When your furnace keeps running after the temperature reaches, you know there’s something wrong. If your furnace is always on, not only will your monthly electricity bills go up, but your home will also be very uncomfortable. So how do you deal with a furnace that keeps running after temp reaches all the time?
Most of the time, it won’t cost much to fix a furnace that keeps running after reaching the temperature you’ve set, like lowering your temperature or just replacing the batteries. But if you have a problem with the blower motor or the wiring, it can easily cost hundreds of dollars to fix.
If the furnace keeps running after temp reaches happening in your house, it’s time to start troubleshooting it. Here’s what you should look into.
Check The Thermostat
If you set your thermostat to a high temperature, like the upper 70s or the 80s, your furnace will have to run longer to reach and keep that temperature.
The US Department of Energy says that when you’re home and awake, you should set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit for the best mix of comfort and efficiency. When you’re not at home or sleeping, turn the thermostat down 7 to 10 degrees to save money on heating costs.
Check The Air Filter
The next thing you should do is check the air filter in the furnace. This filter has many uses, one of which is to keep dirt and other grime from getting into the heat exchanger of the furnace. A problem that can happen to electric furnaces is (what technicians have come to call) the dirty sock syndrome. When this happens, the dirt that has built up inside starts to feed mildew and mold.
If you don’t know how often you should change your air filter, experts say at least every three months. If your air filter is dirty, not only will your furnace not work as well, but it will also have to work harder and harder. This extra stress is bad for the motor and could even cause the whole system to short out.
Check The Blower Motor
Walk around your house while your furnace is running and feel the air coming out of the vents. If the air is warm, both the furnace and the blower are on. But if the air is cool or cold, only the blower is on. If so, you should check your thermostat. If it is set to “on” instead of “auto,” switch it to “auto” and see if that fixes the problem.
But if nothing changes, it could be the thermostat. There may be a problem with the wiring, or the batteries may be dead. Switch out the batteries.
If that doesn’t work, you might need a new thermostat. Now is a great time to upgrade to a programmable or smart thermostat that will help keep your home comfortable and give you more control over how much it costs to heat your home.
Check The Ductwork
The ductwork in your home is something else you should check when your furnace keeps running after reaching the temperature set by the thermostat. Over time, your home’s ducts can lose their seals and joints. Because of this and other leaks, your furnace will have to work harder, longer, and more often to get to and keep the temperature you set.
Final Words
If your problem is one of the above-mentioned, call an HVAC technician to fix your furnace problem. Make sure you change the filters regularly because not doing so can also cause the furnace to run all the time. Also, if the temperature is set too high, the furnace may have to run a lot to get to that temperature. The furnace keeps running after temp reaches not only bad for your system, but it will also cause you to pay a lot more for energy than you should.
