Furnace Repair and Service in Arab, Alabama

Common Furnace Problems We Diagnose and Repair

Furnace Won’t Turn On

A furnace that won’t start is the most urgent heating problem. You adjust the thermostat up, but nothing happens—no sound from the furnace, no warm air, nothing. This frustrating situation has several potential causes, and we systematically check each one.

First, we verify power to the unit and check the circuit breaker. Tripped breakers indicate an electrical issue that needs investigation. We examine the thermostat settings and operation, ensuring it’s calling for heat properly. The flame sensor may have failed, preventing the burners from lighting even though everything else works. Ignition systems—whether hot surface igniters or pilot lights—can fail and require replacement. Failed blower motors, limit switches, or pressure switches also prevent operation.

Our diagnostic process identifies the actual problem rather than guessing and replacing parts randomly. This saves you money and gets heat restored faster.

Furnace Runs But Produces Little or No Heat

Even more frustrating than a furnace that won’t start is one that runs but produces inadequate heat. You hear it operating, air blows from the vents, but it’s barely warm or cold. Your home temperature drops despite the system running constantly.

Common causes include dirty or clogged filters restricting airflow, failed heating elements in electric furnaces, gas supply issues in gas furnaces, dirty burners reducing flame intensity, ductwork problems losing heat before it reaches living spaces, and undersized equipment for your home’s heating load.

We measure temperature rise across the heat exchanger to quantify heating output, inspect burner flames for proper color and pattern, check gas pressure at the furnace, and verify adequate airflow throughout the system. These measurements tell us exactly where the problem lies.

Strange Noises From Your Furnace

Furnaces make some noise during normal operation, but loud, unusual, or new sounds indicate problems that need attention. Different noises point to different issues.

Banging or booming sounds when the furnace starts often indicate delayed ignition, gas builds up before igniting all at once. This is both inefficient and potentially dangerous. Squealing or screeching typically means belt problems or motor bearing failures. Rattling suggests loose components, ductwork issues, or a cracked heat exchanger. Rumbling after burners shut off can indicate dirty burners or a failing heat exchanger.

We investigate unusual sounds thoroughly because they often warn of developing failures that cost much more to repair if ignored. That squealing belt is a $50 fix now but becomes a $400 blower motor replacement if the belt breaks and damages the motor.

Frequent Cycling On and Off

Short cycling—when your furnace turns on, runs briefly, then shuts off repeatedly, reduces efficiency, increases wear, and leaves your home uncomfortable. Multiple factors can cause this problem.

A dirty filter restricts airflow, causing the limit switch to shut down the furnace before it overheats. Thermostat problems or poor thermostat placement can cause false readings that shut the system off prematurely. Oversized furnaces for the space they’re heating naturally short cycle because they satisfy the thermostat too quickly. Failed flame sensors shut the system down for safety reasons.

Identifying the root cause requires testing various components and observing complete heating cycles. We don’t assume—we verify.

Cracked Heat Exchangers

The heat exchanger is your furnace’s critical safety component, separating combustion gases from the air circulated through your home. When heat exchangers crack or fail, carbon monoxide can leak into living spaces—a serious safety hazard.

Signs of heat exchanger problems include visible cracks or corrosion, soot buildup inside the furnace, frequent shutdowns via the limit switch, moisture around the furnace, and carbon monoxide detector alarms. If we suspect heat exchanger issues, we perform thorough inspection using cameras and other diagnostic tools.

Heat exchanger replacement on older furnaces often doesn’t make financial sense compared to full system replacement. We’ll give you honest guidance based on your furnace’s age and the cost of repairs versus replacement.

Gas Furnace vs. Electric Furnace Repairs

We service both gas and electric heating systems throughout Arab. While some problems are universal to all furnaces, each type has unique components and potential issues.

Gas Furnace Specific Issues

Gas furnaces use burners, pilots or electronic ignition, gas valves, and flame sensors unique to gas appliances. Problems specific to gas systems include pilot light failures, gas valve issues, thermocouple or flame sensor failures, burner problems, and venting issues. We’re trained in gas appliance safety and follow strict protocols when diagnosing and repairing gas furnaces.

