Valley View HVACCCB #243211 · salem + surrounding
(971) 712-6763
Seven warning signs your furnace is telling you to get it looked at — before it fails on the coldest night of the year.
A burning smell on first run of the season is usually dust burn-off — normal. A persistent burning, electrical, or gas smell is not — shut off the furnace immediately and call us.
Light whooshing = normal ignition. Banging on startup = delayed ignition (fix it). Grinding = blower bearing failure (fix soon). Boom or loud cracking = heat exchanger issue (shut down immediately).
If your furnace runs for 3–5 minutes, shuts off, and restarts five minutes later, something is wrong — typically a dirty flame sensor, clogged filter, overheating limit, or oversized unit. Short cycling wears out components fast.
Some rooms warm, others cold? Could be duct leakage (fixable), blower issues, zoning problems, or a failing blower motor. All are repairable — but ignoring them stresses the system.
A healthy burner flame is crisp blue with a small yellow tip. Mostly yellow flame = incomplete combustion, which produces carbon monoxide. Shut down and call.
A sudden jump in gas or electric usage (without a weather change) usually means the system is losing efficiency — clogged coil, failing motor, duct leakage, or developing mechanical problem.
Average residential gas furnace life: 15–20 years. At 15+ you should start budgeting for replacement. When a significant repair ($800+) hits a 15+ year unit, replacement almost always saves money within 3 years via efficiency gains.
Have a specific HVAC question we didn't cover? Email us or call (971) 712-6763 — a Valley View technician will get back to you.
