Furnaces are handy appliances to have in the house, but they can be troublesome when they start malfunctioning. With the different parts that make up the heating system, there is so much that could go wrong without you knowing what the cause is.

Attempting to fix some problems with a malfunctioning furnace can be difficult when you can’t make a diagnosis, thus, the need to get professional services. Short cycling issues are some that you can expect to encounter with a furnace. Knowing what may be causing the problem makes it easier to solve it with the help of furnace repair experts.

What is Short Cycling?

Short cycling refers to the state of a burner shutting on and off before a furnace can meet the call for heat that is controlled by the thermostat. Normally, when you turn on a furnace, the burner should come on followed by the blower, and keep running until the call for heat is met.

However, when there are short cycling issues, the burner will keep rocking back and forth, a condition that negatively affects the integrity of the appliance. Short cycling can be an indication of a larger problem in the furnace, not to mention that it consumes more energy than it has to.

Thermostat Issues

A problem with the thermostat is one reason for a furnace to experience short cycles. First, always ensure that a thermostat is located in an area that doesn’t receive draught, so keep it away from windows. A wrong location could be affecting the thermostat settings, thereby, causing a furnace to short cycle. It could also be that a thermostat is broken in which case a furnace repair Edmonton technician can provide a replacement.

Overheating

In some rare cases, a furnace may be short cycling because of a crack in the heat exchanger. When the exchanger gets too hot, the burner automatically turns off, and this is a safety measure to prevent damage (warping and cracking).
A cracked heat exchanger is dangerous and demands repairs or replacement. Usually, a system will overheat if the blower unit fan or filters are too clogged with dirt to allow sufficient airflow.

Ducts

Poor ductwork is another reason a furnace may be cycling on and off during heating. If the supply ducts are leaking, are too small, have bent or are constricted, they will interfere with the air that flows into the furnace. The same goes for return air ducts.

For any of these problems, you can trust companies offering reliable furnace service for Edmonton homes, like Capital Plumbing & Heating, to fix them in no time.