How Short Cycling Threatens Your Furnace
As you start to use your furnace more and more often in the coming weeks, it’s important that you be able to recognize when the system is in trouble. The faster you can recognize a problem, the faster you can get it repaired and the more damage you can prevent. One of the biggest threats to your system is short cycling, which is when the furnace turns itself on and off every couple of minutes. Let’s take a look at why short cycling is such a big problem, and what you can do about it.
The Cause
Short cycling in a furnace is often caused by either a clogged air filter or a malfunctioning air handler, both of which have the result of eliminating air flow in the furnace. This causes the internal temperature of the furnace to quickly rise below safe levels, which will activate a failsafe that shuts down the system. Once the furnace has cooled off enough, the system will restart itself and attempt to resume normal function. If the core problem isn’t fixed, however, the furnace will simply overheat and shut down again. This is why short cycling happens.
The Effects
The real issue with short cycling is that it substantially increases the amount of stress on the furnace. The system wasn’t meant to operate that way, and prolonged short cycling will cause various parts of it to wear down much faster than they are supposed to. If the problem isn’t fixed as quickly as possible, it will result in a total system breakdown. So, if you hear your furnace short cycling, it’s vital that you turn it off and call for repairs as soon as you can.
PRK Services, Inc. provides furnace repair services throughout Aubrey, TX. If you need furnace repair services, call today for an appointment.