No two heating systems break the same way, and in Eau Claire homes the first question on any no-heat call is what kind of equipment we are dealing with. Furnaces most often stall on an oxidized flame sensor. The burners fire, the sensor fails to confirm the flame, and after three attempts the control board closes the gas valve and locks the system out. Cracked hot surface igniters, sticking pressure switches, plugged condensate traps on high-efficiency units, and tired blower motors round out the usual list. Heat pumps have their own failure patterns. A defrost cycle that underperforms lets ice build up on the outdoor coil, a bad reversing valve traps the system in cooling mode, and a dead outdoor unit hands the whole load to the electric backup strips, which cost several times as much to run.
The repair homeowners call us about most is Furnace Repair. Start there if your system isn't running right.
Warning Signs for Heating Repair
Recognizing the warning signs early can save you time and money. Watch for these telltale signs:
- The furnace clicking and trying to light but shutting back down
- Uneven heat, with certain rooms that never warm up
- An outdoor heat pump coil that stays iced over
- Short cycling every few minutes while the house stays cold
- Burning, musty, or rotten-egg odors when the heat runs
- Energy costs climbing even though the house feels colder
- Banging at startup caused by burners lighting late
- Cold air, or no air at all, when the thermostat calls for heat
Don't Wait for a Total Failure
What seems like a minor issue today can take out a compressor or heat exchanger tomorrow. Call (534) 231-2225 at the first sign of trouble.
