When the temperature drops outside, you’re going to rely more heavily on your home heating. But you probably haven’t had to keep your home warm for much of the year and now that the summer is over and the nights are getting shorter, you are going to be hitting that thermostat a little more often.

As a result you could be facing some substantial furnace issues that could interfere with the operation of your heating system and that may end up leaving you and your family in the cold. So if you are experiencing any type of furnace or HVAC malfunction, it makes good sense to call your local cleveland heating experts and have them diagnose and repair the problems before they become bigger than need be.

However, some issues are more evident than others and homeowners aren’t always aware they have a pressing urgent matter with their heating system, that is until it’s too late and the unit just simply stops working.

But you can get ahead of most of the widely-seen symptoms of a faulty or malfunctioning heating system by keeping an eye and ear out for the common indicators that your heating system is in need of some repairs. If you are experiencing any of the following with your HVAC unit, you should schedule a service call as soon as possible.

Strange Aroma

It’s been a long seven or eight months since you had to use the furnace to heat your home. So when you fire it up after remaining dormant throughout the spring and the summer, some strong and unusual smells are going to be common. But those are supposed to dissipate shortly after your initial operation of the furnace.

If the smells continue long after you’ve started running the heat on a regular basis, that could signal a potential problem. The type of odor you detect could also indicate a pressing issue such as a strong fuel aroma or some new smell that suddenly raises a red flag. Any one of these smells may be due to something serious like a gas leak or something less urgent like an accumulation of dust inside the heating system.

Pilot Light Color

This is where you could be facing a significant problem that needs to be addressed immediately. If the color of your pilot light isn’t the typical blue and it appears to be a different color entirely such as yellow, then you could be dealing with a carbon-monoxide issue that may pose serious health risks for you and your family. Even worse, it might increase the potential combustibility of your unit.

Multiple Attempts to Start the Unit

Older furnaces may prove harder to start as they get on in years. You may need to make numerous attempts at getting the heating system to kick in and if this sounds like something you’ve experienced with your HVAC apparatus, you may need to get a technician into the home and check it out.

The reasons behind the malfunction could be anything from an inoperable thermostat to a wiring problem. Depending on what condition your furnace is in, the repair might be easy to solve and inexpensive to fix.

Weird Sounds

Many furnaces and HVAC systems are going to make odd noises from time to time. But those that are consistently loud and audible whenever you turn on your heating may be trying to tell you that there’s a serious issue with your heating unit.

Much like with the strange aromas earlier, the noises you hear can be indicative of the type of problem you are experiencing. Certain sounds may be nothing more than a worn out belt or a malfunctioning fan, others may be signaling that you have considerably larger and more pressing matters to deal with in the form of broken parts or something that has come loose and needs to be replaced.

Not every sound is similar and some could cost you way more than others. But regardless of the sound itself, any continued noise could be a warning sign that your unit is about to go belly up.

Weak Output

As we mentioned earlier, sometimes you won’t know there’s a problem with your heating until the system just breaks down one random day. These signs are all intended to give you a heads-up as to any problems that may exist. But the most telling of these indicators is a weak output of heated air moving through the vents and into the home.

No heat or a weak flow of air could mean you have a leak in your ducts or a bad thermostat but no matter which one you’re dealing with, they can both be tough problems to fix.