Heating Repair

Understanding Your Heating System’s Warning Signs

When temperatures drop across Pittsburgh, PA and surrounding areas, your heating system becomes essential for maintaining comfort and safety in your home. At Staab & Sons, Inc., we understand that recognizing early warning signs can mean the difference between a simple repair and a complete system failure. Unusual noises like banging, whistling, or grinding often indicate mechanical issues that require immediate attention. If you notice uneven heating throughout your home, with some rooms staying warm while others remain cold, your system may be struggling with airflow problems or component failures. Strange odors, particularly burning smells or the scent of gas, demand immediate professional intervention for safety reasons.

Our NATE certified technicians have encountered every conceivable heating problem throughout our many years serving Allegheny and surrounding counties. Increased energy bills without corresponding usage changes typically signal efficiency losses due to worn components or system strain. Short cycling, where your furnace turns on and off frequently without completing full heating cycles, stresses components and reduces equipment lifespan. Yellow or flickering pilot lights on gas furnaces indicate combustion problems that can affect both efficiency and safety.

Common Heating Repairs and Solutions

Heat exchanger problems represent one of the most critical repairs we handle at Staab & Sons, Inc. These components transfer heat from combustion gases to your home’s air supply, and cracks or corrosion can lead to dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. Our factory authorized technicians use advanced diagnostic equipment including infrared cameras and combustion analyzers to detect even microscopic heat exchanger failures. Ignition system failures, whether involving pilot lights, hot surface igniters, or electronic ignition modules, prevent furnaces from starting properly. We maintain comprehensive inventories of replacement igniters for all major brands, ensuring quick repairs when these components fail.

Blower motor issues affect your system’s ability to distribute heated air throughout your home. Our EPA certified technicians diagnose motor problems ranging from worn bearings and damaged capacitors to complete motor failures. Control board malfunctions can cause erratic system behavior, from failure to respond to thermostat commands to improper cycling sequences. With over four generations of experience, we’ve developed expertise in troubleshooting complex electronic controls across all heating system types.

Professional Diagnostic Approach

Our comprehensive diagnostic process begins with thorough system inspection and testing. We evaluate:

• Electrical components: checking voltage, amperage, and continuity across all circuits
• Gas pressure and combustion efficiency: ensuring optimal fuel delivery and burn characteristics
• Airflow measurements: verifying proper static pressure and temperature rise
• Safety controls: testing limit switches, flame sensors, and pressure switches
• Thermostat calibration: confirming accurate temperature sensing and control signals

Advanced diagnostic tools enable precise problem identification without unnecessary component replacement. Combustion analysis ensures your system operates at peak efficiency while maintaining safe carbon monoxide levels. Static pressure testing reveals ductwork restrictions or filter blockages affecting system performance.

Emergency Heating Repair Services

Heating emergencies don’t follow convenient schedules, particularly during severe weather events that strain systems beyond normal capacity. As winners of the 2011 Better Business Torch Award for business ethics, we prioritize honest communication about repair urgency and options. Not every heating problem constitutes an emergency, but complete system failures during freezing temperatures, gas leaks, or carbon monoxide detector activation require immediate response.

Our professionally trained technicians carry extensive parts inventories, enabling on-spot repairs for most common failures. There is not a job or system, large or small, that we cannot handle, from residential furnaces to complex commercial heating plants. Emergency situations often reveal underlying maintenance needs that, when addressed, prevent future crisis repairs.

Preventive Heater Maintenance Benefits

Regular heater maintenance dramatically reduces emergency repair frequency and extends equipment lifespan. Annual tune-ups include cleaning critical components, lubricating moving parts, tightening electrical connections, and calibrating controls for optimal performance. During maintenance visits, our technicians identify developing problems before they cause system failures, allowing planned repairs at convenient times rather than emergency interventions during cold snaps.

Knowledge and expertise to get the job done right the first time around is the cornerstone of our quality service our customers have come to expect. This commitment extends beyond immediate repairs to educating customers about proper system operation and maintenance between professional HVAC service visits. Understanding your heating system’s capabilities and limitations helps maximize efficiency while minimizing repair costs throughout its operational life.