Ac Man Of Houston Helps With Furnace Issues!

What Causes A Furnace To Turn Off And On Frequently

Short cycling is when a furnace stops and starts more often than it should. Your furnace can suffer a lot of damage if it’s short cycling. Not only that, but your utility bills can increase.

What Causes Short Cycling

Overheating can cause it. So can issues with the thermostat. Also, an over-sized furnace could be the reason. We’ll go into these in more depth and how you can take care of them.

Overheating

If your furnace is shutting down, then the exchanger could be the culprit. The furnace shuts itself down when the exchanger overheats. This is to protect it from cracking.

Eventually, the heat exchanger can crack. It is very expensive to replace an exchanger, and it is sometimes better to replace your entire furnace than replacing the exchanger. Unless you have a parts warranty, then you’ll want to consider replacing the furnace.

What Causes Overheating

A dirty air filter can cause the heat exchanger to overheat. What you should do is check the air filter 1-2 times per month. Make sure to change it if it looks dirty.

Blocked Off Air Vents

An exchanger can overheat if air vents are blocked off. When you close the vents or if they are blocked off, then the air ducts are subjected to more pressure and this can lead the blower not blowing out as much air as it should. When the airflow is low, then less heat is exchanged and this can lead to more heat to build up. If you want to fix this problem, then keep the vents open and do not block them.

Blocked Exhaust Vents

Certain gases gave to be exhausted, which your furnace does via its exhaust vents. However, there are a number of things that can block these vents, and this includes leaves, nests, and debris. This can lead to furnace overheating, which is dangerous. Furthermore, carbon monoxide could end up being released into your home.

Do you know where your furnace’s flue pipe is? If so, then inspect it to make sure nothing is clogging it up. Be careful if the vent is located on the roof.

Thermostat Issues

Thermostats let your furnace know when to turn on and when to turn off. If short cycling is happening, then the thermostat might be faulty. There are two common issues that affect thermostats, and this includes:

Malfunctioning- A thermostat that malfunctions need to be replaced. It might be able to be repaired. A professional can help you out here.
Improper Placement- The thermostat might be tricked into thinking your home is warm enough. This can happen if it’s installed near a heat register, direct sunlight, the kitchen or other heat sources. This is why you want to make sure the thermostat is installed in a proper place.

Oversized Furnace

Did you install a new furnace recently? If so, it might be too big. A furnace that’s too large can heat your home up very fast, but this can actually cause your energy bills to skyrocket.

What you need to do is contact the professional who installed your furnace. Tell them what the problem is. They should be able to correct the problem, such as reinstalling a furnace that is a suitable size for your home or they will offer another solution.