Returning home from the chilly outdoors, the last thing you expect from your furnace is cold air. While this isn’t an uncommon occurrence, it could indicate a couple of issues with your furnace, but it’s usually not dire. However, if cold air from the furnace persists, you may need to have your furnace serviced to correct the problem.
Why is My Furnace Blowing Cold Air?
Naturally, a furnace is designed to warm the house by pumping warm air into the home to maintain a warm barrier from the cold outside of the home. Sometimes cold air is produced instead which can be caused by something as simple as the mechanisms just warming up or it could indicate that core components are incorrectly functioning. Let’s dive into what this cold air could indicate in your furnace and some ways you can deal with it.
Thermostat Setting
One of the simplest explanations for cold air production is that your furnace’s thermostat is set to ON. This makes the fan constantly blow air non-stop even as the furnace is working. Therefore, the furnace will blow cold air because the heat generation is being canceled out. This can easily be fixed by switching the fan to AUTO. This regulates the airflow in order for the furnace to generate heat and not have constant cool air circulation to contend with.
Warming up
It takes a little time for the furnace to generate heat. As the unit begins to work you may feel the cool air from the vents instead of heat – but this is just the initial stage of the process. The air should heat up after a few minutes as the furnace mechanics generate warmth, but if it doesn’t, go ahead and contact furnace specialists to get the unit looked at for internal problems.
Clogged Air Filter
When the furnace’s air filter is blocked with dust or other debris, it can inhibit the spread of warmth into your home. This can cause the unit itself to overheat instead of dispersing the warm air into your home, leaving you with only cool air that just escapes the blockage. This is also a major fire hazard. If this blockage continues, the heat and debris could combust, resulting in a fire spreading throughout the system and into the house itself. This is easily avoidable by thoroughly cleaning the filter system. You can take out and clean the filter yourself but sometimes it is helpful to have a furnace specialist, like Exxel Mechanical, service it for you and inspect the entire system. Not only will you get a more in-depth cleaning, but we can also identify whether there are additional problems with the overall furnace system.
Pilot Light Issues
Cool air may be coming from the furnace simply because the pilot light is OFF. No pilot light, no burners, no heat. You can go in and manually switch the pilot light on by turning off the furnace (no heat), going to the bottom of the assembly switch, and turning the pilot light ON. If it’s on but not working, switch it to off, wait a few seconds, and then switch it on again. Carefully check to see if gas is flowing, then carefully light it with a lighter. If the gas flow is steady, you should be able to turn the heat on and get warm air. If this doesn’t work, or if you’re unsure about the process, seek professional help. Be careful and do not risk your safety.
If the furnace unit is only producing cold air, despite your minor fixes and adjustments, you need to seek professional furnace repair or routine servicing.
Seek Furnace Repair Servicing
Prolonged issues could lead to other problems down the road and could jeopardize your home’s safety as well as comfort. This could also be an indicator of other mechanical problems like a faulty circuit board, igniter failure, or more intensive issues. Remember, mechanical issues in the furnace can lead to fire or other safety hazards. Instead of stressing about this though, why not just ask HVAC professionals to take care of your technical problems? Besides ensuring long-lasting heat from your furnace, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that it’s functioning safely and correctly. Servicing your furnace will also preserve the unit for years to come, ensuring mechanical issues are fixed before they turn into major, expensive problems.
At Exxel Mechanical Services, we offer our Furnace Silver as well as Furnace Gold plans, provide flexible pricing options, and specific furnace services for you to choose from. We also offer a free inspection to fully evaluate your furnace and provide the best solutions to keep your equipment running safely and efficiently. Contact us today or give us a call at (443) 821-1040.
