During the chilliest nights of the year, you go to sleep, hoping that your furnace will keep you warm, comfortable, and content until the next morning. However, if you don’t take care of your furnace, you can experience unexpected bumps in the road—including a lack of heat.
It’s vital to schedule furnace maintenance at least once a year. A professional technician will inspect and clean your furnace during these maintenance services to ensure its running in peak condition. Two essential components of your furnace that need to be checked are the air filter and furnace burners.
What happens if furnace burners are dirty? Unfortunately, dirty or clogged burners can lead to several inconvenient heating system problems. Here are five potential symptoms of dirty furnace burners.
1. Yellow Furnace Flame
One of the most common symptoms of dirty furnace burners is a yellow or orange furnace flame. When gas furnaces are working correctly, the flame will burn blue. A blue hue signifies that you have a strong flame, while yellow suggests that you’re dealing with dirty burners or flame sensors.
However, sometimes a yellow flame can also indicate that the gas isn’t burning correctly. This problem may lead to a carbon monoxide leak in your home, which can be hazardous to your family’s health. If you notice a yellow flame or suspect that your furnace isn’t igniting properly, contact RR Electric for an HVAC repair in Ventura, CA.
2. Insufficient Heating
What happens if furnace burners are dirty can vary case by case. If your gas furnace has a weak flame because of dirt buildup in the burners, this can cause inadequate heating in your home. You might notice cold spots, inconsistent temperatures, and other unexpected heating problems.
Insufficient heating is one of the most inconvenient symptoms of dirty furnace burners. When temperatures drop, the last thing you want is to experience unwanted temperature changes.
3. Absence of Heat
What happens if furnace burners are dirty? Unfortunately, symptoms of dirty furnace burners can also include having no heat at all. If you forget to clean the burners when they are clogged or dirty, the burners can potentially shut off. As a result, your furnace won’t be able to produce any heat.
It’s also possible that your furnace still produces heat, but not enough to activate the fan. There is a sensor within your furnace that keeps track of the temperature in the combustion chamber. If the temperature never reaches its intended goal, the fan won’t switch on, and your home won’t get warm.
4. Higher Energy Bills
If you’re surprised to find that your energy bills are higher than usual, it’s possible that your furnace burners are to blame. What happens if furnace burners are dirty? As we’ve discussed, dirty burners can negatively affect your furnace’s ability to produce sufficient heat. Your heating system will now have to work twice as hard to keep you and your family warm. When your furnace has to work overtime, it will use up more energy—leading to higher energy costs.
5. Loud Furnace Noises
Between your air conditioner and heating system, there is likely a problem with the system if you notice a strange sound.
Does your furnace make loud sounds? Whether you hear booms, pops, or rattling noises, unusual sounds are one of the most common symptoms of dirty furnace burners. Clogged burners can lead to a small explosion during ignition, potentially damaging the heat exchanger. It’s best to schedule furnace repairs quickly after you hear a strange noise coming from your heating system.
Schedule Furnace Services Today
While it can be easy to overlook your furnace when it’s working correctly, keeping the burners clean to avoid unwanted issues is crucial. Now that you know what happens if furnace burners are dirty, you can prevent these problems with furnace maintenance.
RR Electric offers professional HVAC system services, including air conditioning installations and furnace repairs in Ventura, CA. Our technicians will remove the burner and clean it correctly using compressed air and other cutting-edge equipment if you need furnace burner repairs. Call us today or use our online scheduler to get your furnace burner back in top shape.
