Potential Causes Of Furnace Malfunctions And Performance Issues

When a furnace is suffering from problems, it is imperative for your comfort and safety to take steps to repair it as quickly as possible. There are a few steps that will help you to isolate the potential cause of the furnace failure so that you can determine whether you need to contact a furnace repair service.

Verify The Burner And Heating Elements Are Working

The first thing to check when a furnace is failing is whether or not it is still producing heat. Many modern furnaces incorporate an internal thermometer that will allow you to easily verify whether or not the system is achieving the desired temperature. In some instances, the furnace may be producing some heat, but it may not be reaching the desired temperature setting. If this is the case for your furnace, you should avoid the temptation to simply turn up the temperature setting, as this could cause major damage to the furnace and potentially cause a fire. In fact, you may want to turn off the furnace and use your emergency heat source until it can be repaired, as this is an indication that there may be a serious problem that needs to be handled by a furnace repair service.

Check For Obstructions

Many homes utilize forced air furnaces to provide heat. For these systems, it can be possible for obstructions to prevent the system from distributing the warmed air. When checking for an obstruction, you should first review the air filter as a dirty air filter can block the intake of air. If the air filter appears in good condition, you should also check any exterior vents as dirt and dust on these vents can also contribute to this problem. In some situations, you may notice that your heating system is failing to warm a particular part of the home. This may be attributed to a blockage in the ducting system, which can occur due to pests building nests, large amounts of dust and debris, or other a variety of other causes.

Ensure The Fan Is Activating

A common cause of a forced air furnace failing is that the fan will malfunction. This will have the effect of preventing the system from sending the warmed air through the home's duct system. The motor that powers the forced air furnace will eventually fail, and this can be a particularly common issue for older furnace systems. When this fan fails, homeowners might assume replacing the entire furnace system will be required. In reality, it is usually a fairly simple and affordable task for a furnace repair service to replace the internal fan for a furnace.


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