One of the most frustrating problems you can experience with your heating system during the winter is when your furnace keeps shutting off. Your furnace may follow a pattern of kicking on, running for a few minutes, and then shutting off before your house reaches the desired temperature setting. This is more than just an efficiency problem with your system. It’s an internal safety mechanism triggered by some sort of internal stress. It’s important to get prompt HVAC repair for your Madison-area home before it turns into a permanent problem.
The Airflow Bottleneck: Dirty Filters and Overheating
For your furnace to work properly, it needs adequate airflow throughout your air ducts. This means all your air vents must be in the open position and unobstructed by rugs or furniture. Your furnace’s air filter also plays a major role in ensuring air can move freely through your ductwork. Whenever the filter is dirty and in need of replacement, it will obstruct the free flow of air through your ducts.
When air can’t flow freely through your air ducts and your furnace, the heat will linger inside. This causes the furnace to heat up significantly and triggers its high limit switch, which is a safety sensor that’s responsible for shutting off the furnace’s burner in the event of overheating. The limit switch helps prevent a fire from developing and any damage from happening to the internal components of your furnace.
Thermostat Miscommunication
One cause of furnace short-cycling that many people overlook is a thermostat miscommunication. Your thermostat is the brain behind your furnace that tells it when to turn on and off. A malfunctioning thermostat can stop the signal to your furnace, causing it to shut off intermittently.
Sometimes, the issue may be as simple as needing to replace dead batteries inside your thermostat. Other times, the wiring going to your thermostat may need an upgrade, or your thermostat may need to be relocated. If it’s located near a heat source or draft, it could shut off prematurely before the rest of your home gets adequately warm.
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608-837-3638Why Cold Nights Push Systems to the Brink
When those cold winter nights settle in, your furnace has to run more often due to the difference in the temperature outside and inside. As your furnace runs more frequently to combat heat loss, it’s more likely to expose its minor issues. Things like a slightly dirty flame sensor or a weakening blower motor can cause the system to give out entirely when it’s pushed to the brink. This is why most people experience major malfunctions during the coldest parts of the winter.
The Danger of the “Total Lockout”
One of the most crucial reasons to schedule a furnace repair when there’s an issue is to prevent dealing with a total lockout during those overly cold winter nights. A total lockout can occur after three consecutive failed ignition attempts or limit switch trips. When your system goes into lockout mode, it won’t restart without a technician coming in and resetting it. It’s also important to ensure it gets repaired at that time to prevent another total lockout from happening after the reset.
How Action Restores Your Reliability
When your furnace turns on and off every five minutes, or you notice any of the other heating system failure signs, it’s important to contact Action Plumbing, Heating, A/C & Electric for prompt repair service. Our team of fully licensed heating technicians will perform comprehensive diagnostics on your unit to determine the root cause of the issue.
Sometimes, it might be as simple as cleaning the flame sensor so that it can do its job properly. Other times, we may need to replace malfunctioning components. It’s important to realize that furnace short-cycling symptoms are considered a cry for help from your furnace. If you put off getting help, you’ll likely end up dealing with a no-heat emergency situation during the coldest part of the season. Action offers 24/7 emergency heating repairs so that you can have peace of mind when you experience an issue on those colder winter nights.
Contact Action today to schedule heating services in Madison, WI, or the surrounding areas.
FAQs
Whether it’s about heating system failure signs or our HVAC repair process, we get a lot of questions from our customers. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most frequent questions we receive.
How often should my furnace cycle?
Most furnaces will cycle anywhere from three to five times per hour. You should hear your furnace kick on and run for about 10 to 15 minutes per cycle. If your furnace shuts off after just running a few minutes, it’s short-cycling and needs a professional evaluation.
Can a smart thermostat fix short-cycling?
Smart thermostats are great for providing more precise temperature control in your home. However, if there’s a mechanical airflow issue with your system, it’s not going to solve that problem. It’s important to have a professional evaluate your unit so that they can repair the mechanical issue to restore functionality.
Is short-cycling dangerous?
Yes, short-cycling is considered dangerous for your furnace as it increases the stress on its internal components. These include things like your blower motor and your heat exchanger. Continuing to use your unit if it keeps short-cycling will lead to premature failure of these expensive system components.
Should I turn my furnace off if it’s short-cycling?
When you first notice that your furnace is short-cycling, one of the best things you can do is check your air filter to see if it needs replacing. If that doesn’t solve the problem, it’s best to call in a professional to further evaluate the issue. You never want to continue to run your unit if it’s constantly short-cycling, as it could lead to more internal system damage over time.
