Furnace Issues: Is Your Furnace Broken Or Temporarily Shut Down?
If your furnace shut down unexpectedly, you may panic and think the worst about your situation. Your furnace might not be gone just yet. Furnaces can shut down temporarily if there's something wrong with the air filter, pilot light, or drainage system. Learn why furnaces temporarily shut off below.
Why and How Do Furnaces Temporarily Shut Down?
All furnaces come equipped with emergency shut off features, such as a high-temperature limit switch and ignition flame sensors. The features prevent furnaces from experiencing things that harm your family and home, such as an explosion, a gas leak, or a fire. If one of these features detects a problem with the furnace, it'll temporarily disrupt your furnace.
Several other features or parts in your heating system can temporarily disrupt power to your furnace as well, including a full condensate pan. If the condensate pan fills up with too much water, the emergency float switch found inside the condensate pump can immediately instruct your heating system to shut down. The shut down prevents the pump from overheating and spilling water into the home.
If you think a full condensate pan caused your furnace to shut down, go ahead and empty the container and reset the float switch. If your furnace still doesn't work after you empty the pan and reset the switch, have a residential heating contractor inspect your furnace.
What Should You Do Now?
A contractor may need to troubleshoot the flame sensor, gas valve, motor, and other parts of your furnace to find out why it suddenly shut off. If an HVAC repair technician finds anything wrong during the inspection, they'll provide you with options to repair the issue. In some cases, a contractor may need to remove a part and replace it with something more reliable.
In addition to the information above, a heating repair contractor may check the lines, flues, and pipes in your home. Furnaces can switch off unexpectedly if you have a clog in your ventilation system. In this case, a contractor may try to solve the issue by cleaning the ventilation system as well as any other connecting pipes and lines.
Before a contractor leaves your home, they may offer suggestions on how to keep your furnace from shutting down. These suggestions may include changing your air filter before it becomes soiled and monitoring your pilot light and sensors for issues.
For more valuable information on what to do if your furnace suddenly or temporarily shuts off, call a professional for help today.
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