Furnace Failure: Why Isn’t Your Furnace Working?
It’s winter, and in Michigan that means we very much need our furnaces to provide us with consistent heating for us to stay warm and comfortable. Some winters, like this one, are more challenging. If you have an unreliable furnace, it can cause a lot of anxiety. Let’s go through some of the reasons your furnace might fail. Some of them you can fix yourself, and others will require the help of a trained professional.
Reasons for Furnace Failure
If your furnace isn’t working, one of the following problems may be the cause. Let’s start with the most basic:
Your thermostat is not on – Sometimes something can happen to alter the settings of the thermostat. Whether this is a human or tech error, if your furnace isn’t working, check the thermostat settings to make sure that it is on HEAT mode and the temperature is set a few degrees higher than the current room temperature so you can see if it turns on. It’s possible that your batteries have lost their charge or, if your thermostat is hardwired, a breaker has tripped. Check the batteries and your circuit breaker to make sure. If you’ve experienced this problem more than once, you may have a problem that an HVAC technician will have to diagnose.
Your air filter is clogged – A very dirty air filter can result in the furnace overheating and shutting off as a way of preventing a fire hazard. Check your air filter and replace it if it is full of dirt. Once your furnace has cooled down, you will see if this fixes the problem.
There is an air-flow blockage – Other blockages can also cause the furnace to overheat and shut off. If you have items blocking your furnace, clear six feet of space around it. Check to see if all of the vents in your home are open and unblocked so that air can circulate through them.
If your furnace is turning on and then off again after a short period of time without heating the house, this is called short cycling. It’s frequently caused by clogged air filters or airflow, although it can also be caused by a mechanical problem. If your furnace is short cycling, call an HVAC professional because this can cause damage to the furnace if it continues for too long.
A part is malfunctioning – Your furnace is made up of a number of parts that all have to function correctly and in tandem for it to work. These parts get dirty over time, lose their lubrication, or simply get worn down or break. If your furnace is not working, your HVAC professional will examine the:
- Burners
- Bearings
- Igniter
- Limit switch
- Control board
- Heat exchanger
- Flame sensor
- Gas line
- Circuit breaker
The problem could involve one or more of the above. If you have no experience with furnace care, you should call a professional instead of tinkering with it yourself. A gas furnace that is not operating properly can allow combustion fumes to accumulate and cause a carbon monoxide leak. Any kind of gas leak in the house is dangerous, especially during wintertime when people’s houses are closed up and no new air circulates in the house. If you notice an unpleasant smell or you see surfaces in your home getting noticeably dirtier, your furnace has a problem that needs to be corrected right away. Call an HVAC professional.
At Weinkauf Plumbing & Heating we are available for all of your heating needs any time. If you are in the Alpena area and have a furnace emergency, don’t hesitate to call us at (989) 354-5427. We will send someone out right away to diagnose and fix your furnace failure.