Your furnace keeps your house cozy during the harsh winter months, so it’s annoying when something is off. One frequent situation is a furnace that endlessly kicks on and shuts back off all the time. This problem is referred to as short cycling. It strains your heating system and might lead to costly repairs or even earlier than normal failure.
Short cycling can happen for a few reasons. Before you schedule furnace repair, read about the likely causes and how to resolve the problem.
1. Filthy Air Filter
The HVAC filter catches airborne dust, hair and other debris that could damage the furnace. If you don’t get a new filter often enough, it can become filthy and block the airflow. When this occurs, a safety mechanism shuts off the furnace to prevent getting too hot. Pull Out the filter, and if it’s dirty, get a new one. From now on, get a new filter every 30 to 90 days to stop your furnace from short cycling.
2. Obstructed Air Vents
A dirty filter isn’t the only thing that can lower airflow and overheat your furnace. Walk around your home and look for shut or crowded air vents. For adequate system balance and performance, keep all registers open, even in unused rooms.
3. Dirty Blower Wheel
The furnace blower has blades that distribute air through the ductwork. If they are covered in dirt, the air won’t travel correctly, creating overheating and short cycling. Regularly changing the filter is the best way to avoid a dirty blower wheel. If the blades are already dirty, request furnace maintenance to have them cleaned.
4. Faulty Thermostat
Check your thermostat next. This is the brain of your HVAC system and tells the furnace what to do. Double-check the thermostat is in heating mode and auto fan with the desired temperature displayed on the screen. Try changing the batteries. Also, check whether the thermostat is in full sunlight or near a heat source that could affect the temperature reading. If you rely on a smart thermostat, visit the manufacturer’s site for troubleshooting instructions.
5. Dirty Flame Sensor
The flame sensor switches off the gas valve when no burner flame going. The sensor can’t sense the flame if it’s sooty, so the gas shuts off too soon and the furnace shuts down. Leave the adjustment of cleaning a sooty flame sensor to an Expert like Air Engineers Service Experts.
6. Oversized Furnace
When it includes home comfort equipment, oversized isn’t always best. A bigger system warms up your home too quickly, leading to intolerable temperature fluctuations and short cycling. The only way to resolve this situation is to request new furnace installation.
If you try the solutions we went over here and nothing has changed, it’s time to reach the professionals at Air Engineers Service Experts. We’ll review the situation, diagnose the cause, and provide the necessary repair. Our aim is to bring back indoor comfort, energy efficiency and dependable furnace performance for the rest of the season. And our repairs are supported by a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for a year.* For more information about furnace short cycling, or to schedule HVAC repair, reach us at 904-450-5672 now!
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*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.