What To Do If Your Heater is Broken
Is your heater blowing cold air? Not to worry! This is a common problem that could have several reasons. Some just require a little troubleshooting, while others may need professional assistance. When dealing with a broken heater, it is important to check the furnace settings, check for an overheated heater, and make sure the air filter isn’t dirty. If none of these seem to be the problem, it may be time to call in your local HVAC professional.
Check the Furnace Settings
If the furnace is alternating between blowing hot and cold air, it could be that the fan setting is set to ‘on’. If a fan is set to ‘on’, it will blow air continuously regardless of whether the heater is on or not.This results in cold air blowing any time the furnace is not heating the air. To fix this problem, simply change the fan setting to 'auto.' This will make sure the blower only runs when the furnace is heating air.
Because you rely on your furnace daily throughout the winter season, chances are any change in performance will be noticeable immediately. While you can always start with the settings, if that doesn’t do the trick, it’s always best to work with a professional to troubleshoot and diagnose your heating needs.
Signs that Your Heater Needs to be Replaced
Another thing to consider if your furnace isn’t working properly is whether or not it needs to be replaced. Heaters can overheat, requiring a replacement. Check your furnace to see if it has overheated. Furnace burners will shut off if the heat exchanger overheats to prevent it from cracking.
Other signs that your furnace needs to be replaced include if it is extra noisy, is blowing soot around the furnace registers or is using more and more energy over time. It is also important to remember that furnaces need to be replaced every 20-30 years. If yours is within this age range, it may just be too old to function properly and need to be replaced.
Replace Dirty Air Filters
Replacing dirty air filters is a fast and easy way to fix a furnace that has stopped blowing hot air. Once furnace filters get too dirty they block hot air from making it into the air ducts of the house.This also results in the furnace working harder to heat the house, resulting in higher energy costs and poorer air quality. Make sure to turn the thermostat off before checking the air filters. Replacement filters can be purchased from your local hardware store.
Check the size and type that are in your furnace before making a trip to the store. You can also write the date on the furnace filters before placing them in your furnace so that you know how long they have been in there.
It is recommended to change furnace filters every three months, but if you have pets, smoke, or have a lot of dust in your house due to construction, you may have to replace your filter more often.
Let Alberta Indoor Comfort Help!
Your family deserves safe, clean, and comfortable indoor air as well as fully functioning plumbing systems. At Alberta Indoor Comfort, they do both! That means you save time and reduce the hassle of having to hire multiple contractors for your plumbing and HVAC projects. Call Alberta Indoor Comfort today to discuss your needs with their friendly experts and see why they are one of Calgary’s most trusted plumbing and HVAC companies.
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