Why Is My Heating System Blowing Cold Air?

You turned on the furnace to heat your chilly home. Now, the house feels even chillier because the heater is blowing cold air. This situation isn’t the most desirable, but let’s not assume something disastrous happened. The problem could require a small fix. There might not even be a problem. Be prepared, however, to discover a part needs replacing.

The Fan Blows But the Furnace Is Off

A furnace can circulate unheated air. All you have to do is switch the setting from “AUTO” to “ON.” Sometimes, this happens by accident. Turning the thermostat to “ON” by mistake means the fans will spin, and the furnace will sound like it is working. Actually, the heater is working as requested. Change the setting to AUTO, and you change the heating system’s “orders.” It should start blowing hot air again.

The Furnace Started to Overheat

If a furnace overheats, the system’s heat exchanger could suffer cracks. Modern heaters come with a safety switch designed to shut off the burners when the unit starts to overheat. The burners go off, but the fan still runs. Now, the system is blowing hot air. Why did the furnace overheat? Only an inspection will reveal an accurate answer, but a dirty, clogged filter stands as a common culprit. An old filter means reduced airflow, which can lead to overheating. Home and business owners in Monrovia can call on General Heating & Air Conditioning to perform inspections on heaters. Ask about the Home Comfort option for your thermostat, too.

The Pilot Went Out

Rank this as another common problem. The pilot light ignites the gas running to the burners. When the light goes out, so do the burners. Furnaces usually come with a push-button system to re-ignite the pilot light. If the light won’t go back on, or the light keeps going out, calling in a repair team may be necessary. Also, check to make sure the gas valve is on. If the gas source is off, the pilot won’t work.

General Heating & Air Conditioning is available to work for you. Call our office to ask about our services. We’re happy to provide both heating and cooling services.