Troubleshooting a Heater Blowing Cold Air
There are several types of heaters, but many use central air to heat their home, and when it’s turned on, the home should get warm after the heating system has been running for a while. Depending on the size of your home, it may take about half an hour to an hour of running the system to get the home to a comfortable temperature.
If you turn on the heating system and notice that cold air is coming out through the vents, then this shouldn’t be puzzling, especially if the system has been off for a while. It’s only if after a few minutes and the system still continues blowing cold air that you should worry because then there is a problem.
Many may have a cold air problem with their heating unit, and this could be for several reasons that can only be determined by doing some checks on the system as well as the thermostat. For those who don’t want to bother doing all the checks necessary to find the problem, simply call an HVAC specialist out to determine why the air coming from the heater is cold.
Dirty Air Filters Can Affect Heat Output
Air filters are needed to capture the dust, debris, and particles that are in the air, and these tend to be blown from room to room if the air filter isn’t present in the heating system. The thing to remember about air filters is that they must be changed periodically, which is typically every three months unless the heater isn’t being frequently used.
Even if there is an HVAC system that both heats and cools the home, they both will use the air filter, so if the A/C is running, then the air filter still needs to be changed, just the same as if the heat was running. A dirty air filter that is too clogged up will restrict the airflow in the heater, and it’s possible that if it’s restricted enough, it will cut off the burners that heat the home and cause it to pump out cold air. Although this doesn’t happen too often, it’s something that is a possibility, especially in homes where the air filter hasn’t been changed for many months or even years.
Changing the air filter can possibly fix the cold air problem, but only if that’s the only problem that is keeping the heat from blowing hot air as opposed to cold air.
Check the Pilot Light on Gas Furnaces
For those with gas furnaces, an outed pilot light is a very common problem for causing cold air to blow from the vents instead of heat. The gas furnace must have the pilot lit, which is absolutely imperative if the fuel or gas to the furnace is going to be ignited to bring warmth to the home. Check the pilot to see if it’s currently lit, and if the pilot is out, that may be the problem causing the furnace to not blow warm air.
It also may be necessary to determine if there’s a problem with the pilot itself, with the ignition for the pilot, with the gas flowing to the pilot, or with the furnace itself. An outed pilot in itself may not be the only issue but just a side effect of the major issue, which means maintenance or repair may be necessary to get the problem corrected. If parts need to be replaced, including the pilot, then this must be done by a professional who knows how to fix and maintain furnaces.
Check the Settings & Batteries On Your Thermostat
The thermostat is so important to any heating source in a home that has central air, whether it’s a furnace or an HVAC system. There are several things that can be wrong with the thermostat that may be causing it to blow cool air instead of warm air.
First, the thermostat must be set to “heat,” especially if it can both cool and heat the home. Second, the temperature in the room should be observed because the heat should be set to any temperature above the current room temperature.
Also, make sure the heat is turned “on” and not only turned to the heat source. On some thermostats there are two switches that allow you to pick “heat” or “cool,” but you still have to turn on the system with the other switch, so make sure both switches are in the correct position to get heat to the home.
It’s also good to know that if the thermostat is run by battery alone, then the battery may be too low to correctly operate the thermostat, which then may not give you the heat you’re looking for when you turn on the heating element. Change the battery as necessary, even if the thermostat is run by electricity but still has a battery inside of it. Also, make sure the thermostat is set to “auto” for the fan selection, instead of “on” because the “on” selection will only run the fan with no heat, which means that you’ll only get cool air from the vents instead of warm air.
Still Stumped? Schedule Repair & Maintenance
Those who have done some troubleshooting and can’t figure out why cool air continues to blow in their home will need the help of a Santa Ana area HVAC specialist whether it’s for a furnace or an HVAC unit.
The unit may not be working correctly, and since there are so many things that can go wrong with a furnace or an HVAC unit, it’s best to let a specialist take a look at it to determine what the problem is. It’s possible that some parts may need to be replaced in the unit, especially if it hasn’t been maintained over the years as it should be. Any specialist will tell you that a furnace or an HVAC unit should be maintained every single year.
To schedule a service with a heater repair technician in the Orange County area, contact Dial One Sonshine today!