When you learn that you need to have your furnace repaired, your first thought may be that it's going to be a big, involved, and expensive job. Sometimes this is the case. However, when furnace repairs are really extensive, HVAC companies tend to simply recommend you replace the furnace. If your HVAC company is truly advising you to make repairs rather than replacing the unit, the repairs you need may not be as major or expensive as you're imagining. Keep reading to learn more about some of the most common residential heater repairs.

Broken Ignitor

The ignitor is a part of the furnace that lights the gas on fire. It's a small part, and it can easily fail. In fact, ignitor failure is pretty common in furnaces, especially as they get older. If your furnace's ignitor breaks, you may initially assume that something major is wrong since the furnace won't work or power up at all. However, the ignitor is a pretty inexpensive part, and it's not hard for an HVAC company to remove and replace. This repair is almost always worth making, even if your furnace is older.

Worn Ball Bearings

If your furnace is working but is making a lot of noise as it runs, this could be because it has a worn ball bearing in the blower motor. This is a fairly common issue. If you don't mind the noise and you plan on replacing the furnace soon anyways, you could just ignore it. Running the furnace like this will do more damage to the blower motor over time, however, so you should absolutely have the bearing replaced in a newer furnace. The HVAC technician will have to undo a lot of bolts and screws to access and replace the bearing. However, bearings themselves are inexpensive and the work is not hard.

Broken Limit Switch

Furnaces have a part called a limit switch that turns the furnace off if it starts to overheat. Sometimes, though, this switch breaks, which causes the furnace not to turn on a all. Luckily, the limit switch can be replaced, which will allow the furnace to operate again while also ensuring your safety. Again, this is an inexpensive part that can be replaced with a few minutes of work.

Furnace repairs are not always a big deal. If your furnace is broken, then talk to your HVAC contractor about the repairs they can make and how extensive those repairs really are.