It seems like a cruel trick: you turn on your furnace to escape the cold air, and then your furnace blows cold air right back at you. Chances are, however, your furnace isn’t just doing this to spite you. If your furnace is blowing cold air, there could be multiple potential causes, some of which are very simple, while others might be a symptom of something more serious. Before you call in the HVAC repair team, here are a few troubleshooting suggestions to spot the problem and hopefully resolve it.
The Fan Is On
Every furnace comes with a fan that circulates the conditioned air through your home. If your furnace is heating the air, the air that circulates out from the fan will be warm. However, sometimes the furnace isn’t heating the air but the fan is still running because no one’s bothered to turn the fan setting off. Check your thermostat to see if the fan is set to “on.” If so, turn it off, or better yet, set it to “auto.” By selecting auto, the fan will automatically run when the furnace is heating air and stop when it isn’t.
The Pilot Light is Out
Do you have an older gas furnace? You may be dealing with a pilot light issue. Your pilot light is a small flame used to help your furnace heat the air that blows through. If you still have the manufacturer’s instructions and feel comfortable, you can check the pilot light yourself and relight it if need be. However, it can be difficult to hold onto the paperwork for years and you might not be comfortable fixing the pilot light. In that case, you can call an HVAC technician to help you relight the pilot light, which should fix the problem of the furnace blowing cold air.
Your Air Filter is Dirty
Clean air filters are vital to the operation of your furnace. If your air filters are clogged, it causes your furnace to have to work harder and longer to heat your home until it eventually overheats. When it overheats, you’ll start to notice cold air blowing through. Clogged air filters and an overheated furnace can also cause bigger problems, such as wearing down your furnace over time. You’ll want to make sure that your furnace filters are clean and replaced frequently.
Your Thermostat is Still Warming Up
When you first turn your furnace on, chances are it’s going to blow cold air. It only has cold air to work with at the moment. As the furnace warms up, it will be able to heat the air that runs through its system and circulate that through your home. The only solution to this problem is simply to wait a few minutes. Make yourself a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. By the time you’re finished, the furnace should be warmed up and ready to go to work.
Still having issues with your furnace blowing cold air. Contact Air Solutions in Byran-College Station today for maintenance or an upgraded furnace.