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Welcome to the Campeau Heating Blog!

Looking for professional heating, cooling and air quality advice? Our experts share helpful news, tips and tricks every other week! 
 
Advice from the Professionals
October 2022

Screech! Clang! Don't Let These Spooky Furnace Noises Give You a Scare!

Spooky furnace sounds calling for Sudbury furnace repair.

Screech! Clang! Don't Let These Spooky Furnace Noises Give You a Scare!

Everyone loves a good spook! Unless it comes from your furnace.

Your furnace should be silent and discreet - keeping your home warm and peaceful. But what if your furnace is all but silent?

What if screeching, rattling or humming sounds have taken over your peaceful home?

You’re left wondering what or who has moved in unannounced.

If you’re hearing any of these strange noises coming from your utility room, it might be time to turn the light on and take a quick peek.

Don’t worry! Our Sudbury furnace repair team can handle whatever you may find down there - no matter how scary it is.

Want to help crack the case and expose the culprit? Keep reading!

 

What’s Causing These Spooky Furnace Noises?

Although furnace noises can be spooky, they may also be your only key to discovering exactly what is lurking in your heating system.

Below is a list of the strangest sounds our Sudbury furnace repair team has heard over the years. Do any of them match the sounds you’ve been hearing?

Once you’ve identified the noise, you can then learn WHY it exists and HOW to get rid of it.

Got your detective hat on? Let’s go snooping!

 

Shrieking

Is it a high-pitched shrieking noise you’re hearing from your furnace? This is probably one of the more terrifying sounds your furnace can make. And definitely not one to ignore!

That shrieking could indicate several different things, including:

  • A loose blower fan belt
  • Loose shaft bearings
  • Worn shaft bearings
  • Blower motor damages

Most of these issues are easily fixed, as long you catch them in time! However, if ignored, they can quickly become more extensive.

 

Whistling

Whistling sounds can be quite eerie, especially if nobody in your family tends to whistle.

But thankfully, it’s usually quite easy to find the source.

Typically, you can find the whistling culprit in either,

  1. A blocked or leaking air duct, or
  2. A dirty air filter.

Simply schedule a quick duct cleaning and repair service and/or change the furnace filter!

 

Rattling

Do you hear rattling or rumbling sounds coming from your furnace unit? If so, you can pretty much assume a part inside your furnace has become loose.

The sound you hear is that part vibrating inside your unit - knocking into other elements and potentially causing even further damage to the system.

This part could be within the blower motor, heat exchanger, gas burners or surface ignitor.

And while the problem is easy to diagnose, we don’t recommend trying to fix it yourself. A certified Sudbury furnace repair technician has the tools, experience and know-how to get things tightened back up on your behalf.

 

Popping

Some popping sounds are normal, like the one you hear when your furnace kicks on. But others can point to a more serious problem - like a dirty igniter or burner. 

If you’ve had your furnace for a while, there’s a high chance that sediment has begun piling up on the burners and/or igniter.

If you ignore this buildup, those popping sounds could be the ignition of that buildup.

As you can probably guess, this ignition can easily damage surrounding components - leaving quite the costly repairs in its wake.

The solution?

Make sure you clean out this sediment buildup at least once per year.

 

Banging

Was that the sound of a gunshot? Or was it the sound of your ducts expanding and contracting?

As you kick on your furnace, the pressure can cause the ducts to expand quickly, releasing a loud bang or boom.

Then, as the pressure regulates, the ducts will contract, causing a second loud bang to occur.

If these are the sounds you’re hearing, you have nothing to worry about!

 

Humming

Most furnaces release a low humming sound when turned on. But it’s always good to investigate the sound before assuming it's harmless.

For example, if the humming sound is louder and more persistent than normal, there could be a much larger issue at hand.

Loud humming could indicate a problem in your blower fan or capacitor. And if left unchecked, the problem can quickly escalate to more than just a simple repair.

 

Scraping

Two of the most spine-chilling sounds you can hear from your furnace are,

  1. Metal rubbing against metal, and
  2. Nails scraping on a chalkboard.

In fact, we’d probably be running the opposite direction of those sounds if not for the fact that they are clearly related to your furnace.

Both of these eerie noises can indicate many furnace issues, including:

  • Worn out ball bearings
  • A loose blower wheel
  • A loose or broken fan

Needless to say, this sound should never go unchecked.

Our advice? Turn off your heat immediately and call your Sudbury furnace repair team!

 

Our Sudbury Furnace Repair Team Can Make These Sounds Disappear!

Are these mysterious furnace sounds keeping you up at night? Visiting a haunted house sounds fun, but living in one is entirely different.

Don’t let these furnace repairs come back to haunt you. Our Sudbury furnace repair team at Campeau Heating can make them disappear!

Call us today at (705) 560-2441 or schedule your furnace repair visit online.

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Avoid These Bad Furnace Habits Or Face The Costly Consequences!

Shocked homeowners with high Sudbury heating bills.

Avoid These Bad Furnace Habits Or Face The Costly Consequences!

Your furnace is a lifesaver. But it can also be a money pit if you’re not careful!

Our Northern Ontario winters are not something you can shy away from. And facing them with sufficient heat is imperative. But after last year’s skyrocketing fuel costs, finding affordable Sudbury heating is a must.

Are you looking for ways to make your home heating bill more affordable in 2022? Keep reading!

In this article, Campeau Heating uncovers all sorts of bad furnace habits that homeowners typically adopt.

And you have two choices:

  1. Learn how to avoid these bad habits.
  2. Face the costly consequences!

 

7 Bad Furnace Habits That Are Raising Your Sudbury Heating Bills

There are many ways to keep your home heating more affordable, regardless of high fuel costs. It just involves breaking some bad habits!

