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3 Most Common Reasons Your Furnace Breaks Down

Repairman opening the front panel to a furnace to begin inspection and repair.

You don’t want to call for furnace repair in Sussex County, DE, but lo and behold, your furnace broke down again. It’s important to know what to look for before you contact a technician to come out and repair the issue. These are three of the most common problems your furnace runs into that can lead to breakdowns if left unchecked.

Faulty or Old Thermostat

You set your thermostat to the desired temperature you’d like for your house, and it communicates with the furnace to make that happen. With many thermostats, you can hear a little click after you turn it to the temperature you want. It usually takes a few seconds to register.

That click is followed by your furnace turning on. If that click doesn’t happen and your furnace stays quiet, your thermostat can’t communicate with the furnace. For digital thermostats, check and see if the battery simply ran out (this is a pretty standard oversight). You can try cleaning off your thermostat if it’s mechanical as well.

If none of those efforts make a difference, there’s likely an issue with the wiring that travels from your thermostat to your furnace. This means you need to call a professional to assess and fix the problem.

Blocked Vents

Your furnace should have protection that prevents overheating. When your furnace gets too hot because it can’t ventilate properly, it shuts down. This is usually caused by clogged vents. Debris makes it difficult for your furnace to ventilate, backs it up, and causes frustration for you as a homeowner.

While it’s possible to clean vents on your own, you may run into issues you didn’t expect. It’s not uncommon for birds to nest at the exit of your vents. Because your vents deal with carbon monoxide, it’s not recommended to clean them on your own. You should always contact a professional HVAC technician for this.

Buildup of Dust and Debris

Dust may sound like an easy fix, but it can become a big pain rather quickly. As dust builds up, your furnace has a harder time expelling exhaust because the dust acts as an insulator. This may back up heat into your furnace and cause it to overheat then shut down, similarly to vent blockages.

With enough dust and debris in your vents, your furnace must work a lot harder to heat your home. This lowers your energy efficiency and puts unnecessary wear and tear on your furnace. A few additional minutes of runtime during each day may not sound like a lot, but the less your furnace has to work to heat your home, the better off it will be.

Fix Your Broken Furnace Today

Your fix may be a simple one. Whether you use our 24/7 emergency service or you wait until the morning, your furnace needs to be repaired as soon as possible. Furnace breakdowns are terrible, but thankfully these common problems don’t take a long time for HVAC technicians to fix.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment to repair your furnace, and get back to enjoying the comfort you deserve as fast as possible.

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