Prepare Your Furnace for the Cold, Cold, Kalamazoo Winter

There’s no doubt about it: it’s fall in Kalamazoo, and it’s getting cold. With that in mind, now’s a great time to ask yourself, “Is my furnace prepared for when it gets even colder?”

During a long, hot summer, it’s easy to let your furnace fall into disrepair. After all, most Michiganders aren’t exactly cranking up the heat if it’s already 85 degrees outside. However, failing to test your furnace over long periods of time means that you’re more likely not to notice when it’s become less efficient. Over time, this can pose significant risks to your furnace and your home’s heating situation. But even so, you may be wondering how to tell if your furnace needs a tune up.

In this month’s blog post, we’re discussing the signs that your furnace is struggling and what to do about it.

Signs That Your Furnace is Struggling

Much like bridges, cars, and computers, people don’t often think about their furnace until something goes wrong—it’s just a part of their life that they rely on every day. That said, furnaces aren’t built to last forever. In fact, furnace failure is more or less expected after roughly 15 years of use. If you’ve had a furnace for at least 7-15 years, then, it’s important to take preventative measures before furnace failure becomes imminent. Let’s take a look at signs you need furnace repair or maintenance:

Your Heating Bill Has Increased (More than You Expected). It’s only natural that your heating bill will increase as the season gets colder; you’ll be using your furnace to stay warm. Even so, we recommend comparing your heating or electric bill to last year’s. If your October 2024 bill is considerably higher than your October 2023 bill, then that may indicate your furnace is struggling to heat your home and is headed for failure.

Your Furnace is Louder Than it Used to Be. This one’s a bit tougher to notice, but people often do. A furnace on the decline may make louder and louder sounds since it has to work harder in order to achieve the same output. So, if you feel that your furnace has been louder recently, it’s probably not just in your head.

Your Home Simply Isn’t Warm. The most direct way to tell if you need furnace repair is to ask yourself: is your home warming up when it should be? A struggling furnace simply won’t be able to keep you warm like it used to, which also acts as a telltale sign of impending furnace failure.

Contact Our Experts for Reliable Furnace Repair

If your furnace just isn’t working like it used to, then you’re almost certainly on track for an expensive furnace failure. And in the bleak Michigan midwinter, there are few things worse for you and your home than a lack of reliable heating. To prevent furnace failure in your home, click here to contact our team about fast, reliable furnace repair today.