Why Is My Furnace Not Keeping Up With The Cold Weather?

Jan 14, 2020 | Uncategorized

If you’ve ever spent time in Ohio, you know how unpredictable the winter weather can be. When things get brutal outside, the last thing you want is to have to deal with a heating system that doesn’t sufficiently heat your home. If your furnace isn’t working as well as it should be, here are a few things that may be the root of the problem:

 

1. Your HVAC System may need a thorough cleaning and inspection

Make an appointment for your HVAC system to have a comprehensive inspection and cleaning conducted by one of our professional HVAC technicians. This will ensure that everything is in good shape and that no problems are lurking, waiting to make an appearance and cause trouble in the middle of winter. Give Canal Winchester Heating and Cooling a call at (614) 524-4737 and let us set you up with an appointment for a professional inspection and cleaning.

2. Keep your furnace on throughout the winter season

Do not shut your heating system off after you turn it on for the first time when cold weather arrives. Turning down the temperature when the weather is warm enough is fine, but when the chilling temperatures return, you want your heating system to warm your entire house fast so that you and your family can be warm and cozy. Shutting off your furnace altogether can cause serious problems if the temperature falls below freezing. The water pipes in your house can freeze and burst, resulting in severe and costly damage. 

3. Your furnace is not the right size for your home

If your furnace is too small to heat your large home, then it can quickly become overheated from working too hard to try to heat the entire house, causing the motor to burn up. If this happens, extensive and costly repair work will be needed to correct the problem, if it can be corrected at all. You may have to replace your entire HVAC system. You can test to see if this is the problem easily. Set your thermostat five degrees higher than usual and watch the time to see how long it takes for the furnace to warm your home to the higher temperature. If it takes a long time or if it doesn’t get warmer at all, then your heating system is probably too small to heat your home sufficiently. 

If your house is always too warm no matter what the thermostat is set on, your system is too large to correctly and safely warm your home. This can cause damage to your system because the excessive heat can damage or destroy the ductwork in your home, meaning costly and inconvenient repairs. 

4. A malfunctioning blower fan

If your heating system’s airflow coming into your home isn’t warm or strong enough to be effective, then your home is not going to be heated as much as it needs to be when blustery weather sets in. A dirty air filter, a damaged or broken blower fan, or damaged ductwork will keep warm air from being carried into and circulated throughout your home effectively. Look into the easiest fix first: Examine the furnace’s air filter to see if it has dirt, dust, and debris clogging it, and replace it with a fresh, clean filter. If this doesn’t fix the problem, give us a call and let one of our professionals perform a comprehensive inspection of your HVAC system to identify the problem and repair it right away.

5. Your system needs an updated thermostat

If your furnace is running virtually nonstop and your home is still not as warm as it needs to be, it may be time for you to upgrade to a more modern, programmable thermostat. Set your current thermostat five degrees higher than you normally do. When the furnace comes on, check your heat ducts to see if heated air is coming out of them. If no heated air is coming into your home, then you may want to consider an updated thermostat. 

Programmable thermostats are both eco-friendly and cost-effective. They will reduce both your energy usage and your utility bills. You can download an app using your smartphone that will allow you to control your programmable thermostat from anywhere. 

 

If your furnace that isn’t keeping your home as warm as it should, Canal Winchester Heating & Cooling is here to help. Call us at (614) 524-4737 or visit us online at https://cwheating.com/schedule-now/. Our team of experts can answer all your questions and book an appointment with one of our expert HVAC technicians to visit you for a thorough inspection and full cleaning of your HVAC system. We are happy to serve you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.