Your furnace works to keep the interior temperature of your home at a comfortable level throughout the cold winter months. However, like all other major appliances and systems in your house, age and constant operation can have a negative effect on the ability of your furnace to properly function. This can lead to your furnace blowing cold air within your home, instead of efficiently heating your home. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to troubleshoot a furnace that is no longer working as intended.
Check the Thermostat
One of the most common reasons why your furnace may be blowing cold air sometimes, but not always, is because of an improper fan setting on your thermostat. You'll want to have it set to auto, not on, since this will only turn the fan on while the furnace itself is in operation. Otherwise, your fan will continue to run and move air throughout your home, which can improve ventilation but will likely also greatly increase your energy bills each month.
Change the Air Filter
Another common reason why your furnace may only be blowing cold air through your ductwork is because it is constantly overheating. A furnace that overheats will trip a safety feature that will turn the heating element off to prevent the furnace from damaging itself through normal operation. Overheating is most commonly caused by a clogged air filter that does not allow proper air flow into the furnace: simply removing the filter, which can be done by hand or with a screwdriver, and taking the dirty furnace into a hardware store to match it to a replacement filter can get your furnace functioning normally again.
Professional Inspection
Finally, if the above two steps do not resolve your cold air problem, you may want to contact an HVAC professional to inspect your unit's internal mechanics to determine if there is an issue with the wiring or a specific component. A burned-out heating element will leave your furnace unable to produce any heat at all, whereas a fan that has had its wiring damaged may be unable to turn off, constantly pushing air through your home's ductwork. Alternatively, the issue may not even lie with your furnace, but instead with the ductwork: leaks or a lack of insulation can allow for heat to leave the air in your ducts before it reaches other areas of your home, which can leave certain rooms feeling cold.
Check out websites like http://www.coeheatcool.com to learn more.
Share27 February 2018
Hi there, I am Nadine Bachmier. I am going to discuss the various ways HVAC contractors can keep the temperatures in your business stable. HVAC contractors focus on maintaining and repairing the air conditioner, furnace, and ductwork used in your building. To keep the heating and cooling system in good shape, contractors may need to replace internal components, clean out channels, or simply perform a full upgrade. I will talk about the tools and techniques used to maintain and repair the equipment in your building. I will also share information about new products as they hit the HVAC market. I hope you will follow along and learn all you can.