If you can hear your furnace turning off and on constantly and you’ve noticed your energy bill creeping up, you’ve probably fallen victim to short cycling. There are a few main reasons why your system is cycling.
Dirty Air Filters
This is the most common cause of short cycling. A dirty filterrestricts air flow from reaching your furnace’s heat exchanger. This can causeyour furnace to overheat and shut down. It will begin turning off and on inresponse to the lack of air.
Incorrectly Placed Thermostat
If your thermostat is too close to a heat source, it will respondto the temperature and turn off the furnace and then turn it back on when itrealizes the room is cool. Your thermostat needs to be near an area thatcorrectly represents the temperature of the room.
Blocked Vents
Blocked exhaust vents can be blocked by debris from outside. If an animal decides to make a nest in your vent, gases will build up causing your furnace to overheat and shut down. Make sure to shut off your furnace before you shine a flashlight into your exhaust vent to see if any critters have made a new home.
If you’re not sure where to find your furnace exhaust vents, or you find something obstructing your vents, call a professional like Sun Heating & Cooling for help.
