December is somehow already nearly halfway over. We’ve got a lot of the heating season left to go, though, and this being Vermont means that the cold weather is going to be pretty severe for the foreseeable future. If you hope to make it through the heating season in true comfort—or anything even resembling it—then you really need your heater to be firing on all cylinders. The fact that your heater is generating heat does not necessarily mean that it is doing so in the proper manner.
One question that we get from concerned homeowners now and again is why their heaters seem to be running in short bursts. The system starts up, but stays on only briefly before shutting back down again. While this may seem at first to be something of an odd quirk, the fact is that any problems with your heater have the potential to seriously disrupt your comfort. This particular problem is called short cycling, and it can definitely spell trouble for your heater in Ludlow, VT.
Did You Forget About Your Air Filter?
If so, then you really need to change it out! If you leave the basic air filter in your forced air heating system for too long, then it is going to clog up. Not only does this drive up energy costs and potentially drag down indoor air quality, but it can also lead to short cycling.
When your air filter is very dirty, your system is going to have to work much harder than it otherwise would in order to force heated air throughout your house. When that happens, you wind up straining the system, potentially causing it to overheat. When that happens, it may cycle down to avoid damaging itself.
Your Thermostat May Be to Blame
The thermostat in your HVAC system is one of its most important components. Without the thermostat, after all, it would be impossible for you to regulate the operation of your heater. If your thermostat is not functioning properly, unfortunately, the performance of your system is going to really suffer.
Your thermostat may be registering temperatures wrong, signaling to your heater that it should shut down before desired temperatures are actually met. While this will require professional intervention, investing in a new thermostat certainly beats the need for an entirely new heater.
It Could Be a Safety Issue
Okay, so faulty thermostats and dirty air filters are not that serious of problems, right? Well, that doesn’t mean that you should just ignore the issue of short cycling and hope for the best. The fact is that this could be an issue that puts your safety at risk. Point in case—your thermocouple may be telling the system to shut down.
Why would that happen? The thermocouple is a safety device that serves to shut the system down in the event that unsafe temperatures are detected for fuel combustion. It could be malfunctioning, or it could actually be doing its job perfectly. Our team will tell you for sure what the issue is, and how best to resolve it.
Call HB Energy Solutions for all your energy needs. HB Energy Solutions delivers peace of mind.
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