During the cold seasons, home furnaces have proven to be significant in achieving one’s comfort through heat production. However, things might turn upside down if your furnace breaks down, especially during the winter season. Often, the furnace breaks down when it’s needed the most

What can cause a furnace to stop working? Your furnace might stop operating for many reasons. Ranging from the simplest to solve problems to the most complex ones, this article outline solutions and maintenance measures. 

When your furnace breaks down, of course, the first thing that comes to your mind is contacting the experts. However, as a furnace owner, there are a few simple issues you can handle and solve by yourself. As a result of this, we will look at the factors you should consider when troubleshooting your home furnace. 

Related: How to Install a New Furnace

So, What Can Cause a Furnace to Stop Working?

Let’s check them out: 

Thermostat issues 

Typically, the most popular source of complications to your furnace mechanism has always been the thermostat. The thermostat is the control centre unit of your heating structure. To check if your thermostat is still working:

  1. Turn it on and select the heat option.
  2. Set your thermostat to 5° over the room temperature and wait to see if it turns on.
  3. If the furnace isn’t working as expected, check the batteries since they might be the problem.

The dying of the batteries makes your display screen go void, thus hindering the cooling and heating system. Remember to replace your thermostat batteries annually to make sure it runs efficiently. 

Is your furnace turned on? 

What can cause a furnace to stop working? Some homeowners have called HVAC experts multiple times to report a broken furnace only to find out that their system was off! If you’ve been running maintenance and repair schedules on your furnace and it’s still not heating, your furnace might have to turn on the furnace. It sounds hilarious, but it has been a typical case since many furnace owners don’t understand how their heating works. Check out your furnace’s main switch and make sure it’s flicked on. Moreover, you should inspect your fuse or circuit breaker to make sure it’s not switched off. 

Clogged furnace filters 

Your furnace might be heating up normally, but you notice an abnormal blowing sequence. Ensure that the air filters are clean.  Dirty filters can drastically alter your heating system’s performance.  

During the heating and cooling cycles, the air filters trap dirt, debris, and dust over routine operations, thus causing them to block. Blocked filters make your furnace overwork and, therefore, overheat. An overheating furnace deteriorates its performance. 

We strongly advise that you change your filters at least once every three months or as stated on your manufacturer’s manual. Purchase furnace filters from your local hardware store. And even better, schedule a furnace tuneup at least once a year.

Examine the air ducts 

Are you wondering why you have cold spots in your house where your furnace is still on? Your furnace’s air ducts might be the problem. 

Ensure that the ducts’ dampers are fully open for uniform airflow across your home surroundings. If some rooms are entirely chill, the problem might be a leaking duct somewhere. Leaking vents or improperly designed ductwork can increase your energy bills rapidly. Keenly inspect accessible ductwork to look-see if there’s a blocked or a leaking duct that might be tampering with the overall airflow in your rooms. Cleaning your ducts may answer your query, ‘what can cause a furnace to stop working?’ 

A Damaged ignition switch 

A malfunctioned ignition switch is a significant cause of an inefficient heating and cooling system. Assess if your ignitor needs replacing. Try turning the ignitor by switching the whole furnace off first of all. Secondly, turn it back on, flick the ignition button on and the red button next to it simultaneously. You can now release the ignition switch and leave your finger on the small red button for a few moments. If the furnace produces a loud scraping noise or an odour gas, contact the HVAC professionals as soon as possible. 

A Dead Fuse 

If your furnace’s circuit breaker spins or flips, reset the breaker to get your furnace working again. If the problem persists, contact an HVAC professional.   

Dirty Burners 

As burners contribute to heating air in the system, they tend to collect and accumulate rust and dirt over a while. Follow the short procedure below to clean your furnace’s burners: 

  • Switch the furnace off and close the gas valves that connect to the furnace. 
  • Detach the access panel going to the heating chamber and the smaller access panel, if possible. 
  • Eject the metal tubes to remove the burners. 
  • Using a soft brush and vacuum cleaner, clean the dirt and debris off the burner’s surface. Blow condensed air through the tubes to remove any dirt inside. You can as well try turning and tapping the burner to remove the dirt. 

Schedule Appointments with Experts 

Lastly, you might have tried all the options above, but still, your furnace seems not to regain its normal state. Your furnace might be facing a deeper and more technical problem that might require an inspection from a professional. No one wants to spend their night around the fire, trying to keep warm just because of a broken HVAC system. What can cause a furnace to stop working? 

Final Word: What Can Cause a Furnace to Stop Working?

Suppose you cannot troubleshoot your furnace and develop a solution. In that case, you’ll have to contact your manufacturers or HVAC experts to help bring your system back to life. Don’t forget to create maintenance and repair sessions to keep your furnace on toes and working correctly.