Knowing How Often Your Furnace Should Run During the Winter

As a homeowner settling in during the winter months, you probably don’t pay too much attention to your furnace as long as it’s working properly. This is mainly because you’re busy staying warm and cozy throughout the season. And if your system is being managed regularly by a reliable heating and air conditioning maintenance company, you’ll likely assume that your system won’t break down anytime soon.

But how well do you know your furnace? Do you sometimes wonder if it’s running as properly as it should during the winter months? After all, your furnace lies dormant throughout the rest of the year since you only ever use it during the winter. When it’s suddenly used frequently during the winter season, it might kick on and off more often than it should, which could be an issue that needs professional attention.

How often a furnace turns on will vary for each unit due to the different variables to which it’s constantly exposed. As a specialist among heating and air conditioning maintenance companies, Cafco Services provides more details and insight here.

How Often Should My Furnace Cycle?

On average, a furnace will need to run two to three times an hour to maintain the desired indoor temperature. However, this can be more frequent due to different factors and variables that will affect the length of the heating cycle. Some of the most common include your home’s exterior design, insulation and the outdoor temperature. Even the age of your furnace can be a key factor in how often your furnace cycles. For instance, if it’s already several years old and is cycling more frequently than normal, this usually indicates that there’s an issue that needs to be addressed. It may also be time to consider a full replacement.

Even if you’re sure that your furnace is operating at peak efficiency, other factors can still affect the length and frequency of its heating cycle, such as where you set the thermostat. Your furnace has an operating limit when it comes to temperature, and if you get close to that when setting the thermostat, it will have to run longer to maintain that temperature.

What Are the Common Problems?

If you think your furnace is cycling more frequently than it should, this could indicate certain problems with your system. Some of the most common ones include:

• Overheating – During one heating cycle, your furnace is designed to put out a certain amount of heat. If this goes unused for some reason, it can cause your furnace to overheat and break down prematurely.  Even during the winter season, your furnace can still overheat! This is due to short cycling, which is often caused by restricted airflow. If your furnace is overheating, make sure to check if your air filters are clean. Overheating can also be caused by a blockage in your ductwork, so be sure to have this issue checked out by a professional HVAC repair technician who can address the issue.

• Faulty thermostat – Your thermostat is responsible for telling the furnace when to cycle. If it malfunctions or breaks down, your furnace simply won’t know how to stop running on its own. Even if your thermostat seems to be working properly, make sure that it’s placed in an area that isn’t too near a heat source or in direct sunlight. This will prevent it from detecting warmer temperatures than the rest of your home and causing your furnace to cycle too often.

• Wrong size – If you recently installed a bigger furnace, it might cause short cycles to happen more often. While it may seem like a larger furnace can heat your home faster, you should be aware that it won’t distribute heat evenly throughout the house. Hence, it will keep short cycling to ensure the temperatures stay balanced throughout your house. This isn’t ideal in the long run, as it will just lead to premature breakdowns and a costly HVAC repair.

• Faulty heat exchanger – Your furnace has a component called the heat exchanger. It’s responsible for taking the heat from the gas-fueled flames and transferring it to the incoming air. If the heat exchanger is warped, cracked or damaged in some way, this can affect how long your furnace takes to heat your home. This can have a significant impact on your home’s energy efficiency.

What if It’s Just Because of the Weather?

During extremely low temperatures, your furnace will tend to kick on more frequently, but you won’t need to call a trusted HVAC installation company in to check your unit. Frequent cycling by your unit is necessary to keep up with outdoor temperatures, although you still need to monitor how often it turns on and off. For instance, if it does this every few minutes, this could be because the outdoor unit is partially covered with snow. This doesn’t mean your unit needs to be checked professionally, however, as it will only keep doing this until your home’s indoor temperatures reach the desired level.

To determine whether the cold weather is only the cause of your furnace’s frequent cycling, you should consider your home’s insulation. There’s a chance that you’re losing heat through your windows, doors or even your roof if you have poor insulation or a leak somewhere. This will cause your furnace to run harder than it should, especially if it keeps short cycling. To put it simply, if your furnace only runs for a few minutes and your home barely warms up, you can be sure that it’s short cycling!

Preventing Future Problems

By understanding the common problems that cause unusual heating cycles, you can ensure your furnace runs properly every winter. You can even take additional measures to increase your unit’s energy efficiency and lower your monthly utility bills. This means checking your vents and air filter regularly and keeping them clean at all times. Even your thermostat’s batteries must be replaced to prevent inconveniences later on while it’s in use. And to ensure your furnace is well-maintained, make certain to have it checked by a trusted technician who can keep it running in peak condition.

Cafco Services is a top choice among local HVAC installation companies. If you want your furnace checked and maintained by the best, don’t hesitate to call us today! Our number is (513) 242-3400, and you can also fill out our online contact form.