How can you tell when there’s a problem with your heating system? You’ll want to get repairs straightaway, so you need to notice heating issues as soon as possible. What are the signs? You might notice an unusual odor or a sudden sound. You might find that there’s not enough airflow from your vents, or the air is coming through cold. You might even spot an unexplained increase in your utility bills.
There’s another issue with heating systems that might be a little harder to spot. It’s called short cycling, and it can be caused by a few different things. If you don’t have your short cycling heater repaired, more serious issues will develop! Here’s what you need to know.
Your Heating System’s Cycles
First, your thermostat signals that the temperature in your home has gotten too low. The heating system comes on. It runs until the thermostat registers a high enough temperature. Then it turns off, and the temperature slowly coasts down until the thermostat signals for heat again. This whole cycle should take 15 or 20 minutes. If the system is short cycling, it’s happening over and over, every few minutes!
Causes of Short Cycling
Your heating system has a safety mechanism called the limit switch. When it detects excess heat inside the system, it automatically turns your heat off. This prevents serious overheating that could damage components or even cause a house fire. Once things cool down in there, the system will try to start up again. If the problem is still there, it will almost immediately shut down again.
So why is the limit switch being triggered? Lack of airflow is a common cause. It might just be that your air filter is clogged, so check that first. It might be that the fan isn’t moving the heat through the system, so it’s building up inside. Perhaps the fan is broken, or the motor that powers it has stopped working.
An overheating component—likely the blower fan motor—is another possibility. If it’s just creating a lot more heat in there because of electrical or mechanical issues, it will keep getting too hot, over and over. Finally, it is possible that the limit switch is faulty, and being triggered over and over even though there isn’t a real problem.
Worsening Problems Caused by Short Cycling
The constant startup cycles are rough on your heating system. They cause a lot of excess wear and tear and strain on many components. Also, the startup is highly energy-intensive. Doing it ten or fifteen times every hour instead of just three or four will consume a great deal of fuel or electricity, forcing you to spend much more than you should to heat your home.
Solving Your Short Cycling Problem
As we mentioned above, your first stop should be the air filter. If changing that doesn’t remedy the issue, it’s time for professional attention. When you get furnace repair in Hondo, TX from a qualified HVAC technician, they’ll be able to get to the root cause of the short cycling. And then you’ll be able to stay cozy without spending an arm and a leg on energy!
Contact D’Spain Sales & Service to talk to a member of our team.
