We may be closing out the heating season now that April is nearly upon us, but that doesn’t mean that it is time to push your heater out of your mind entirely. Particularly not if that heater failed to live up to your high expectations this past heating season. It may be late in the game, but you don’t want to put any necessary furnace repairs in Chesapeake, VA, on the backburner.
A relatively common issue that some homeowners encounter with their furnaces is the blowing out of cool air. This air does not have to be as cold as the air outside to indicate that there is a problem. It just has to be cooler than the air that should be coming out of the furnace. If you’ve identified this problem in your home, then the obvious next question is—what gives? Today, we’ll explore some potential causes.
The Furnace Could Be Overheating
Overheating? Wouldn’t that mean that the air would be, well, too hot? No, not really. If you have a furnace that is overheating for any reason, even something as simple to fix as a very dirty air filter, then the furnace is working under duress. That can cause the limit switch to trip.
When that happens, the furnace is going to stop producing heat. The fan won’t stop immediately when this occurs, necessarily, so you may feel air cooling down as the heat generation stops and the fan winds down. Always change your air filter!
Check the Thermostat
If you have the thermostat set to a lower temperature, that doesn’t mean it’s going to generate less heat. It just means it won’t heat your home to the same level as it would with a higher setting. A thermostat isn’t a throttle, but an on/off switch. So why are we talking about it?
Because you may only have the fan on.
If you are running your heater but accidentally have it operating only the fan in your HVAC system, then you’re just circulating air throughout the house at the temperature it’s already at. You’re not actually heating it. Engage the furnace to warm things up!
Are Your Ducts in Good Condition?
Does it seem as though your heater is running just fine, but the air coming out of vents in your home just isn’t warm enough? Then you could be dealing with leaky ductwork. If this is the case, you may need to have your air ducts sealed professionally. Remember, those ducts are passing through unconditioned areas of your home.
When that happens, heated air in the ducts can leak out into unconditioned spaces in your home where it’s really not doing anyone any good. It not only leaves you feeling less comfortable, but it also leaves you paying higher heating costs for lesser comfort levels! If you suspect that you’ve got a problem with your air ducts, have a professional investigate matters sooner than later so that you’re not wasting energy and straining your system.
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