On cold nights in Fort Worth, there are few things as enjoyable as switching on your furnace to make your home comfortable. If you are finding that the air blowing from your furnace is more cool than comfortable, though, you could have a serious problem on your hands. A furnace that blows cold air can be frustrating, costly, and lead to other problems with your home. To help you understand what might be going on with your furnace when it’s blowing cold air, here is an in-depth guide from your friends at Titan Air Solutions covering the most common furnace problems.
Blocked Air Filter
If your furnace is blowing cold air, start with simple solutions first. A blocked air filter is a simple problem that can cause your furnace to blow cold air. A blocked air filter can reduce the amount of air that passes through the furnace’s air intake. As the furnace heats up, the lack of air is likely to cause the furnace to overheat. This condition will cause the temperature-limit switch to engage, shutting off the gas or electricity to the furnace in the process. Since the blower fan can still run in this situation, you will likely notice cold air blowing throughout your home. If you replace your air filter and find that the condition resolves itself, you’ll know that a dirty air filter was your only problem. At Titan Air Solutions, we recommend replacing your air filter approximately every 30 days.
Incorrect Thermostat Settings
Another simple problem that could be causing your cold-air issue is incorrect thermostat settings. Take a close look at your thermostat and make sure the “heat” setting is selected instead of the “cool” or “fan” settings. Both of these other settings will allow your system to run but will keep your furnace off. If you have a new thermostat and set correctly, your furnace could be blowing cold air because the thermostat wasn’t installed correctly. Thermostats often have at least five wires, and each of these wires has to be connected to the correct terminal in order for your furnace to operate correctly. If your thermostat is set and installed correctly, make sure that your system isn’t at the beginning or end of its heating cycle. During these periods, the furnace itself may not run, and you may notice a small amount of cold air coming through your vents temporarily.
Duct Problems
Sometimes, a cold-air problem that seems like it’s caused by your furnace may not be your furnace’s fault at all. If your home’s ducts have holes or gaps in them, it may be that the warm air from your furnace is escaping from the ducts before the warm air has a chance to reach the various rooms in your home. A good test of this theory is to check and see if the air gets colder the further away from the furnace you are located. Leaky ducts can cause a multitude of issues beyond simply delivering cold air to your living areas. That’s why it’s important to have a company like Titan Air Solutions inspect your ducts to see if they need to be repaired. Duct sealing is a fairly fast process with results that typically last for a long time. Beyond helping to keep your home warm, ducts that are properly sealed will help reduce your energy usage and keep your home’s indoor air cleaner.
Dirty Flame Sensors
A furnace has to have multiple safety sensors to ensure that it can shut itself down if there is a problem that could put your safety in danger. At times, these sensors can interfere with your furnace’s proper operation, even if there isn’t an actual problem with the furnace. One of these sensors is called the flame sensor. As the name suggests, a flame sensor checks to make sure that the temperature in your furnace’s heat exchanger increases after the heating cycle begins. If it doesn’t sense an increase in temperature, the flame sensor assumes that the burner isn’t working properly. If this were true, unburned natural gas or propane could escape into your home and create a health and fire hazard. To prevent this hazard, the flame sensor will stop the flow of gas to the burner, meaning your furnace can’t heat the air as it passes through. To ensure you don’t damage the flame sensor, it’s best to let a technician from Titan Air Solutions inspect and clean the sensor.
Faulty Auxiliary Heating Unit
Heat pumps can provide heat throughout the winter at a fraction of the cost of a typical furnace. Heat pumps absorb heat energy from the outside air and transfer the heat energy inside to release it into the air in your home. If the outside air is too cold, though, the heat pump has to temporarily reverse the flow of heat energy to defrost the outdoor unit. During this time, an auxiliary heat strip takes over to keep your home warm. If this heat strip doesn’t work, your furnace will likely blow cold air into your home. A heat strip uses electrical resistance to create heat energy. In some cases, the heating element can break, meaning a technician from Titan Air Solutions will need to replace it.
Extinguished Pilot Light
In a gas furnace, one of the most important components is the pilot light. This small flame constantly burns to ignite the gas or propane when it’s first released into the burner. However, if the pilot light goes out, your furnace won’t release gas into the burner so that the unburned gas can’t escape into your home. If the blower fan is already running, there’s a good chance that you’ll notice cold air coming through your vents. In some cases, a draft can extinguish the pilot light. When this happens, you may be able to re-light the pilot light yourself. However, if the pilot light continues to go out, there’s likely another problem that will need to be addressed by a professional. You can give Titan Air Solutions a call to restore heat back to your home.
Your Furnace Specialists
At Titan Air Solutions, we work hard to help our customers when cold air is blowing from their furnace. Whether you need furnace repair, duct sealing, thermostat replacement, or some other service, we can get you taken care of quickly to restore comfort to your home. We also repair, maintain, and install air conditioners, install equipment to improve your home’s air quality, and much more. Since our founding, we have been committed to building long-term relationships with our customers to ensure their needs are always cared for. That’s why we consistently receive five-star reviews and have been named a NextDoor Neighborhood Favorite by individuals across this community. If you’d like to learn more about taking care of your furnace, feel free to contact us at Titan Air Solutions today.