We’ve listed some of these bad habits below. Which ones have you unknowingly adopted over the years?

1. Forgetting to schedule preventative maintenance.

Your furnace should never have to fend for itself. It needs regular care and upkeep to ensure things run smoothly and efficiently. Without any hiccups along the way!

Otherwise, what may begin as a simple repair or cleaning, could escalate into something much more costly.

We recommend booking your maintenance appointment before turning your furnace on for the season.

During this visit, our HVAC techs inspect, clean, repair and optimize your furnace equipment. We ensure it’s in prime condition before the start of the cold season so you can enjoy the comforts of your home in peace!

Scheduling an annual preventative maintenance appointment ensures:

  • High Performance
  • Peak Efficiency
  • Reliable Operation
  • Longer Life Expectancy
  • Complete Home Safety and Comfort
  • Improved Air Quality
  • Lower Energy Costs

Your heating company might even require these annual tune-ups to keep your furnace warranty valid.

Schedule your furnace maintenance appointment with our team at Campeau! 

 

2. Neglecting your furnace filter.

How often do you change your furnace filter? Be honest!

Most homeowners actually forget their furnace filter exists. After all, it is neatly tucked away in the furnace unit itself. So we understand how easy it is to forget that it isn’t a fixed component of your heating system.

However, neglecting your furnace filter has many consequences that aren't so easy to ignore.

What happens if you don’t change your furnace filter regularly?

  • You may experience more dust accumulation in your home.
  • Your furnace could short cycle - causing it to overheat every time it turns on.
  • Your furnace will need to work harder to heat your home.
  • Your indoor air quality may suffer.
  • Your furnace may provide uneven heating - leaving cold spots in certain rooms.
  • Your furnace equipment could malfunction or even fail entirely.

It may seem like an inconsequential component, but a simple furnace filter swap is extremely valuable. Especially if you’re looking to lower your energy costs and improve your furnace performance.

So, how often should you change your filter?

Every heating company may have a different answer to this question. But the general rule of thumb is to change your furnace filter every 90 days. Personally, our Campeau Heating techs recommend more frequent changes if you have allergies, pets or a large family.

And our advice is to always ensure you care for your furnace filter as best you can. We promise it will pay off in the end - in more ways than one!

 

3. Setting your thermostat temperature too high.

How high do you set your thermostat?

Up North, homeowners battle frigid temperatures daily - all winter long. But keeping your home cozy and warm doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on heating!

You could actually be overestimating how much heat your home actually needs.

At Campeau Heating, we’re all about home comfort. But we’re also in the business of keeping your heating bills as low as possible.

So while we do recommend keeping your home at a comfortable temperature, we also suggest ensuring that it’s the LOWEST comfortable temperature possible.

Did you know that you can save up to 10% of your heating costs in a year just by keeping your thermostat 7-10 degrees cooler than you typically would?

If you’re home during the day and it’s not sunny outside, keeping your furnace on high is a must. But if you’re at work all day anyhow, lowering your thermostat can keep your home heating both comfortable and affordable.

 

4. Constantly adjusting your thermostat.

Now, while we did suggest adjusting your thermostat throughout the day, there’s a particular way to do that. One that doesn’t involve manually setting and resetting it every few hours.

This can overwhelm your system and cause it to work harder than it has to.

Instead, invest in a programmable thermostat!

These thermostats adjust accordingly to your heating preferences. And all you have to do is give it a schedule to stick to!

 

5. Ignoring your ductwork.

Your ductwork is another component, like your furnace filter, that typically goes unnoticed. But now that you know the effects of ignoring your filter, you can probably guess what happens if you neglect your ductwork too.

Your ductwork is the lungs of your home. But what happens if that airway becomes clogged or cracked?

Your furnace has to work extra hard to push air through it - raising your energy bills and lowering your indoor air quality.

That’s why we recommend cleaning and inspecting your ductwork at the first sign of trouble.

Ductwork Warning Signs:

  • Weird noises and smells
  • Cold spots
  • High energy bills
  • Dust and dirt buildup
  • Poor airflow
  • Increased allergy symptoms

 

6. Closing or blocking vents.

The size of your furnace is not random. Your heating company always calculates the size of your home before selecting your furnace. This ensures the unit has enough power to heat your home without overworking.

However, when you close or block vents or registers, it confuses your furnace.

The result?

A properly sized furnace acting as if it’s the wrong size!

This causes heating inefficiencies and lowers the system’s overall heating performance.

To ensure this doesn’t happen, always make sure your vents and registers are open and unobstructed.

Don’t bother closing vents to rooms you never use - as this could drastically affect your heating bill. And always remember their location when reorganizing furniture, storage and other household items. Placing a couch over a vent never helped anyone lower their energy bills!

 

7. Failing to seal air leaks in your home.

The last bad habit in this article is failing to seal air leaks throughout your home.

Did you know that up to 20% of your heat can escape through tiny cracks and loose seals in your house? That’s a lot of wasted heat!

To avoid losing all that heat, start looking for cracks and loose seals in your:

  • Windows
  • Door frames
  • Electrical outlets
  • Vents
  • Bricks
  • Attic doors
  • Baseboards
  • Siding

 

Get Affordable Sudbury Heating With Campeau!

Finding new ways to make your home heating bill more affordable doesn’t have to be stressful. You can lower your energy bills and increase your home comfort with a few new habits!

Is your furnace past the point of no repair? Give us a call! You can reach our office at (705) 560-2441 or schedule an appointment online!

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