There are a wide range of different problems that could affect your furnace. One of the most dangerous of these is short cycling. As you start to rely on your furnace more and more often to keep comfortable this fall, you should know what to look for with regard to this issue. Let’s take a look at short cycling, what causes it, and how it can damage your furnace.
Short Cycling
Short cycling is when your furnace turns itself on and off every few minutes, and doesn’t complete a full heating cycle. This tends to be caused by a problem with the air filter or air handler, which traps heat inside the furnace plenum, or main chamber. As the temperature in the plenum rises above safety levels, the limit switch activates and shuts down the furnace as a precaution. When the furnace has cooled sufficiently, it activates again and overheats again. This cycle continues indefinitely until the core problem in the furnace is dealt with.
The Consequences
Prolonged short cycling is a threat to the furnace because it drastically increases the amount of wear and tear on the system. The furnace is not built to deal with that level of strain, and so it will start to develop more and more problems as the short cycling continues. The system will also be unable to heat properly for as long as the short cycling is going on. Eventually, the strain on the system will become so great that parts of it will start to break down. This will shorten the life of the furnace considerably. Call for repairs if you ever notice your furnace short cycling.
Sunset Air offers a full range of furnace repair services throughout Olympia, WA. Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our furnace experts.
