When your furnace fails to provide warm air to heat your home, you have the option of calling a professional furnace repair technician or troubleshooting and fixing the issue yourself.
Without a doubt, it is highly recommended to call a professional furnace repair technician whenever your furnace starts to malfunction. However, the issue is so minor that you do not need to call a professional furnace technician in some instances.
Thus, if the issue is minor and you can fix it, there is no need to hire a professional furnace repair contractor. On the other hand, if the issue is too complex for you to fix, it is best to call a furnace repair contractor to avoid causing more damage by attempting DIY furnace repairs.
However, before deciding whether to call a professional or conduct a DIY furnace repair, it is advisable to learn how to troubleshoot airflow issues on your furnace. With that said, here are two common reasons why your furnace is not providing warm air and how to fix them.
Dirty Air Filter
When your furnace gets turned on, there should be a steady stream of warm air emanating from the vents to heat the rooms in the house. However, when you realize that there is no warm air coming from the vents or the amount of warm air is significantly less than usual, two main factors could be causing the issue.
The first reason is a dirty air filter. The air filter is responsible for filtering out dust and dirt from the air that gets sucked in by the furnace. Nonetheless, it is common for the air filter to get clogged by dirt and dust particles after some time, thus preventing the flow of air into the furnace. If the air gets restricted from entering the furnace, then the furnace will have a limited amount of air to heat and blow through the vents.
Thus, when you realize that no air is coming from the vents, you should first check if the air filter is dirty. An air filter is usually translucent when held up against the light. After removing your air filter, hold it up against a light source. If the air filter is opaque instead of translucent, it is clogged by the amount of dirt and dust filtered.
It is advisable you clean the air filter or replace it, then turn on the furnace and see if warm air is emanating from the vents.
Clogged Air Ducts
If the air filter is not the issue, the next possible culprit is the air ducts. Like the air filter, your home's air vents are susceptible to getting clogged by excessive accumulation of dust and lint.
As a result, when the vents get clogged, the warm air produced by the furnace will not reach the rooms in the house. Thus, despite the furnace working accordingly, no warm air will come through the vents.
It is also essential to check if your air ducts are clogged due to accumulated dust. If the vents are clogged by dust and lint accumulation, try cleaning the ducts to remove the dust and lint accumulation, preventing airflow. After cleaning out the vent, turn on your furnace and see if warm air has resumed flowing through the vents.
Additional Issues That May Prevent Air Flow
If you change your filter and clean your air ducts, but you still don't get any warm air through the vents, then it is advisable to call a furnace repair contractor to assess the issue and fix the problem once and for all.
In most cases, zero or reduced airflow could be the result of:
- Malfunctioning blower motor
- Malfunctioning thermostat
However, it is not advisable to attempt DIY furnace repairs on the above issues because they are complex, and you risk damaging your furnace. Instead, it is best to call a professional furnace repair contractor to fix the issue.
For more information on furnace repair, contact a professional near you.
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