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What’s wrong with my furnace? 3 Top Signs That Your Furnace Needs Repair

November 21, 2018

Any time your furnace stops working, you may worry that an expensive repair or even a furnace replacement is required. Some homeowners will wait to call a heating and cooling service because they do not want to pay a large repair bill. But there are times that a small issue may be causing the problem, and the corresponding fix can be affordable and quick.

If you’re wondering whether you should call for furnace repair or just wait to see if the problem persists, consider the signs and symptoms you’ve observed and how severe they are. Here are some of the top signs your furnace may need a professional repair:

1. Slow Heating Of The Home

Even if your furnace is working in top condition, it can take time from when you first switch it on to feel the room warming up. If you stand in front of one of the vents and find that little to no heated air is coming through, there may be an issue with the ductwork instead of the furnace. Ducts can become clogged over time, and block the air from coming through.  Older homes may have ductwork that has worn down or was not installed properly that allows air to escape the system.

There are also furnace based issues that can make the home heat slowly. Issues with the furnace wiring can cause the unit to stop working, even after you’ve switched it on several times. If you notice that the unit is constantly restarting throughout the day, or that it stops working after just a few minutes, this can be a sign of a problem that an HVAC professional will need to handle. Replacing the wiring is a quick fix that a qualified HVAC technician can often resolve in just one visit.

2. Bad Smells

A furnace that is working optimally shouldn’t produce any smell along with the air. If you smell burning, gas or another kind of fuel, or smoke, chances are there is an issue with the furnace.  There can be many causes for the smell, from a serious gas leak to dust caught in the unit. The only way to get to the bottom of the issue is to have a professional check the pilot light, burners and gas line to see if there is an issue with one of these key components.

3.  No Heat At All

If your HVAC unit is producing cool air, even when you set the thermostat to a high temperature, there is definitely an issue. It can be compressor, which heats the air, or the blower motor, which pumps the warm air into the ductwork. If you haven’t had seasonal HVAC maintenance done, chances are you may have missed one or more of the signs of this issue along the way.

If you suspect your furnace needs repair, call Brody Pennell Heating and Air Conditioning at (310) 810-2721. Our team can help you get your furnace back to working condition as fast as possible.


About The Author

Brody Pennell

Since 1945, Brody Pennell Heating & Air Conditioning is the committed to helping homeowners in the greater Los Angeles area experience total home comfort. In 2021, the readers of the Los Angeles Times voted Brody Pennell the Best HVAC Company in the area.

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James Handy from Brody Pennell was great! He solved the problem we were having of installing a new, upgraded Nest Learning Thermostat very quickly. He was courteous, communicative, helpful and well-informed. I would definitely recommend him.
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Daniel B. is a true professional. Very thorough and explained everything as he was working. Would highly recommend.
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Very knowledgeable processional
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Daniel was a great technician, he thoroughly explained each step if his original assessment. Then walked me through everything he was going to do to service my furnace. He was very knowledgeable and explained everything to me in an easily understandable manner.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Delvin! We're glad to hear that Daniel provided clear explanations and made the process easy to understand. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!
This Company exceeded expectations every step of the process. The office staff, management, sales and definitely the techs. They showed on time, met every unexpected challenge with calm proffesionalism and cleaned up the work daily. I love to give them 5 stars.
PS...price point is competitive
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Ruben Medina arrived on time and quickly surveyed the situation from our description and the conditions and determined the likely cause of the problem. He was friendly but professional and efficient, confirming the cause and dealing with a part which had failed. After replacing it, he made sure through restarting and subsequent testing that the system was operating normally.
We were completely satisfied with Ruben's work and him personally.
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German was professional and easy to converse with. He explained the situation clearly and gave me his honest thoughts on the issue. Amazing professional!
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The system needed cleaning, Justin & Phillip did an outstanding job.& very kind, taught me about what was needed to matain my wall heater.
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I had Giovanny Quintero as my HVAC inspector, and he did a wonderful job.
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Amazing!!!
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Your technician, Ricky Sanchez was prompt, efficient, patiently answered my questions, and left everything clean. Great experience
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Always reliable and thoughtful about figuring out what is wrong. I trust them!
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Justin was great explaining what things need updating to ensure the longevity of my unit. Very professional. Will work with him again.
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I found this company online when we had a furnace emergency. EVERYONE connected with this company had been professional, kind and efficient. They came out and showed me things about my furnace that TERRIFIED me. They will be back tomorrow to fix ever And I could not be happier. They are my go-to heating, AC and Electrical company from now on. AAA+++
Much appreciation to Ricky and Phil for the professional service today. Respectful heating and air conditioning technicians who will get the job done correctly. They shared some good advice to help keep my split unit running smoothly. I highly recommend purchase of a split wall unit through Brody Pennell as well as Ricky and Phil.
Thanks again.
Eric
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Justin. Was very helpful and help me understand the procedure

