Imagine you’re getting ready to snuggle up on an unusually cold winter night. You’re wrapped in a blanket burrito-style with your fuzzy socks on and all. You turned the heater on 20 minutes ago only to just now realize that it’s been blowing cold air this whole time… Oh no! So, what do you do? How can you fix it?
Fortunately for you, there are several different relatively simple ways you can try to troubleshoot this issue on your own before calling a professional. Here are some useful tips from our friendly team at Specialized Mechanical so you know what to do the next time your heater is stuck blowing cold air.
Check Your Thermostat Settings
This might seem kind of silly, but one of the first things you should do if your heater is blowing cold air is check your thermostat settings. This is actually quite a common mistake when the seasons have recently changed, and it’s a very quick fix to do. Make sure you have the “heat” setting on with the fan switched to “auto” to help ensure your heater is ready to go.
Give your system about 15 minutes and you should be feeling the warm air circulating throughout your home. If for some reason you don’t, there are still a few other potential quick-fixes you can attempt before calling your local HVAC repair company.
Give It Time
If it’s your first time using it for the season, your furnace might take a little bit to get up and running. Give it about 15 to 20 minutes tops to let it power up and start blowing heat. If you still feel cold air circulating through your vents, try checking your air filter.
Check The Air Filter
If you’re unsure of the last time you changed your air filter, this might be the culprit to your heater problem. An overly dirty air filter can potentially cause your unit to blow cold air even when it’s been switched to the heat setting.
This happens because airflow becomes blocked from reaching the heat exchanger and can actually cause your system to overheat. In this scenario, your unit will subsequently shut down as a safety precaution to avoid any heat-related damage to itself or your home.
Check For An Overheated Unit
Don’t panic if your system shuts down because it overheated. It’s not as bad as it may sound. The automatic shutdown is a safety measure to help prevent a carbon monoxide leak or even a fire. It takes a bit for the system to completely power-off, and the fan from your unit still blows cool air during this process.
Look For Flawed Ductwork
Is your heater actually blowing cold air or is your home not heating up sufficiently for some other reason? Make sure you actually feel the air coming through the vents to make sure that what’s blowing out isn’t hot. If it is hot but your unit stays constantly running and your home still feels cold, it could be a circulation issue due to leaky air ducts. It’s best to have a professional take a look at this issue and perform necessary repairs to fix it.
Contact Us For Professional Carlsbad Heater Repairs
Still can’t figure out why your system is blowing cold air? Sounds like you’re in need of a heater replacement or repair! Our local team of experts at Specialized Mechanical can help get your home warm and cozy right in time for winter. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!
