and out of mind.

However, if you’re a homeowner, it is important to understand how this heating system works. Why? If your furnace is displaying issues, it’s better to recognize there is a problem and have a general idea of what may be causing the furnace problem rather than have the issue go unnoticed or ignored.  The results could be dangerous and extremely expensive in labor, repairs, replacement and other costs.  

Benefits of Understanding How Your Furnace Works

Homeowners who understand how their furnace works will experience many long-term benefits, including:

  • A longer lasting heating system:  When a homeowner understands how their furnace works, the chances of noticing a problem right away increases.  The more a furnace is inspected and maintained, the longer it will last.  And since this is an expensive piece of equipment for your home, you will want to avoid having to replace it before its time.  
  • Greater energy efficiency:  A furnace that is working at it’s best will produce heat in your home with ease, making your property greener. However, if your furnace struggles to work, it will take more and more energy to produce heat and in the long run, this will cost your more money and put unnecessary stress on the furnace system.  
  • Quicker reaction time to problems: The faster you notice a problem with your furnace, the quicker you can get someone to take a look at it.  This will prevent any hiccups in your heating. The last thing you want is to be stuck in a cold house where the heat isn’t working.  
  • Improved home comfort:  When your furnace works the way it is supposed to, you can be guaranteed a warm, comfortable home all season long.  By paying attention to your furnace and how it is working, you can avoid any major problems during the colder months.  

How Your Furnace Works

The furnace is a remarkable piece of machinery that is responsible for you keeping you and your family warm as the temperature drops outside.  To understand how it does this, we have broken down the process into steps.  Essentially, a furnace heats a home using the six step process outlined here:

 

  • Step 1:  The thermostat senses the temperature in the home.  If the temperature is too low, according to the temperature you set on the thermostat, the furnace burner turns itself on. Sometimes you will hear a clicking sound when this happens.  
  • Step 2:  Once the burner is on, it will continue to run until the temperature set on the thermostat is reached and maintained.  Your furnace is smart and can sense the temperature in the house at all times – as long as it is working correctly.  
  • Step 3:  Now that the furnace is running, what is actually happening inside the device?  The heat produced by the burner circulates inside the heat exchanger, which then transfers combustion gasses to the flue vent connector and then to a building chimney where they are vented outside. These gases belong outside because if they are contained in a small space, such as your home, they produce negative health effects such as eye and respiratory irritation, coughing, headaches, tiredness and dizziness.  

The following last steps are straightforward and explain how a furnace turns a cold house into a place of warmth after getting rid of combustion gases. 

  • Step 4:  The furnace also works as an air filter during this next step.  Using an electric fan, the furnace pulls in fresh, cold air and filters it so that you won’t be breathing in dust and other harmful particles.  Not only that, but the air must be clean when running through the system to keep the machinery in tip top shape. For this reason, it is Important to replace filters every few months.  
  • Step 5:  At this point, the filtered air passes into the plenum, a small, enclosed space.  The hot air rises from the heat exchanger and then circulates throughout the home via air ducts. This heating process continues over and over until the desired temperature is created and maintained throughout the home.  
  • Step 6:  The furnace regulates itself with a blower fan.  The fan is able to turn on and off to regulate the amount of heat produced.  System size is important at this stage.  If a furnace is too large for the area it intends to heat, it will short-cycle.  If it is too small, the furnace will constantly run during the colder months and  in turn use a lot more energy to heat a home than should be necessary.  

As a homeowner, it is your job to understand how something as important as a heater works to heat your home.  Being able to recognize the steps a heater takes to produce heat will help you understand if there is a problem and get it taken care of right away.   

For More Information on All Things Heating Maintenance, Call NSHEC Today!

Contact North Shore Home Energy Today for the Best in Heating Maintenance!

Check Out Our Current Specials!

Read The Great Things That Your Neighbors Are Saying About NSHEC.

By nshec

Homeowners: Are You Guilty of These 10 Common Furnace Mistakes?

