Each year between 2012 and 2016, local fire departments in the U.S. responded to an average of 52,050 fires that involved heating equipment. To this day, heating equipment is still one of the leading causes of household fires, accounting for hundreds of civilian deaths every year.
While modern commercial and residential heating systems are often highly sophisticated and reliable, they are bound to develop problems at some point. When these issues persist, they can threaten not only the comfort of your loved ones but their safety as well.
But what if your heater stopped working altogether in the middle of the winter, leaving your family in the cold? It’s one of the most frustrating experiences you can go through.
The great news is that there are ways to minimize the chances of your heater not kicking on. And if the unexpected does happen, there’s always something you can do to address the problem. In this article, we look at five of the top reasons a heater can stop working, as well as how you can address the situation.
Read on to learn more.
Perhaps the top reason homeowners call HVAC technicians during the winter is lack of furnace maintenance. If your furnace won’t turn on, it’s almost always because you’ve not had it tuned for a long time. Often, the issue is that the heating system is simply dirty.
If your furnace has a dirty blower, the blower could cause equipment failure. The system’s heat exchanger cannot work unless there’s sufficient air moving across it to stop it from overheating. In short, a dirty blower can cause the heat exchanger to fail.
Dirty air filters could also be the reason your heater stopped working. Such filters restrict the airflow and could even worsen existing issues with wrong duct sizing. That’s why it’s paramount to replace filters every three months or so.
Lack of regular tuning could also result in a dirty flame sensor. That makes it hardly possible to light burners. A sensor covered in a layer of gunk cuts off the moment it turns on because it can’t sense the flame.
Sometimes, it’s the burners themselves that are dirty after a lengthy period of neglect. Such burners do not work well, if at all.
To avoid all these issues, you need to call a seasoned HVAC technician to tune your furnace on a yearly basis. In the long run, regular furnace maintenance is a worthy investment since it protects you from the inconvenience of a broken furnace. And even when the furnace does fail prematurely, you won’t need to worry about replacing costly parts.
Another common complaint among homeowners is the thermostat not turning on heat. Usually, the root cause of the problem is that the thermostat is malfunctioning or improperly set.
The function of your HVAC’s thermostat is to regulate the amount of heat that’s generated by your furnace as well as when that heat is generated. Most thermostats in the market today are quite reliable and will typically give you years of hassle-free service. However, every thermostat will eventually develop problems and require repair or replacement.
Once you discover that your current thermostat has a problem, consider replacing it with a programmable option. A programmable thermostat lets you choose different temperatures for various times of the day, night, and week. These thermostats are thus much more energy efficient compared to their non-programmable options.
Sometimes, the problem is that you wrongly programmed the thermostat. It could also be that you inadvertently reprogrammed it at a certain point. Check whether you’ve set the thermostat correctly before calling your local HVAC technician.
If you’ve never seen the blower capacitor of your HVAC, it’s the part of your furnace that has the appearance of a big battery. The capacitor starts the furnace once the setting on your thermostat instructs it to start.
Every capacitor has a tolerance level. In case the tolerance level is lower than a specific level, the blower may not achieve the appropriate RPM.
Sometimes, the capacitor is dying or dead and won’t start the blower. The simple solution is to replace it.
If you heat your home using a heat pump, the refrigerant level of the pump can get too low. As a result, the heat strips keep coming on too often, leading to hefty utility bills.
When the refrigerant levels remain too low for a long time, the compressor could overheat and breakdown. That’s why you need to increase the refrigerant charge once you notice that the heat strips are coming on too frequently. It costs much less to recharge your refrigerant or fix leaks than it does to replace the compressor.
In some cases, the reason your heater isn’t working is not that the heater has a problem. The problem is with the ductwork.
Ensuring that the ductwork is properly designed and installed is a huge undertaking. Many installers, unfortunately, opt to cut corners when sizing ducts or installing them. You might get lucky and end up with ductwork that has been more or less appropriately sized and installed.
But when HVAC installers do a really poor job, you’re always going to have issues with airflow throughout your home. The heating system will most likely short cycle frequently. With time, it will overheat and break down completely
So how do you address this situation?
Your best option is to have a competent HVAC technician repair the parts of the furnace that have already failed. Next, the technician needs to redesign the ductwork, so the problem doesn’t recur.
Heating systems can have a variety of problems, but a furnace that won’t work is arguably the worst. A furnace without power means that your family won’t have heat, which can result in discomfort and illness during the cold season. Once you know the reason your heater stopped working, it becomes easier to know how to address the problem.
If your furnace has been giving you problems, our seasoned technicians can help. Contact us today for a free quote.
