My husband and I have spent a lot of time consulting with an architect. After living in our cramped, starter home for the past 11 years, we were finally ready to make some needed changes to it. We have added an extra 600 square feet of space onto our house. Before the construction began, we finalized the plans for our new heating and air conditioning unit with our HVAC contractor. Because our home was going to be substantially bigger than it is now, we purchased a larger HVAC system. We also installed a new, digital thermostat inside my home. On this blog, I hope you will discover the best types of HVAC units to buy for mid-size homes. Enjoy!
If your furnace is malfunctioning, the problem might not be due to worn-out parts. Instead, there might be mice in the furnace. Mice can cause a lot of problems with your heating system. The pests want a nice warm place to nest when it's freezing cold outside, and your heating system is one of the warmest places they'll find. Here are some furnace repairs you might need to have done after mice invade your furnace.
1. Clearing Out The Flue
The flue is the vent that lets carbon monoxide and other gases escape to the outside through a pipe on the roof. If mice or rats are on the roof of your house, they might be drawn to the heat coming from the flue and decide to go in the pipe and build a nest. If that happens, the flue can become clogged and dangerous gases can't escape.
This can cause problems with your furnace since it affects the way air moves through the system. A clogged flue could even allow carbon monoxide to leak in your home and pose a danger to your health. This is one reason why you should have a carbon monoxide monitor near your furnace. A furnace repair technician can fix this problem by clearing out the clog in the flue.
The repair technician might also recommend putting a vent screen on the pipe to keep mice and other pests out. However, the screen has to be chosen carefully so it doesn't restrict airflow or allow snow to pile on top and block airflow completely.
2. Replacing Damaged Wiring
Most of the parts inside the furnace are made of metal, so mice may have no interest in bothering them. However, your furnace has a lot of wiring that's covered in plastic insulation that mice like to gnaw on. Bare wires can cause a lot of trouble in your furnace and lead to the risk of a fire.
The wiring might short out and cause your furnace to stop working. A mouse might even be electrocuted when chewing on the wiring and create a foul odor in your furnace. When wiring is damaged, a repair technician has to replace the wiring for safety reasons and so the electrical components of the furnace work properly. However, you'll want to get rid of the mice too, or they may move back in the furnace and gnaw the new wiring.
3. Removing Nesting Materials
When mice build a nest in your furnace, they bring in shredded paper, insulation, or fabric so they have a comfortable place to sleep. This nesting material may obstruct airflow through your furnace, or it may get blown around and affect the blower or motor. The repair technician may have to clean the furnace thoroughly after mice have been living in it to get rid of nests and droppings so the furnace is clean and able to operate efficiently.
To learn more about furnace repair, contact a company like Powder River Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.
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