A broken furnace leaves your home feeling cold during winter in Metairie, LA. Here’s why your home furnace won’t stay on:
Overheating
A furnace has a limit switch that turns it off when it starts overheating. This protects your furnace from damage. Overheating can result from insufficient airflow in and out of the furnace.
The furnace needs to pull enough cold air from your house. Cold air comes to the heat exchanger where heated air blows over the cold air coils. If there isn’t enough cold air and the heat exchanger reaches the maximum temperature, the furnace will turn off automatically.
A professional can inspect the furnace to identify the problem. It might result from a blocked vent, dirty air filter, dirty heat exchanger or a broken blower motor.
Dirty Flame Sensor
If soot covers the flame sensor rod, the furnace short cycles. This rod detects when the flame in the furnace is burning. If it fails to detect the flame, it closes the gas valve for safety. This safety measure is a good thing when the sensor rod operates efficiently.
In the case of a dirty flame sensor rod, the flame sensor shuts off your furnace even when the flame is burning. A professional can help you clean the rod to keep your furnace operational.
Broken Thermostat
Inaccurate thermostat and furnace calibration can lead to short cycles. The furnace will switch off to the wrong temperature setting from the thermostat a few minutes after turning on. You should ask a professional to inspect your thermostat and your furnace to identify the problem and fix it for you.
Full Condensate Pan
Newer and high-efficiency furnaces produce condensation. The condensate drips into a pan where it then drains away. If the condensate drain clogs and the pan fills with the liquid, the furnace turns off to ensure the condensate doesn’t spill over the edge.
A professional can help prevent these problems through routine maintenance of your home furnace. Call Siener Air to schedule routine maintenance for your furnace or other HVAC system.
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