A failing HVAC system is the last thing you want when temperatures begin to rise in California. If your air conditioner isn’t providing cool air or is acting unusual, the best thing to do is identify and repair the problem as soon as possible. This way, your home can return to its comfortable state quickly. Many factors can cause an HVAC unit to malfunction, and sometimes the fixes are easy. Other times, there might be a more severe issue, like a broken component that needs to be replaced. The blower motor is an important component of your air conditioner, and it needs to be in top-notch condition so as not to affect the comfort level and air quality of your home. Here’s a comprehensive list of 5 signs your HVAC blower motor needs to be replaced.
First, let’s talk about what a blower motor does. The blower motor is a component in your HVAC system that blows the conditioned air through the vents in your home. It takes the cool air that your air conditioner makes and circulates it throughout your house. The blower circulates the air to ensure that the temperature reaches the level dictated by your thermostat. The blower is a spinning fan with a resistor that controls the fan’s speed and moves air through the ducts and vents in your home. Even a small motor can move large volumes of conditioned air.
There are two types of blower motors: a single-speed motor and a variable-speed motor. A single-speed motor blows air at one speed and to full capacity whenever it’s on. It will turn on and off according to the settings on the thermostat. A variable-speed motor operates at more than one speed, allowing for temperature control and more even air distribution throughout your home. The variable-speed motor also allows for better energy efficiency.
If you begin to notice more and more things are wrong with your air conditioner and you’ve had it for a few years, the trouble is probably with the blower motor. Like any mechanical part, a blower motor becomes more susceptible to mechanical issues when used over time. Repairing the motor will work for a little while, but it’s better to replace the whole thing the first time it acts up. You should replace your blower motor when you notice the following signs:
The first indication that you have a faulty blower motor is when the airflow out of your air conditioner is weak. Weak airflow means that the furnace blower motor has difficulty pushing air through the ducts to reach your desired temperature. The weak airflow could be because of dirt and dust buildup in the motor, a bad capacitor, or a motor past proper functionality. It is best to have an HVAC professional evaluate the issue to know if the weak airflow is caused by the blower motor, dirty or leaky ducts, or a clogged filter. Once they establish if it is the blower motor, they can clean it, fix a bad capacitor, or replace the motor entirely.
No airflow could mean that a problem with the blower motor has resulted in the component becoming inoperable. An inoperable motor means you will have to replace it with a new one. But, the absence of airflow can also result from a bad relay or battery, a fan control problem, or a faulty thermostat. Again, the best way to determine the cause of the problem is to have a heating and cooling specialist inspect your system.
The blower motor is the component in your HVAC system that uses the most energy. An aging, problematic, dirty motor has to work extra hard to circulate conditioned air through your home, so that could be why you see a sudden spike in your utility bills. If your air conditioner is way past its prime or using a single-speed motor, replacing it with a current, variable speed model would be beneficial. The new motor will automatically adjust its energy usage while cooling your home appropriately. Energy isn’t wasted then, and it will reduce your energy bill.
Unusual sounds coming from your HVAC system usually mean a possible problem with the blower motor. Squealing or screeching noises mean the blower motor has a damaged belt or bearings problem. You can fix this by replacing the belt or lubricating the bearings. If a motor is making more of a rattling, clanking, or banging sound, there could be a loose or broken part somewhere. Loud banging sounds indicate something being damaged or disconnected and are especially problematic. You should turn the unit off and contact a professional immediately to replace the motor at this stage. Promptly fixing these issues prevents the motor or other surrounding components from breaking. A technician can inspect the blower motor thoroughly and tell you if a repair or replacement is better.
Several things could be causing your motor blower to overheat. Dirt and grime on the motor could be stopping it from venting, which can cause heat to build up over time. If your blower motor is old and worn out, it will have difficulty keeping your home cool. The strain to produce cold air will lead to overheating, breakdowns, and higher energy costs. A couple of signs let you know your blower motor is overheating. There could be a burning smell coming from the vents, or the air conditioner will shut itself off to prevent further damage. When this happens, immediately turn your unit off and contact an HVAC specialist to replace your blower motor.
Contacting an HVAC company to replace your blower motor will ensure that you find the correct replacement model and that it is installed properly. A specialist understands the motor’s parts that will help find the right replacement, including the type of drive, the diameter of the motor, its rotation direction, horsepower, voltage, speeds, and the size of the capacitor. They can point you to the correct cost-effective models that operate in various settings and provide you with a quote. You can then schedule a time for installation.
At Atlas HVAC Inc., we will thoroughly inspect your blower motor to determine if it needs replacing before any work. We will then help you pick the best replacement motor and install it into your unit for optimal air conditioning use. Our extensive experience, highly-trained technicians, and stellar track record ensure that you will be satisfied with our work when it is done. Contact us today at (877) 452-8527, or visit our website for a free quote and get started on your blower motor replacement today!