Troubleshooting Electric Furnace

Electric furnace is a device which provides warmth to the whole interior of the building or a portion of it. The basic mechanism of an this furnace is that it directly converts electricity to heat. They work by circulating air around the heating element. That heating element is supplied or linked to the furnace with the help of return air ducts. That is the general mechanism. Now any problem in these parts can lead to a problem in the heating. Going to a professional for getting it fixed is easy but would it not be easy if troubleshooting can be done at home?

Fixing an Electric Furnace

Furnace Blowing Cold Air
The first problem in the furnace blowing cold air. In this case, check the thermostat. A faulty and dirty thermostat can lead to furnace not creating heat. When there is an accumulation of dirt on the surfaces of the bimetallic coils and the switch contacts, the furnace would not work. To resolve this problem, spray the coil with small compressed air canister. In other cases, the reason for the furnace not blowing hot air is a dysfunctional circuit breaker or a bad fuse. In that case, you would have to replace the fuse and get the circuit breaker back on track. Not enough heat from the furnace may also mean that the registers are closed or blocked. Therefore, it is important to ensure that they are open and are not blocked.

Furnace Not Turning On
The circuit breaker and fuse could again be the primary culprits if your furnace is not running. Check if the circuit breaker and the fuses are in a good shape. If they are, then turn to the separate power switch on or close to the furnace. Another condition in which the furnace would not work is overload. If that is the problem, switch off the furnace or reset it after around half an hour.

Furnace is very Noisy
Loose access panels are another problem. Just fix the access panels correctly in this case. In the advent of the noise created by sticking, worn out or damaged belt, use a fan belt dressing. Spray that on the belt or replace it, if it is in a real bad shape. Too loose or tight blower belt can also be the cause of the noise. Adjust the belt in this case. Ultimately, if all these above do not seem to work, it might simply be that the motor or the blower needs lubrication.

Blower Running Continuously
In the scenario where the blower does not stop running, it could be that the blower is clogged. To rectify this problem, cleaning the blower assembly is required. This is fine, but if you find that the relays are faulty, it is preferable to call a professional, rather than troubleshooting the furnace yourself.

Furnace Switches Off and On
There are 4 scenarios in which this can happen -

• If the filter is dirty.
• If the blower is clogged or needs lubrication.
• If the motor needs lubrication.

Respectively, then the filter would have to be cleaned or replaced and the blower would need cleaning and lubrication. Eventually the motor too would need lubrication.

Other than these problems, keep a close watch on burnt and worn out wires and allied components. In addition to that, ensuring that all connections are proper will be helpful. It wasn't that tough, right? There is always an option to call a professional and get the electric furnace troubleshooting done! This is where I sign off!