Dec 29, 2021

Homeowners: Are You Guilty of These 10 Common Furnace Mistakes?

  • Heating
  • Miscellaneous
furnace

Taking care of the systems in the home is part of being a good homeowner and this is especially true in regards to your furnace. Failing to properly use or maintain the home furnace can result in safety issues, an increased risk of furnace or flue fires, higher than normal utility bills, unexpected repair costs to correct the problem, inefficient heat, shortened lifespan, or even a complete furnace failure. If you are in charge of caring for your home’s furnace, this list of ten common mistakes homeowners often make with their furnaces will help you avoid future problems and ensure that your home stays safe, cozy, and warm all winter long. 

Filter change issues 

Before the furnace can provide heat to comfort a room, the warm air must first travel through a filter system. This filter system benefits the occupants of the home by removing dust particles and other contaminants from the air, making the air quality of the home healthier and helping the home stay free from contaminants and dust. Over time, the filter becomes clogged and the air can no longer travel efficiently through the filter to warm the room to the level specified by the thermostat setting. this causes the furnace to work harder to try and reach that level and results in higher utility bills and premature aging of the furnace components. To ensure your furnace does not suffer these problems, make sure that you use the filters specified by the furnace manufacturer or installer and ensure that they are changed on schedule. In addition, if the home is subjected to severe winter weather causing the furnace to work harder, changing the filter more frequently will help to keep it running properly. 

Failing to schedule annual maintenance by a qualified professional 

Even furnaces that are running perfectly can benefit from having an annual maintenance checkup. In addition to cleaning and adjusting your furnace to improve efficiency, your furnace professional will be able to look for signs of developing issues and make proactive repairs to prevent failures and mechanical issues during the winter heating season. 

Setting thermostats too high 

Setting the thermostat too high forces the furnace to work non-stop to attempt to reach the temperature of the thermostat setting. Instead, choose to keep the thermostat on a normal setting and look at making other changes in your home to help your furnace run more efficiently, such as adding more insulation, covering exposed windows with insulated draperies or blinds, and having a heating professional assess your home to see if your furnace is sized correctly and working as efficiently as it should. 

Failing to upgrade or replace aging systems

 Postponing furnace service, upgrades, or replacements is not a good way to save money. In most cases, a furnace that is 15 years old or older will run far less efficiently than a newer system, making the utility bills rise sharply. Planning to replace an aging system before it fails or causes utility bills to skyrocket is an excellent way to get the best value from your home’s furnace. 

Using cost as the only guide when choosing a new system 

When looking for a new system, cost should only be one factor in choosing the replacement system. A quality furnace that offers improved efficiency will end up being less expensive over its lifespan than one that costs less to purchase but results in higher utility and maintenance costs.  

Failing to adjust the heat when nobody’s home 

Most homeowners can see real savings on their utility costs by installing a programmable thermostat and taking the time to set it to reflect the family’s schedule. While mom and dad are at work and the kids are at school, or the family is sleeping, the thermostat can automatically reduce the temperature in the home creating a significant savings on the utility bill and prolonging the life of your furnace. Your furnace professional can help you select and install the best programmable thermostat for your particular system.

Allowing clutter to build up around the furnace components 

Since furnaces are often located in basements, closets, attics, and other seldom used spaces, clutter can really build up around them. This not only creates a potential fire hazard, it also prevents the furnace from having proper air flow which can shorten the life of the system and make it work less efficiently. A good way to keep this from happening is to take a few moments during each filter change to vacuum the area and clear away any clutter near your furnace components. 

Disregarding potential signs of trouble, such as odd odors, noises, or visual clues that something may be amiss 

Most families become so familiar with their furnaces that they fail to notice when it is actually operating. If a normally quiet furnace begins to make unfamiliar sounds or there are any odd odors, noises, or visual signs that something is different, contact your furnace professional immediately for a maintenance checkup. Noticing these signs and attending to them can be the best way to prevent an emergency failure and costly repairs later.

