Is Your Furnace Motor Overheating or Malfunctioning?

If you keep up with regular maintenance, furnace repair in Chalmette, LA should be an uncommon event. However, it does not mean your system will last its nearly 20 years of life expectancy entirely quirk-free—there are repair issues that can arise, and some of them may be serious enough to warrant furnace replacement. One of these is furnace motor malfunctions, including overheating. Here are four signs that your furnace may have this problem:

• Odors: Many homeowners find their furnace starts to emit a hot or burning smell through the home. If you notice this after your furnace has been running and there is no other obvious cause, it may be your motor fan slowly failing. When this becomes a permanent feature as you arrive home to a warm house, give us a call to inspect the issue before this leads to furnace failure.
• On/off cycles: When the motor overheats, the furnace will likely shut itself down as a safety precaution. This feature may seem annoying, but it also reduces the chances of house fires and carbon monoxide poisoning when your motor fails to perform to its original efficiency. If the furnace does not shut off automatically, but you find you must constantly restart it, then that is likely due an overheating or malfunctioning motor. Restarting will help everything work for the short term, but eventually you will find nothing works. The sooner you have a repair technician check this out, the less likely you will face a failure at an inconvenient time.
• Noises: If a usually quiet furnace starts humming loudly or there are new noises, that can often suggest many repair issues—including a motor overheating. The new sounds arise because the motor has access to power to start but something prevents it from fully operating. This is often traced to an overheating problem that can be addressed quickly by a skilled technician.
• Poor heat circulation: An overheating motor is often not an efficient one. You may find some rooms are warmer or cooler than others, or you arrive home from work expecting a warm house only to find your indoor temperature is closer to that of your refrigerator. If this happens along with these other signs, the problem is likely a motor that keeps overheating.

Overheating is usually prevented by good maintenance. By keeping filters clean and avoiding dust buildup around your furnace, you may never face an overheating motor. However, this is also an early sign that your furnace is aging, and you may need furnace replacement in Chalmette, LA soon. If a repair following these signs needs to be repeated later, it is likely that your blower motor is simply too old and a new furnace is your best option.

If your furnace shows signs of motor issues, JMB A/C & Heating LLC is available to help with furnace repair in Chalmette, LA. We are also your furnace installation experts if your system is just too far gone and it is time for more efficient options. Call us today to schedule an appointment!

Categorised in: Heating Services