All About Short Cycling: Why it Happens and What to Do to Fix It
When it comes to winter here in Texas, you need a reliable heating system. If your heater is working, but not working well, it’s time to act. You need the best heating performance available to you and that’s not the performance you’re getting if your system is constantly cycling on and off all day long.
We don’t often get calls just about short cycling at our company. This is because homeowners think short cycling is a minor issue that they can learn to live with. Although short cycling probably won’t cause your heater to break down, it will cause unnecessary wear and tear to your system. If you need heating repair in Corinth, TX then contact our team.
What Is Short Cycling?
“Short cycling” is an HVAC industry term using to describe when your air conditioner or heater goes through an on and off cycle too quickly. If you come home, turn on your heater, hear it run for a few minutes, shut off, and then start again multiple times an hour, you’re experiencing short cycling.
When short cycling happens, it makes it almost impossible for your home to stay comfortable and it makes it entirely impossible for your home to stay comfortable while maintaining a reasonably priced energy bill.
Another downside of short cycling is that it puts an extreme amount of stress on your heater unit. The constant on and off cycle makes your heater work much harder than it should, which leads to expensive repair costs and early replacement needs. It takes a lot of energy for your unit to begin the heat cycle, so you can only imagine how much energy is wasted when it is consistently restarting.
Why it Happens
Your Heater is Incorrectly Sized
The sizing of your heater should be done by a professional because it’s incredibly important for your system’s performance. It’s common for homeowners to think that only an undersized unit is a problem and that an oversized unit is more along the lines of “you can never have too much of a good thing,” but an oversized unit causes short cycling. An oversized unit causes this to happen because the unit cannot accurately compensate for the space it’s supposed to provide heat for.
Clogged Air Filters
A clogged air filter blocks the air from circulating efficiently throughout your home. A clogged air filter can even cause your heater to overheat and malfunction. If you’re not cleaning or replacing the air filter in your heating system on a routine basis, start now. It’s a small step that’s completely in your hands and makes a huge impact on your heating system.
What to Do to Fix It
If you’re experiencing short cycling with your heater this winter, call our team at your earliest possible convenience. We a conscientious team that works hard to keep homeowners here in Corinth comfortable in their homes. If short cycling is a problem, we’ll find the source and take immediate action to rectify the issue.