We tend to see more furnace breakdowns and similar repair issues late in the season. Months of daily use have increased the strain on your heating system, and the chances of a breakdown or repair call tend to go up. Enterprising do-it-yourself-ers may be tempted to try repairing a heating problem themselves, or even just “patch” the issue until the spring when you don’t need your furnace to run. This is always a huge mistake. Furnace repairs require professional training and licensing to deal with. More specifically, the professional technician brings a number of components to the table that even the most talent layman can hope to match.
Safety
Heating systems contain, well, heat, in the form of burners and natural gas. Problems can include gas leaks overheating components and electrical shorts in things like the fan. All of that requires care to address properly. Licensed technicians are tested on that front before they’re cleared to do their work. They’re also bonded and insured, which means you’re covered in the event something goes wrong. Otherwise, you run the risk of injuring yourself.
Expertise
Experience breeds expertise, and when you call in a technician, you’re paying for them to properly diagnose the problem, then fix it. Do-it-yourself-ers have usually had exponentially less experience dealing with heating problems than professionals, which makes repairs difficult at best and dangerous in many cases at worst. You can easily end up making the problem worse, which adds to the cost of repairs once the professional does arrive.
Contrast that with a professional, who provides an up-front estimate before work begins and will complete the task with the proper training, and the precision that comes with years of experience. That way, there’s no nasty surprises midway through the operation, and you can rest assured that the problem will be corrected the right way in a fraction of the time. Furthermore, technicians have access to specialized equipment–things which no normal homeowner would need more than a tiny handful of times at the most–that can expedite repairs even more quickly and save a lot of money in the process.
You Can Still Troubleshoot
Just because you need to leave furnace repairs to the professionals, however, doesn’t mean you should ignore simple troubleshooting steps that could resolve the issue. Simply noticing that something is wrong is a good step: anything that doesn’t match the system’s normal functions is enough to get you to turn off the system and call for repairs. The next troubleshooting step is to check the thermostat and breaker box to see if the issue stems from a mistaken setting or a power surge. In those cases, the problem can usually be solved with the literal flip of a switch. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then it’s time to call in a repair service. Always turn off your system before you do so, even if it isn’t running to begin with.
For quality furnace repair services throughout North Olmstead, OH, call the friendly pros at Westland Heating & Air Conditioning today to set up an appointment.