Electric Furnace Specific Issues

Electric furnaces use heating elements and different sequencers and contactors than gas systems. Common electric furnace problems include failed heating elements, sequencer failures that prevent proper staging, contactor issues preventing element operation, and higher electrical demands that can trip breakers or overload circuits.

Electric furnace repairs often involve electrical component replacement. We test elements and controls systematically to identify failed parts.

Emergency Furnace Repair in Arab

Heating failures in the middle of a cold night are genuine emergencies, especially with young children, elderly family members, or health conditions in your household. We respond to heating emergencies throughout Arab and Marshall County.

Call (256) 333-8767 for emergency heating service

We prioritize emergency heating calls, responding as quickly as possible to restore warmth to your home. Our technicians arrive prepared with common furnace parts and the diagnostic tools needed to identify problems quickly.

After-hours and weekend emergency service available for situations that can’t wait until regular business hours.

Heat Pump Service

Many Arab homes use heat pumps rather than traditional furnaces. Heat pumps provide both cooling and heating, making them efficient and versatile for Alabama’s climate. We service all heat pump brands and models, diagnosing problems with both heating and cooling modes.

Common heat pump heating issues include frozen outdoor units during winter operation, defrost control problems, reversing valve failures that prevent switching between modes, auxiliary heat not engaging during cold weather, and refrigerant issues affecting both heating and cooling capacity.

Heat pumps are more complex than standard furnaces because they operate year-round and have additional components. Our technicians understand heat pump operation thoroughly and can diagnose issues efficiently.

Carbon Monoxide Safety

Gas and oil furnaces produce carbon monoxide during combustion. When properly operating and vented, this deadly gas safely exits your home. Heat exchanger cracks, venting problems, or combustion issues can allow carbon monoxide into living spaces.

Every home with fuel-burning appliances should have working carbon monoxide detectors. If your CO detector alarms, evacuate immediately and call 911. Don’t ignore CO detector alarms or assume they’re false alarms.

During furnace service and repairs, we test for carbon monoxide leaks and verify proper venting. Your family’s safety is always our top priority.

When to Replace Rather Than Repair

Furnace repairs don’t always make financial sense. Sometimes replacement is the smarter investment.

Consider replacing your furnace if:

• It’s 20+ years old (typical lifespan is 15-20 years)
• Repair costs exceed 50% of replacement cost
• You’ve needed multiple repairs in recent years
• Energy bills have increased significantly
• The heat exchanger is cracked
• Your home has hot and cold spots despite repairs
• You want to upgrade to higher efficiency for lower heating costs

Understanding Furnace Efficiency Ratings

Modern furnaces are significantly more efficient than equipment from even 15 years ago. Efficiency is measured by AFUE (Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency)—the percentage of fuel converted to usable heat.

Older furnaces often have AFUE ratings of 60-70%, meaning 30-40% of your heating fuel literally goes up the chimney. Mid-efficiency furnaces run 80-85% AFUE. High-efficiency models reach 90-98% AFUE by extracting more heat from combustion gases before venting them.

For Alabama’s climate, the payback period for ultra-high-efficiency furnaces can be lengthy since heating season is relatively short. Mid-to-high efficiency units often provide the best balance of upfront cost and energy savings. We’ll help you understand efficiency options without pushing equipment you don’t need.

Serving All Furnace Brands

We repair and service every major furnace brand installed in Arab homes. Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, York, American Standard, Bryant, Payne, Amana, Heil, Tempstar—if it heats your home, we can fix it.

Brand-specific knowledge helps us work efficiently. Different manufacturers use different components and control strategies. Our experience across all brands means we can diagnose problems quickly regardless of who made your equipment.

Thermostat Problems vs. Furnace Problems

Many service calls for “broken furnaces” turn out to be thermostat issues. Dead batteries, incorrect settings, faulty wiring, or failed thermostats prevent furnaces from operating even though nothing is wrong with the heating system itself.

We always check the thermostat first during diagnosis. It’s the command center for your heating system, and problems there can mimic furnace failures. Replacing a $150 thermostat is much better than unnecessary furnace repairs