Overall, more than 47% of Americans rely on natural gas in their home's central heating systems. Nothing is more homely than walking into a toasty warm house during winter. This is why most households rely on the critical role of furnaces in keeping the rooms warm and cozy.
But the last thing you would want to come home to is a dysfunctional furnace. Your furnace may sometimes blow cold air due to various mechanical issues.
Have the extreme temperatures got you concerned about your furnace blowing cold air?
Relax. This guide provides you with probable causes and solutions to your predicament.
- Incorrect Thermostat Settings
Most times, the primary reason for furnace blowing cold air may be due to incorrect thermostat configuration. If the thermostat is set to “on,” then this may be the reason you're in a fix. You ought to set your furnace's thermostat to “auto” to ensure that the fan keeps blowing continuously, even when the furnace is not heating the air.
Always check your thermostat settings first whenever your furnace is blowing cold air before considering other intricate interventions.
- Other Thermostat Issues
The thermostat may fail in its functionality in some cases due to other issues not necessarily related to settings. For instance, if you’ve recently installed a thermostat but didn’t consult a professional, probably, the thermostat was not compatible with your heating system.
You may need to consult a seasoned expert on the issue, for instance, you could visit Barnett Electrical now if in the Oklahoma area, to ensure that your thermostat is compatible with the central heating system. But in other cases, the problem could be with the battery. If you have been using your thermostat for a while, you may need to consider replacing the battery.
- Assess the Air Filter
If your air filter is dirty, then there may be restrictions of airflow into your furnace. If your furnace overheats due to such restrictions, your heating system will probably blow cold air. The fan continues to run once the limit switch shuts off to protect the furnace from damage due to overheating.
The air filter is responsible for getting dirt off the furnace system. If the faulty air filter fails to perform this critical role, the furnace will have intermittent instances of overheating. Consequently, as the fan works extra hard to limit the extent of overheating, you’ll tend to experience an increase in the level of cold air emissions.
Replacing the air filter in such instances is inevitable. As long as this critical component is dysfunctional, your central heating system will continue to blow cold air, or eventually break down completely. Such delicate replacements require you to source for HVAC service from seasoned and reliable providers.
- Problem With the Ignition Light
If you have noted a recurrent emission of cold air from your furnace, the issue could be with the ignition system. The ignition system comprises of the pilot light, which may experience faults leading to sporadic instances of failure to ignite the fuel. In such cases, your furnace would be unable to heat your home.
You need to confirm whether your pilot light is out. This could be a significant reason for the instances of cold air emission from your furnace. You can follow the instructions manual on how to light your pilot light. Then relight the pilot light based on the instructions.
If after turning the pilot light on the flame still goes off, then there may be a more significant concern. Your furnace may have a thermocouple problem. This may mean that the component requires replacement. Trying to do it yourself could do you more harm than good.
If your ignition is not working, calling in a technician would be the most appropriate action. Most thermocouple-related issues can affect your central heating system in a significant way. Taking up urgent measures would be critical in such cases, such as calling a repair company like callthegeneral.com/furnace-
- Valve Problems May Be the Reason for Furnace Blowing Cold Air
At times, the pilot fails to light up due to a faulty gas valve. The furnace uses the process of combustion to light up your home. This means that there's a need for the pipes to be clean to ensure the process of combustion is not derailed due to clogs and dirt.
If you have been experiencing instances of cold air from your furnace, you should consider cleaning the valves to rid them of dirt and debris. You can have your system cleaned and checked by professionals to ensure that such a concern does not recur.
- Leaking Ducts
Has your furnace been blowing cold air? This could be a result of hot air escaping through the holes in your system's ductwork. The duct system carries the heat generated in the furnace throughout the premise. But when the ductwork has holes, there is a risk that hot air will find a way to escape through such loopholes.
Such damages to the ductwork can have negative implications on your system's ability to sustain desired heat. You may need to call in a technician to access the ductwork and decide on the remedial options available to you.
- Faulty Flame Sensor
You may have noted instances where your furnace starts to blow warm air, then abruptly blows cold air. Most of the time, such concerns may be due to a compromised flame sensor. Flame sensors are prone to grime or may eventually get warm air out.
Such concerns may cause the burner to keep shutting off, which makes the furnace to blow cold air. The furnace sensor is a critical component in your home's central heating system. You may need to consult an HVAC expert to guide you on the process of repairing the furnace sensor.
Regular Maintenance and Timely Repairs Will Ensure You Come Home to a Homely and Cozy Ambiance
You need to pay attention to these furnace-related problems to ensure that you sustain that cozy and homely feel whenever you come home. If you’ve been worried about your furnace blowing cold air, you no longer have to.
You only need to undertake a critical review of the central heating system by assessing the mentioned components. Often, you may need to call heating repair Henderson to assist with the repair and maintenance process.
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