3 Reasons Why Your Heater Is Blowing Cold Air

Problems With The Heating System

No one likes to have problems with their heating system, but many things can occur that make the heating system malfunction or not behave the way it’s supposed to. When you’re getting cold or cool air from the heating system instead of warm air to heat the home, then there may be a problem that requires your attention as well as the attention of a professional that can fix the problem.

Alexandria, VA Heating ServicesIt’s not every time that cool air is coming from the heating system that there is a problem, but in certain cases, something has malfunctioned, or a part needs replacement, so the system cannot get back to heating the home without the problem being corrected. It’s wise to check out a few things in and around the furnace or HVAC system to see if you can determine the problem. In certain cases, it takes a professional to determine exactly what the problem is as well as to fix the problem.

Common Causes Of Cold Air Coming From The Heating System

Those that have a furnace in their home have to have gas supplied to the furnace to allow it to warm the home. Those with an HVAC unit may be able to heat and cool the home with the unit, but electricity is what makes the HVAC unit work.

Even though a furnace also needs electricity, it won’t run on electricity alone but needs gas. If any problems occur in either unit, it’s possible to get air coming through the central air system but no heat, so here are a few possible problems to consider:

  • The pilot isn’t lit
  • No gas supply
  • Inefficient gas supply
  • Thermostat problems
  • Damage to the air ducts
  • Only the fan is on, not the heat
  • Burners won’t turn on in furnace
  • Air filter is dirty enough to switch heating element off
  • Heater needs to run a bit longer
  • Flame sensor in furnace is dirty
  • The furnace’s limit switch isn’t working right

Problem #1- The Pilot Light-

This tends to be an extremely common issue why the furnace is not blowing hot air, and it’s simply because the pilot is not lit to burn the gas to bring heat to the vents in the home. The pilot may be out for one of a number of reasons, but it’s always because no gas is going to the pilot or because the pilots itself has a malfunction.

Pilots have to be functioning correctly in order to receive gas and to be lit to run the furnace, so if the pilot cannot be lit because it’s no longer functioning, then a new pilot will need to replace the old one before the furnace can work properly again. In certain cases, gas isn’t being supply efficiently to the pilot, which means the gas supply is low, sporadic, or turned off in some cases.

Without gas or the right amount of gas, the pilot will never light, but it’s still possible to blow cool air around the home if the central heat’s fan is on. Have the pilot checked out to make sure it doesn’t need replacement, and also make sure there is an adequate supply of gas to the home by checking other gas appliances in the home.

Problem #2- A Thermostat Problem-Alexandria, VA Heater Repair Service

Many love their thermostat and the fact that they can program it, and in some cases, the thermostat can be programmed when no one is at home. With technology advancing, it’s possible to program a thermostat through Wi-Fi or over the Internet, which means anyone can come home to a warm home that is heated by a thermostat that was programmed while they were away.

Even though thermostats can do a lot to heat a home, if the settings are incorrect, then the thermostat may be the very cause of why cool air is blowing into the home when warm air is needed. Check the fan first because many tend to turn the fan on, which is only a good idea if they simply want to circulate air through the home, even though the air will be cool.

Those that need heat in the home have to turn the heating system on as well as the fan, even though it would be best to leave the fan on “auto.” It’s also necessary to make sure the central heating system is turned on, and make sure that “heat” is chosen because two switches may be on the thermostat, so choose the heat option as well as turning on the central air.

The battery may also need replacement because a low battery may mean a malfunctioning thermostat that doesn’t allow it to register properly and bring warm air to the home.

Problem #3- Air Ducts-

The air ducts are extremely important for a central heating system, and they also can be somewhat delicate. Air ducts are put away from where people frequent, typically, in the attic, and this is because it helps to keep them from becoming damaged. It’s still possible for air ducts to become damaged while sitting around in an attic space because wear and tear is possible.

If there is ever a tear of any kind in the air duct, then it will easily suck in any cold air from outside the air duct and push it through the vents, which means you may experience cold air in the home. Repairs to the air ducts are the only way to fix this problem.

Always Get Maintenance On Your Heating System

Maintenance on a heating system as well as maintenance of the air ducts is necessary to keep them functioning. If there is any damage to the air ducts, have a professional check it out as soon as possible, and allow them to check on the entire heating system each time they come out to do maintenance.

Maintain and repair your heating system by calling Cyprus Air Heating & Cooling in Alexandria, VA at (844) 546-7219.