Failing to keep the furnace components clean or eliminating contaminants 

Like any other appliance, your home’s furnace will operate safer and more efficiently when it is kept clean. Allowing dust or other contaminants to build up in or on the components can shorten the lifespan and create conditions that could result in a fire. Using a shop vacuum or a soft, clean cloth to clean the surfaces will help to prevent this type of problems. 

Not following manufacturer’s instructions for use, care, and maintenance 

Failing to read or follow manufacturer’s instructions for use, care, and maintenance is one of the most common mistakes homeowners make. Furnace models, sizes, and fuel types vary greatly and each one will have specific requirements for peak efficiency and lifespan. To get the most from your system, make sure that you learn what the manufacturer recommends and follow the instructions carefully.  

For more information about using or maintaining your heater, ask your heating professional to assess your system, answer your questions, and help you develop a good maintenance plan. 

For More Information on All Things Heating Maintenance, Call NSHEC Today!

Contact North Shore Home Energy Today for the Best in Heating Maintenance!

Check Out Our Current Specials!

Read The Great Things That Your Neighbors Are Saying About NSHEC.

By nshec

How to Stay Warm During a Heating System Breakdown

Nov 15, 2021

How to Stay Warm During a Heating System Breakdown

  • Heating
  • Miscellaneous
heating breakdown

If you have ever experienced a heating system breakdown in the midst of winter, you know how miserably cold it can get in your house in a short period of time. So you make the call for emergency heating repair and get help on its way. In the meantime, you still need to stay warm while your home slowly tries to turn into an ice castle around you. Fortunately, there are several different things you can do to keep your home warm, even if your heating system is limping along or not working at all. While you may not be as comfortable as you otherwise would, you can at least feel a little better while you wait.

Don’t Wait or It Could Get Worse

When your heat goes out, make the call right away to get someone headed to your home for heating system repairs. If you leave things alone for too long, you could end up with frozen pipes and other problems. You also won’t be comfortable, and that could increase the chances of feeling depressed, unhappy, or even getting sick. Rather than suffering in silence , take comfort in knowing that a service technician has been contacted and is on their way to you as soon as they can get there. If they have a lot of service calls, that could be a few hours. What do you do in the meantime?

Be Proactive for Big Benefits

If you take a proactive stance on your home heating needs, you can find that staying comfortable is more easily achieved. Even when your heating system is struggling, or when it is not working at all, there are ways you can protect yourself and your home against the worst of the chill until a heating technician arrives to get your system up and working again. That can help you eliminate stress and ensure that you will not be spending your time without at least some source of heating that can help you feel better while you are waiting.

Follow These Tips to Stay Warmer While Waiting:

  • Close all doors and windows – When a heating system breaks down, the first thing you want to do is make sure every window and door in your home is tightly shut. That way you reduce the amount of cold air that comes inside and the heat that is already in your house will last longer. 
  • Sealing air leaks in duct systems – If there are any air leaks in your duct systems, seal them off. It is better to have this done beforehand, but that is not always possible. If you can feel air moving, there is a leak somewhere. Finding and blocking it will protect your home and your body temperature.
  • Keep candles handy – Having candles on hand can be very beneficial if your heating is out due to a power outage. But they can also be a good choice when it comes to a heating breakdown. They can easily warm your hands and having them nearby puts off some much-needed heat for the space.
  • Insulate windows – Putting builder’s plastic or another extra surface up in your windows can mean that the cold air from outside does not seep in so much and the warm air in your home is not able to escape as easily. Even double pane windows do not offer complete protection, so add those extra layers.
  • Use your fireplace – If you have a fireplace, either gas, electric, or wood-burning, make use of it. While it will not heat your whole house like your heating system would, it can keep at least one room warm enough to be comfortable while you wait. Then you can avoid the worst of the cold until a heating technician arrives.
  • Use the sun for heat – If the sun is out, make use of it. Open your curtains and blinds on the side of the house where the sun is shining. Allowing the sun to come in the (closed) windows can warm your house up, and make things feel better during a heating system breakdown. Just be sure to keep the blinds or curtains closed if there is not any sunlight, to help hold the heat in as much as possible.

