4 Reasons You Might Need Furnace Repairs This Winter

It's a miserable feeling when the furnace you rely on to keep you warm and snug suddenly breaks down and leaves you shivering in your own home. Your furnace may not turn on at all, or it might turn on and blow cool air. Either way, you're freezing and miserable. Here are some possible causes of a furnace breakdown.

1. The Thermostat Is Not Communicating

Be sure the thermostat is set properly. If it is, and the thermostat is not triggering the furnace to turn on, the problem might be with the wiring or the control board. A loose wire is a simple problem to fix since the wire just has to be seated properly and tightened to make a tight connection. Bad wiring can be replaced if necessary.

A problem with the control board can be more complex to repair. A furnace repair person may need to replace the control board if it's bad. The parts of a furnace can be tested with a multimeter to tell if they are bad or functional. This helps the furnace repair technician know for sure why the thermostat isn't controlling the furnace properly and where to start when making repairs.

2. The Blower Isn't Turning

Blower problems are common causes of a furnace breakdown, and that's one reason annual furnace tune-ups are important. During a tune-up, the furnace technician cleans and services the blower and the parts that make it spin. If dirt builds up, the blower gets more difficult to spin and the motor can strain. An overheated motor can burn out and then the blower won't spin at all.

If the furnace blower isn't working, the furnace repair technician can remove it for a thorough cleaning. They can also test the motor and capacitor to make sure they are okay, and if not, make the needed repairs or replace the bad parts.

3. The Heat Is Lost In The Attic

Duct trouble might be to blame when your house won't warm up. If a duct opened up, heat will pour into the attic and be lost. That leaves less heat to warm up your home. You might want to look in your attic yourself to check the ducts, but if you don't know how or you don't know how to repair ripped ducts, then call a furnace repair technician to check the ducts over and seal any leaks they find.

4. The Heat-Producing Parts Are Bad

An electric furnace has burners that turn on in sequence to heat the air. If one burner is bad or if the part controlling the sequence firing of the burners is bad, then your electric furnace won't produce much heat. The furnace repair technician can replace the bad burner or part so your furnace makes heat again.

A gas furnace has a number of things that can malfunction when it comes to igniting the gas burners. This part of the furnace can get dirty with soot, and the soot buildup affects how well parts work. In addition, this part of the furnace has safety mechanisms that protect against a gas leak and excessive heat. If a safety mechanism senses trouble, your furnace may shut down and stay off until a furnace repair technician fixes the issue and resets the furnace. 

About Me

Warm and Cozy or Cool and Comfortable with HVAC

Hi, my name is Kari, and as a mom, I think it is my responsibility to make sure my family is comfortable. Some days that means making cookies for a sad kid or painting our walls in inspiring colors. Other days, it means troubleshooting the HVAC system to make sure we are all warm and cozy in the winter and cool and comfortable during the summer. If you want to read about HVAC, get tips on picking the right system or learn to troubleshoot issues, you have found the right blog! Please, get comfortable and enjoy reading! I hope these posts inspire and inform you!

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