Furnace Short-Cycling: What It Is, Its Causes & How To Fix It
In Winter Haven and other parts of Central Florida, average winter low temperatures drop to around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. That may not seem cold, but many residents have grown accustomed to the area’s balmier climate. So, when a heating system malfunctions, it can be disruptive and stressful.
One of the most common furnace problems is short-cycling. In this blog post, our team at Iceberg Home Services discusses what short-cycling is, why it happens, and what to do about it.
What Is Short-Cycling?
The steps your furnace and thermostat go through to bring your home’s temperature up to the thermostat’s setting is known as a heating cycle. During this process:
- The thermostat senses a temperature below its setting
- It activates the furnace
- The furnace produces heat and distributes it around the home
- When the desired temperature is reached, the thermostat turns off the furnace.
With short-cycling, the furnace shuts down after just a few minutes or even as little as a few seconds. It doesn’t produce enough heat to warm the home. This malfunction repeats often and frequently.
Common Causes of a Short-Cycling Furnace
Furnace short-cycles can happen for various reasons. Some of the common causes include:
- Dirty air filters: If your furnace’s air filters are dirty, that creates an obstruction for the airflow moving through the furnace.
- Obstructed vents: Vents can also be clogged or obstructed, further restricting airflow and making the furnace work harder to produce heat.
- Thermostat batteries: Batteries lose their charge and simply need to be replaced sometimes.
- Bad thermostat: Thermostats eventually reach the end of their lifespans, even with maintenance and changed batteries.
- Blower issues: If the blower can’t move warm air out of the furnace, limiting components will shut the furnace down for safety.
- Oversized furnace: Short-cycling may happen if a furnace is too big for the home. It doesn’t take as long to warm the home, but components see stress and usage at a faster rate.
The Risks of Ignoring a Short-Cycling Furnace
Short-cycling forces the furnace unit to work even harder to heat the home. The longer this lasts, the more intensely wear and tear develops. As components wear down, operating efficiency decreases, and more energy is used to do the same job. The result is skyrocketing energy costs, repair calls, and a shorter overall system lifespan.
Troubleshooting & Repair Tips
Just because your furnace may be short-cycling doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. Depending on the problem, here are some things to try:
- Change the air filters regularly, according to manufacturer instructions
- Replace thermostat batteries
- Reset the thermostat
- Clear dirt and debris from vents
Call Us for Professional Furnace Repairs
For over a decade, Iceberg Home Services has been Central Florida’s leader in furnace repair services. We’re family-owned and -operated, and we offer 24/7 as well as same-day services. We service all brands and charge no overtime, with trip charges applied to services. If your furnace is short-cycling, give us a call for prompt, effective repairs.
To learn more about furnace services in the Central Florida area, contact the experts at Iceberg Home Services today.
TODAY!