On a frigid day, the last thing you want is more cold! That’s why quick solutions are necessary when you turn on your heater just to find that the air it’s blowing is cool instead of warm.
If you find yourself in this situation, you might be wondering if you’re in urgent need of a heater repair or if DIY solutions would do the trick. The answer depends on the cause of the problem, but our team at Mission Air Conditioning and Plumbing is here to share some quick fixes you can try before calling a professional.
Common Reasons Your Furnace Blows Cold Air
There are multiple reasons your heater might be sending cool air throughout your home. Fortunately, homeowners can often inspect and troubleshoot the issue without requiring help from a technician.
Below are some common furnace issues you should check for before calling in a professional.
Thermostat Problems
A good first step is to check your thermostat. One possible reason why your furnace may not be working properly is that your thermostat is on the wrong setting.
If the fan setting on the thermostat is turned on, it will continuously blow air into your home — even if the temperature inside is not low enough for the furnace to produce heat. You can easily fix this problem by switching the fan setting to “auto,” so that it only comes on when the heater warms the home.
Another issue could be thermostat malfunction. The causes for this vary and could be from dirt buildup, dead batteries that need to be changed or incorrect wiring that needs fixing.
If you can’t figure out the problem on your own, you can always call a professional like one of our team members at Mission AC who can help check your thermostat for you.
Dirty Filters
Having a dirty air filter can lead to your heater blowing cold air into your home. This is because when the filter becomes clogged with debris and dirt, the system can become overheated. This will make the furnace try to cool itself down by blowing cool air, which results in cooling down your home as well.
You can avoid this problem by making sure to regularly maintain your heater. You should also replace your furnace filter every one to three months, depending on your system’s needs.
Not only will these steps help prevent your system from overheating, but they will also improve the quality of airflow, help your system run efficiently and cut down your energy bills.
Pilot Light Problems
The problem with a heater that’s blowing cool air may be an ignition issue. A pilot light is a small gas flame in your gas heater which serves as the ignition source. It should emit a blue flame. If the flame is a different color, this may mean that your burners are dirty or that a carbon monoxide leak is present.
If the burners are clearly dirty, homeowners can turn off their furnace and take steps to clean it. However, if you suspect a gas leak is present, emergency services should be called and a professional will need to assess the situation. This is because gas leaks are very dangerous and can even be deadly.
Additionally, if you notice that the pilot light is out, you can try to read your system’s manual to figure out how you can relight it again. It may have gone out because of a draft or thermocouple failure.
DIY pilot light tasks may be difficult to tackle. In this case, we recommend calling a professional if you suspect the cool air problem from your heater might be due to an ignition issue. A technician from Mission AC would be glad to assist you if you need the help!
What Problems Require A Professional Heater Repair?
Although we’ve already covered a few reasons why your furnace may be producing cold air, there are actually many more possible reasons. However, not all of them have DIY solutions.
Here’s a list of possible furnace issues that may indicate repair services or even a heater replacement is necessary:
- Tripped circuit breaker
- Faulty furnace relay switch
- Worn-out blower bearings
- Frayed blower belt
- Cracked heat exchanger
- Condensate line clog
- Worn-out flame sensor
- Leaking ducts
There are many parts of an HVAC that need to work together to ensure your heater runs properly. It might be hard to know where to start when diagnosing heater problems on your own, but you can rely on the help of a professional to get started. At Mission AC, you can count on us for reliable heater solutions!
Schedule Your Heater Repair Or Replacement In Houston
If you find that, despite your DIY attempts, you’re still struggling to figure out why your furnace keeps blowing cool air, look no further. Sometimes a heater repair is exactly what your system needs!
At Mission Air Conditioning and Plumbing, we can help you with repairs as well as provide heater replacement services when you need a new unit. Give us a call today, and we can get your heater working properly and efficiently in no time!
