Furnaces usually heat a home in a 10- to 15-minute cycle, assuming the home isn’t already freezing. But if your home in Walla Walla, WA, is running for much longer, that may mean trouble. A furnace will constantly run if something hinders airflow, the thermostat or limit switch is faulty, or it’s too small for the home it’s in.
Obstructions To Airflow
One of the most basic maintenance tasks that a homeowner needs to take on is to change the furnace air filter every three months. Without this, the dirt and debris on the filter will make air circulation harder; the system will have to run longer to reach your set temperature.
Faulty Thermostat or Limit Switch
The thermostats sense that the interior has reached the set temperature and tell the furnace to turn off. However, the sensors can lose their calibration over time and misread the indoor temperature as still lower than it is. This could be why you might have long cycles accompanied by poor performance.
Another possibility is that the thermostat is fine, but the limit switch is malfunctioning. The limit switch is the component that shuts off the furnace after receiving input from the thermostat.
An Undersized Furnace
In the heating industry, where you have many single-speed comfort units, installers must know how to fit systems to homes based on factors like the home’s size and rate of heat loss. Perhaps your furnace’s installer miscalculated and installed a system too small to heat a home of your size. Such a system will never completely heat the home; the only solution would be replacement.
If you live in Walla Walla and need someone to fix your constantly running furnace, call College Place Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. We’re available 24/7 to respond to emergencies, too, if necessary.
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