Wear layers of clothing – Dressing warmly is one of the best things you can do if your heating system breaks down. By dressing in layers you not only have more clothing to keep you warm, but layers also trap heat and hold it against your body. That will reduce the chances of you getting too cold, and can make your wait to have heat restored much easier to get through

For More Information on All Things Heating Maintenance, Call NSHEC Today!

Contact North Shore Home Energy Today for the Best in Heating Maintenance!

Check Out Our Current Specials!

Read The Great Things That Your Neighbors Are Saying About NSHEC.

By nshec

20 Easy Steps for Heating Maintenance This Winter

Nov 03, 2021

20 Easy Steps for Heating Maintenance This Winter

  • Heating
heating maintenance

Cooler weather is upon us, so it’s the perfect time to focus on heating maintenance.  It’s easy to forget about that when your system is up and running, but you should think ahead to what might happen if it fails down the road. 

Obviously, losing the heat in your house in the middle of winter is inconvenient at best and dangerous at worst.  Even if you can get it fixed, you’re still at home shivering or at the local motel until the repair service eventually makes it through their list to your place.  (There are likely many others in the same boat as you when heating systems start up in the fall!) 

Even if there isn’t a full heating system failure on the horizon, you are likely to be wasting money or suffering from poor heating performance if it hasn’t been checked recently. You could even be facing health and safety issues, with poor air quality or carbon monoxide poisoning. If that isn’t enough motivation, at least think of the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your heating system is fully functional and ready for the winter.

Here are the specific benefits of a heating system tune-up:

  • Improved energy efficiency
  • More uniform heat flow
  • Reduced cost (preventive maintenance is much less expensive than emergency repairs!)
  • Longer heating system lifetime
  • Comprehensive evaluation of one of the most valuable systems in your home
  • Safety – protection against carbon monoxide and contaminants!

So, here are 21 steps that a professional heating system tune-up will provide, to get you that peace of mind  … not mention performance, efficiency, savings, and safety:

It all starts with inspections!

  1. Inspect the burner:  The burner needs to be free of contamination and structurally sound to make sure that it works as designed.
  2. Inspect the combustion chamber:  Similarly, any contamination or irregularities in the combustion chamber can prevent proper heating and even create a hazard if the combustion chamber isn’t in working order.
  3. Inspect heat exchangers:  Consistent heating requires the heat exchangers to be working properly, since this is the heart of the system.  The transfer of heat from where it is generated to the medium that distributes through the house is obviously critical for efficiency.
  4. Inspect the flue:  The flue is critical since proper venting is needed for efficient functioning.  If a duct or pipe is blocked – even partially – contaminants can build up or the products of combustion can accumulate inside the system.  
  5. Inspect belts for cracks:  Any belt requires some flexibility and is therefore subject to cracking eventually.  Cracks might not be immediately visible, so a thorough inspection by a professional is needed.
  6. Inspect belts for tension and alignment:  Belts can move out of alignment or loosen as they age, so this is another important target for a professional inspection.  If these problems aren’t fixed, the belt lifetime is likely to be diminished.
  7. Check gas line for leaks:  A leak in the gas line is clearly a major problem!  A heating system professional will have the experience and equipment to detect even the smallest leak, which could save your system (and more!) from a catastrophic failure.
  8. Check safety controls:  Obviously safety is the main concern in a heating system, so the safety controls should be checked regularly.

A series of adjustments will come next:

  1. Adjust fan control:  This adjustment will allow for better airflow, thus increasing the efficiency of the system and create heating that’s even.
  2. Calibrate thermostats:  Thermostats often need to be adjusted to trigger at exactly the right temperatures, to heat your house as intended when you set the thermostats.
  3. Adjust the pilot light:  It is important for the pilot to be functioning right for proper turn-on of the system.
  4. Tighten electrical connections:  Electrical connections can loosen over time, especially in any large electromechanical structure like a heating system, so tightening all of the connections periodically prevents one common source of problems.

