Reasons Why Your Furnace Might Keep Cycling Erratically

The furnace works in together with the thermostat. As such, the furnace cycles on and heats the room when the temperature in the home falls below the setting on the thermostat. After the unit reaches the desired temperature, it cycles off. Given this, you probably don't give the process much thought because it goes on and off naturally. However, if your system keeps randomly cycling on and off, you may have a deeper system problem that needs resolving. Try these tips to troubleshoot the issue as you call a heating repair expert.

The Filters Are Blocking Air Flow

One of the areas to check when your unit cannot stay consistently on is the filters. Since their role is to ensure clean air gets inside the system for heating, they can accumulate a lot of dirt in the process. In this state, they will hinder the airflow in the system or keep the heated air inside the unit and prevent it from circulating outside. Thus, the furnace will turn off because it will sense the lingering warm air and deduct that the home is hot enough. Hence, you must clean or change the filters to allow your system to make accurate readings. In return, this helps regulate the heating and cooling cycles.

You Have the Wrong Furnace Size for the Home

You should consider the size of the furnace in connection to the square footage of the area that needs heating. Note that if the system is smaller than the heating needs, it might overwork, which in most cases means cycling on and off faster than it should. The solution to this is getting an appropriate system size for your home. In this case, a technician can assess your home and make the right calculation to help you purchase the appropriate unit.

The Unit Programming Is Faulty

A problematic thermostat is another possible reason your system might not heat the home at the recommended intervals. On some occasions, you may have tuned it to the wrong setting, or it might be defective. If you have set the temperature too low, it will go off after heating the house for a little while. Also, you may want to check the positioning of the gadget. If it is too close to a source of heat or sunlight, it might get incorrect readings from the elevated temperature around it and turn off the system. In this case, a technician can help you troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

Other causes of furnace failure might include a corroded sensor for the flame and low energy efficiency from age. A heating repair contractor can assess the entire system and determine the service and repairs needed to restore its efficiency.