Most Common Reasons Why Your Furnace Fails

For the most part, furnaces are reliable heat sources that help you stay warm amid cold weather. These pieces of equipment work silently and eliminate the risks of you and your family being exposed to extremely low temperatures.

However, there are times when furnaces act up and cause discomfort. Regardless of the age, make, and model of your existing unit, you may experience a furnace that fails to perform its basic tasks.

Four Seasons Air Specialists is your trustworthy heating company in North Oaks MN. We can help you save time and money by ensuring your furnace runs at peak performance all winter long.

Here are some of the most common reasons why your furnace gives you troubles.

A Faulty Thermostat

The thermostat is an essential part of your heating system because it tells the furnace what to do. But sometimes, even the thermostat can malfunction.

While you may still be able to get some service out of a faulty thermostat, it will keep you from staying comfortable if it doesn’t work properly.

If your furnace won’t even turn on or respond to the thermostat, it tells you right away that there is something wrong with it. If you try to make changes to the temperature and get no response from your furnace, it means that the thermostat is not working as it should.

In some cases, there are delays in response to your preferred thermostat settings. When you adjust the temperature, it should almost immediately activate those changes. The thermostat should produce a clicking sound whenever changes are made, then the system will take those changes into effect. If the thermostat fails to react to those adjustments, it probably means it is due for a repair or even a replacement.

Moreover, if your furnace keeps on turning itself on and off prematurely, and fails to provide the required heat, your home will suffer from inconsistent heating. As a result, you and your family experience some measure of inconvenience.

Replacing the batteries usually rectifies these problems. However, if you already have fresh batteries installed and yet the system still is not responding properly, you should call an HVAC professional.

An Exhausted Furnace

If your furnace works 24/7, there’s a likelihood of it overheating, and when it does, it turns itself on and off more often than usual. This issue is called “short cycling”, a major cause of excessive energy consumption and furnace failures.

A congested filter can cause your furnace to restrict the airflow within the heat exchanger. The accumulation of dirt causes it to work unnecessarily harder. Inspecting and replacing the filter regularly helps avoid this problem. In fact, it is one of the simplest things you can do to keep your furnace running smoothly.

Try not to disregard this problem as repeated overheating can permanently damage the heat exchanger, which is a very expensive part to repair or replace.

Closed registers can also cause your system to overheat by increasing the pressure in your air ducts. It slows down your furnace blowers and compromises the airflow within the system.

Other reasons that can cause your furnace to overheat include, a clogged evaporator coil, a dirty blower wheel, or a broken gas valve.

Electrical Problems

Whether you have an oil or a gas furnace, it still needs electricity to run. Minor issues like a tripped circuit breaker inside your electrical panel can create troubles, including your furnace failing to produce warm air. A tripped breaker can even cause a furnace to not turn on completely. It can also affect your pilot light, making your furnace unable to start.

If resetting the circuit breaker does not eliminate the problem, do not try go any further, especially if you do not have proper training. For your safety, it’s best to call a local HVAC professional who has the right knowledge, experience, and tools to fix your electrical problems.

Dealing with a Faulty Furnace? Call Four Seasons Air Specialists

If you are having discomfort at home because of a malfunctioning furnace, be sure to give us a call. Our teams of certified heating professionals can identify the problem and apply the right solutions. We’ll restore your heat in no time. We are your dedicated White Bear furnace repair company.