12/25/24
Jason. Was helpful . He had my heat on in a heartbeat and he explain about the pressure switch and the issue.
Response from the owner:Thank you for sharing your experience with Emmith! We appreciate your feedback and look forward to assisting you with any future HVAC needs.
I'm so glad I just happened to find this heating company! Kevin Lopez was fantastic. Kind patient and knowledgeable. Mine was a complicated case that he helped me with. Highly recommend the company and kevin.
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Let me state, first, that it would be an injustice to limit my comments about the service we have received from Brody Pennell to what has been provided by Rosendo Valdez, and the two fellows of his installation crew on January 2nd. I have to add the initial contact we had with technician, Daniel, and his manager, Brett. Collectively, these five gentlemen were not only excellent representatives of the company, they were also great lightening rods for the practice of customer serve in general. In all cases, their professionalism was tempered with culture of care, comfort, and concern for what we needed and what the company could provide, all in an effort to close the gap between where we were when we initially contacted Brody Pennell and where we wished to be in addressing the issue with heating our home. The character of their work easily surpassed the goal of meeting the needs of our household, going hand in hand with meeting their responsibilities as company employees providing a product to the public.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the fantastic review! We're happy to have served you well.
Justin U. was friendly, knowledgeable, and extremely helpful. He quickly diagnosed the issue with my heating system and walked me through the steps that needed to be taken to repair it.
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Justin was prompt, explained our issue and very professional. Pleased with the service.
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Really impressed with the service. I arrived home to discover my heater stopped working and they were at my house within 2hr of calling, and had it fixed about 2hr after that. Justin was very helpful and explained everything that caused the issue and how to prevent it going forward. Thank you!
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A complete professional knowledgable and went above and beyond in making sure I had a full picture of what was needed and addressed anything he could immediately Grateful
Response from the owner:Thank you, Maureen, for your kind words! We're glad to hear that you felt well informed and supported. Your appreciation means a lot to us.
Louis is a quality professional. Engaging, informative, receptive to questions, and very transparent with his system diagnosis. Would happily have him back again and would recommend him to anyone looking for a thorough rundown of their HVAC performance.
Response from the owner:Thank you, John, for your kind words about Louis! We're glad to hear you had a positive experience and appreciate your recommendation.
Very knowledgeable easy to communicate with Very likeable
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Juan was awesome, courteous and patient
Response from the owner:Thank you, Clarence! We're glad to hear that Juan made such a positive impression with his courteous and patient demeanor. Your feedback is appreciated!
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Javier was terrific and answered all my questions! Hearing back in action and understand my system more….
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Alex did a superb job. He serviced my mini split inside then climbed a ladder to my second story to service my mini split's outside. In addition he showed me in detail how to use my Mitsubishi unit more effectively.
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Great service
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Louis was fabulous. He was on time, courteous and knowledgeable. He has many years of experience and I trust his advice regarding my heat pump. I am buying a new heat pump system to replace my old one, and will use BrodyPennell for my heat pump service in the future.
Response from the owner:Thanks for the fantastic review! We're happy to have served you well.
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Professional service
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Great team. Great staff.
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Juan was great even my 2 Golden Retrievers enjoyed him coming - he was efficient and explained the result in easy to understand terms
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Juan Carbajal Brody Pennell was friendly, professional and thorough. He replaced all blower parts for our home HVAC and installed the entire unit efficiently and tested temperatures at vents upon completion.
I recommend him highly!
Tim L
Santa Monica
Response from the owner:Thank you for recommending Ivan and Jason, we appreciate your feedback!
The technical staff at Brody and Pennell are experienced, knowledgeable, and communicate very well. They will investigate and answer any questions without difficulty. They clean and inspect older HVAC equipment, recommend upgrades or replacements, and install new gear rapidly and in excellent condition. The cost is higher but the quality is worth it.
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Daniel B and Kavin L. They are nice technicians
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My technician was very thorough and professional. He was very detailed in his inspection of the equipment and in letting me know his assessment. It was very easy to communicate with him and he was not bothered with any of the questions I had. Even though the company gave a discount for the service, I feel it was a very through inspection.
Response from the owner:Thank you, Richard, for your kind words! We're glad to hear that you had a positive experience with our technician and appreciated their thoroughness and communication. Your feedback means a lot to us!
The "comfort club" is well worth the annual fee. Our system is checked and cleaned twice annually, and the staff have been superb.
Response from the owner:We're so glad to hear that you're finding value in our Comfort Club membership! Thank you for your kind words about our staff.

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By clicking “Send Message”, I am providing express written consent to receive autodialed and pre-recorded calls, texts, and SMS/MMS with marketing communications from Brody Pennell regarding home services at the phone number provided above, even if the number is on a corporate, state, or national Do Not Call list. Consent is not a condition to purchase services or products.