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Oct 26, 2023 · Short cycling, in the simplest terms, is when your furnace keeps turning on and off repeatedly. It behaves like an indecisive weather vane, changing its operation mode frequently. Your unit may run for a few minutes before shutting off abruptly and restarting a cycle. This stop-start routine is far from normal or healthy behavior.
- Dirty Air Filter. A dirty air filter is one of the most likely causes of a flaky furnace. Air filters in furnaces ensure that the air circulating through your home is clean and safe to breathe.
- Blocked Air Vents. When your furnace shuts on and off repeatedly — something called short-cycling — it’s likely related to airflow. Like a dirty air filter, blocked air vents affect the proper circulation of airflow through the furnace.
- Dirty or Corroded Flame Sensor. Another cause of a furnace shutting on and off is a dirty or corroded flame sensor. A flame sensor is a thin metal rod on the burner assembly of your furnace.
- Faulty Thermostat. Another culprit of a haywire furnace is a faulty or damaged thermostat. The primary function of a thermostat is to send signals to the furnace about what temperature to set.
- Low airflow. If your furnace keeps shutting off, it could be due to low airflow. There are several indirect issues that cause low airflow. Dirty Air Filters.
- Faulty thermostat. Your thermostat is what controls your entire heating system. So, if your furnace keeps turning off and on too quickly, your thermostat might be malfunctioning or broken.
- Flame sensor. If your furnace shuts off too often, you could have a corroded or dirty flame sensor. A flame sensor lets your system know there's a flame when the gas valve is open.
- What You Should Do When Your Furnace Keeps Turning Off
- Change The Thermostat Setting
- Check The Control Board For Errors
- Change The Air Filter
- Open Your Home’S Air Vents
- Clean The Flame Sensor
- Clean The Condensate Drain Pipe
- Clear The Exhaust Vent
If your furnace keeps turning off or short cycling, it’s almost always due to a safety or control issue. I’ve broken down the possible causes into a list of things that you should check if your furnace keeps turning off. Here is a list of what you should do if your furnace keeps turning off: 1. Change the thermostat setting 2. Check the control boa...
The thermostat is the first thing that you should check if your furnace keeps turning off. If your thermostat’s fan mode is set to “Auto”, then the blower will cycle on and off as your home reaches its temperature setpoint. This is completely normal behavior. If this is what’s happening, you can switch the thermostat’s fan mode to “On” to keep your...
The next thing to check is your control board. Your furnace’s control board should have a diagnostic indicator light. The light will blink in a certain pattern depending on the status of your furnace. For example, a single blink of the light will indicate normal operation. If your control board’s diagnostic light is blinking in an erroneous pattern...
If your control board isn’t showing any errors, the next thing that you should do is change the air filter. Airflow restrictions from a dirty air filter are one of the most common causes of short cycling in a furnace. If your air filter is dirty, your furnace will have less airflow. If there is an excessive amount of airflow restriction in your fur...
Closed air vents in your homeare another cause of airflow restriction. Similar to a dirty air filter, closed air vents will starve your furnace of airflow and cause its high limit switch to trip. If you’ve closed off some air vents in your home and the furnace keeps turning off, open those vents back up. Your furnace needs sufficient airflow to wor...
When the burners light up in your furnace, the flame sensordetects the flame to ensure that the burners are successful in firing up. If the flame sensor doesn’t detect any flames, your furnace will turn off to ensure that unburned gas doesn’t leak into your home. But what happens if the flame sensor gets dirty? When your furnace’s flame sensor gets...
If you have a high-efficiency furnace, it produces liquid condensate. The condensate drain pipe is responsible for draining the condensate from your furnace to the outside of your home. If the condensate drain pipe gets clogged, then your furnace will turn off. This is a protective measure to ensure that condensate doesn’t leak out all over your ho...
Your furnace’s exhaust vent directs harmful exhaust fumesout of your home. How does that work? The inducer motor sucks in air from the furnace’s combustion chamber, through the heat exchanger, and blows it out of the exhaust piping. If the exhaust vent isn’t clear, your furnace will turn off. But how does your furnace know to turn off if the exhaus...
A clogged or dirty air filter can cause short cycling. A clogged or dirty air filter can strangle off airflow to your system. Reduced airflow can not only put strain on your system, but it can also cause short cycling symptoms. Check your thermostat. If you have a very old thermostat, sometimes they can be faulty.
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Jul 22, 2022 · Constant overheating and turning on and off creates excessive wear and tear on the electrical and lubrication systems in your furnace and will shorten its lifespan. Causes of Short Cycling There are a number of reasons that a furnace will short cycle, some are simple, inexpensive fixes and some are serious, but all need immediate attention to keep your furnace operating safely and in peak ...
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What should I do if my furnace keeps turning off?
On average, a furnace will run three to eight heating cycles per hour. The typical heating cycle lasts 10-15 minutes. If your furnace shuts off after a few minutes and starts more than eight times an hour, it may require repair. Common causes of furnace short cycling include restricted airflow, a malfunctioning flame sensor, or a poorly placed ...
