Woodruff sits down in the southern corner of Spartanburg County, close to the Laurens County line, where the old mill town gives way to farmland and quiet country roads. Winters here tend to be a touch milder than up near the foothills, and a lot of homes rely on a heat pump for most of the season. The gas or electric furnace backing it up might only run a handful of days each year.
That sounds like a good thing until a hard freeze rolls in and the backup heat doesn’t come on. Chisholm Plumbing, AC & Furnace Repair repairs gas furnaces, electric furnaces, and heat pumps with furnace backup for homeowners and businesses throughout Woodruff. You’ll get upfront pricing before any work begins, and our team is available 24/7 when your heat lets you down.
The best time to find out your furnace has a problem is on a mild fall afternoon, not at 2 a.m. during a freeze. Running a quick test early in the season can reveal trouble that’s been building while the system sat idle. Here’s what to watch for when you do.
If anything seems off during your test, give us a call while the weather is still friendly. Fixing it now beats scrambling for help when the temperature drops below freezing.
Sitting idle is surprisingly hard on a furnace. When a backup furnace goes months or even years without running much, insects move in. Spiders spin webs across burners and orifices, and mud daubers build nests in burner openings and combustion air passages. Dust settles on flame sensors, blower bearings dry out, and moisture from long, humid summers rusts parts that never get warm enough to dry off.
Woodruff’s older mill homes come with their own challenges. Many have been through several heating systems over the years, and some still have older furnaces in closets or crawlspaces with ductwork that’s loose or undersized. Farmhouses and rural homes on the outskirts of town often deal with extra dust from surrounding fields and gravel roads, which clogs filters and coats the inside of the furnace.
Then there’s the switchover between the heat pump and the furnace. When a sensor, thermostat setting, or control board isn’t working right, the heat pump may keep running alone when it can’t keep up, or the backup may never get the signal to start. On the coldest nights, that leaves you with a system that runs constantly but never warms the house.
Because so many Woodruff homes use a heat pump with a furnace backup, we treat the whole system as a team. Fixing one half without checking the other often means another call later. Our technicians make sure both sides are working and talking to each other correctly.
We inspect the thermostat and its settings, the control board, ignition, burners, blower, safety switches, filter, and venting. We also check for insect nests, debris, and rust in furnaces that rarely run, and we test how the system switches from heat pump to backup heat. Every gas furnace repair includes a carbon monoxide test and a heat exchanger inspection.
Once we find the problem, we explain it in plain language and give you an upfront price before starting. After the repair, we run the furnace through a full cycle and confirm the backup heat kicks in when it should. That way, you can count on it the next time a freeze comes through.
When a hard freeze hit Woodruff one January weekend, Nancy noticed her heat pump running nonstop while the house kept getting colder. By evening, it was down to 61 degrees inside, and she could tell the backup heat wasn’t doing its part. Her furnace hadn’t really been needed in a couple of winters, so she wasn’t even sure it still worked.
Our technician found the furnace trying to light but failing every time. A mud dauber nest had partially blocked one of the burner openings, and spider webs and dust covered the flame sensor. He cleaned out the burners and nest, cleaned the flame sensor, checked the gas pressure and venting, and then tested the switchover between the heat pump and furnace to make sure the backup engaged on its own.
Nancy’s house was warm again that same night. It’s a common problem with backup furnaces that rarely run, and a fall tune-up is the easiest way to make sure yours is ready when you need it.
Woodruff may be a drive from the bigger cities, but that doesn’t mean you should wait days for help. We serve southern Spartanburg County with the same care we’d give our own family. Here’s what you can count on from our team.
When your heat isn’t keeping up, give Chisholm a call and we’ll head your way.
Backup furnaces can sit unused for long stretches, and problems like dust, rust, and insect nests often go unnoticed until a freeze. A fall test catches them early.
Yes. Spiders and mud daubers often build webs and nests in burners and air passages, especially in furnaces that rarely run. These can keep the furnace from lighting.
Backup heat usually turns on when the heat pump can’t keep up on very cold days. The exact point depends on your system and thermostat settings.
Set the thermostat a few degrees above room temperature and wait. You should hear the system start and feel warm air within a few minutes. If not, give us a call.
Yes. We provide furnace repair, including 24/7 emergency service, throughout Woodruff and the surrounding area.
