Winter in Canada is no joke! A furnace is the most essential thing in winter for every Canadian. Before the snow starts to pile up in Cambridge, Kitchener, Guelph, and Waterloo, the homeowners should double-check their furnace condition and immediately go for service in case they need it.
With our years of expertise in the field, Infinity HVAC LTD has come across homeowners who wait till the last moment for a repair or a completely new installation of a furnace in their home. Waiting till the last moment and freezing your entire home is not a good idea at all.
Here are seven real-world signs your furnace may need a repair before winter hits, straight from what we see in the field every single week.
1. Your Energy Bills Suddenly Spike
You expect bills to rise a bit when the furnace kicks in, but if your hydro or gas bill makes your jaw drop, something’s up.
We’ve had homeowners call saying, “I don’t understand — nothing’s changed, but my bills are almost double.” The most common reason for this would be the double work of the furnace, due to any fault, wear-outs, parts damage, or electrical complaints. Tip: If your bills don’t match your usage, get it checked before winter locks you into months of high costs.
2. Strange Noises You Can’t Ignore
Furnaces usually make a small humming sound as they work. But a loud noise is not a common thing.
A Cambridge customer once told us it sounded like there were “marbles rolling inside” their furnace. Turned out it was a loose blower wheel. Not attending this service on time would have led to significant damage to the heating system.
3. Uneven Heating Around the House
One of the most common calls we get is: “Why is my upstairs freezing while the basement feels like a sauna?”
Uneven heating can be a ductwork issue, a faulty blower, or even something as simple as a clogged filter. But here’s the thing: if the system is struggling to heat evenly now, it’s not going to fix itself when it’s minus 20 outside magically.
4. The Furnace Keeps Cycling On and Off1
This is a red flag most homeowners don’t notice until it gets terrible. If your furnace kicks on for a couple of minutes, shuts off, then starts again shortly after, that’s called “short cycling.”
We had a homeowner in Guelph whose furnace was cycling so often that it wore down the ignition system within weeks. A thermostat issue, airflow restriction, or overheating can cause short cycling. Whatever the case, it needs fixing; otherwise, you’ll be looking at costly repairs or even a full replacement sooner than expected.
5. You Notice Odd Smells
Turning on the furnace after a long time, especially at the beginning of winter, may make some dusty odour, but persisting with the issue with a musty smell is not a good thing.
One family in Waterloo told us their furnace smelled like burning plastic. When we opened it up, the wiring insulation was starting to melt. That could have turned dangerous fast.
Bad odour is not a common thing for a furnace; your furnace should not smell bad.
6. The System is Struggling to Keep Up
You set the thermostat to 22°C, but the house just doesn’t get there. Or it takes hours to climb even one degree. That’s your furnace begging for help.
The system issue can be due to improper maintenance, like clogging, or a dirty sensor, or it can be due to its complete system breakdown.
Either way, if your furnace can’t keep up now, it will fail you when winter is at its worst.
7. The Furnace is Over 12–15 Years Old
Furnace life time is mostly between 10-15 years, so if your furnace starts to act up all of a sudden, it may be due to its oldness. Past that, they start needing frequent repairs and run much less efficiently.
We always tell homeowners: if you’re calling us every season for repairs, it’s probably time to talk about replacement. Investing in a new unit can save you money in the long run compared to endless patch-ups.
Why Acting Early Matters
Here’s the truth: furnaces rarely just “die” out of nowhere. Before a complete breakdown, the heating systems throw several warnings.
Catching these issues early means:
- Complete shutdown in the middle of winter
- You save money by repairing small issues before they turn major.
- You keep your family safe and comfortable when the cold sets in.
We have been experiencing the same kind of approach from homeowners every winter; most service calls are on the coldest days. The last-minute call for service is both difficult for technicians and homeowners. If you approach technicians ahead of time, it will be less difficult for your system and for the tech.
Call US
If you have come across this blog and you find any of the signs above, increased bill, uneven heating, odd smell, or simply an old system, get your heating system inspected immediately, before winter arrives.
If you take good care of your heating system, it will last up to 20 years, have routine maintenance checks, regular inspections, tune ups for your system, so that your system won’t break down often.
Infinity HVAC LTD has been serving Cambridge and nearby areas with all kinds of HVAC services. We know the Canadian weather – call us if you need any kind of HVAC support for any season. Our technicians will inspect, resolve, and maintain your complete HVAC system.