Finally, some routine heating maintenance and testing finishes the job:

  1. Lubricate moving parts:  This ensures smooth and efficient operation.
  2. Replace thermocouple:  A thermocouple measures the temperature in the system and is a common source of early failure, so the thermocouple should be checked and replaced if needed.
  3. Clean air filters:  Cleaning improves air quality.  The filters should be replaced periodically too.
  4. Clean blower components:  Air quality and efficiency are better, of course, when the part of the system responsible for moving the air is kept clean.
  5. Test combustion air openings:  Air next to get to the combustion area for proper combustion, so this is another spot where imperfect air flow affects system performance.
  6. Test manifold gas pressures:  The manifold is where gas flows from the source to the main burners, so checking the pressure there will identify any gas flow issues.
  7. Check noise and vibration levels:  Any excess noise or vibration is likely to indicate some problems in the system that need to be identified and addressed.
  8. Clean the interior of the vestibule:  The vestibule creates an airlock between the inner furnace components and the outer door, so this must be kept clean to prevent contamination and inefficiency.
  9. Conduct operational test:  Finally, a full operational test will make sure that steps 1 through 20 were done properly.  A heating system professional won’t assume that every step was done perfectly.  Too much is at stake!

For More Information on All Things Heating Maintenance, Call NSHEC Today!

Contact North Shore Home Energy Today for the Best in Heating Maintenance!

Check Out Our Current Specials!

Read The Great Things That Your Neighbors Are Saying About NSHEC.

By nshec

Winter is Coming: Everything You Need to Do To Prep for this Year’s Heating Season 

Sep 15, 2021

Winter is Coming: Everything You Need to Do To Prep for this Year’s Heating Season 

  • Heating
heating

The leaves are changing, the wind is getting brisk, and pumpkin spice flavoring has emerged from its year-long slumber. Fall is back, and it’s only a few weeks until you need to fire up your heater for the cold winter months. But at North Shore Home Energy, we favor a proactive approach to home heating, which means that the fall season is the perfect time to ready your system for the workout it’ll be getting when the thermometer starts dropping below sixty. 

There’s a lot you can do over the next few months to ensure you don’t have any nasty surprises when it’s time to fire up that furnace. Here’s a short checklist of things to consider before winter starts in earnest.

Call a Licensed Maintenance Technician for a Tune Up

Obviously one of the best things you can do is call in the pros at North Shore Home Energy. Our team members are certified HVAC experts and we know the value of regular maintenance. Having a professional get eyes on your system on a regular basis is the optimal way to ensure that your system is ready for anything the winter weather throws at it. Regular professional tune-ups can detect threats before they become substantial, costly problems.

Upgrade Your Equipment

Fall is a great season: it’s not too hot, not too cold. A lot of folks would argue that it’s a prime time of year for comfortable weather. That makes it the perfect time to consider upgrading your older HVAC system. The average system lasts about ten years with good maintenance. Replacing it while the weather is agreeable means you don’t have to worry about sweltering or freezing during the process. 

Change Your Filter

This is a pretty simple step you can take. The amount of dirt and debris that gets stuck in your HVAC system’s filter would shock and amazing you. A dirty, used-up filter will almost always result in problems and breakdowns of your system, especially considering how simple of a fix it is to just swap in a new one. 

Fire Up The Furnace for a Dry Run

Taking things out for a test run is never a bad idea. You do it with cars, do it with your HVAC system. Before things get really cold, it’s a good idea to fire up your heating system and see if it works properly. If there’s any issues (cold spots in the house, no heat, etc) you can call out a professional to deal with it before you’re left out in the cold.

For More Information on All Things Heating, Call NSHEC Today!

Contact North Shore Home Energy Today!

Check Out Our Current Specials!

Read The Great Things That Your Neighbors Are Saying About NSHEC.

By nshec