Furnace short cycling by Treat’s Heating & Cooling
An average furnace cycles on and off three to six times every hour. When a furnace turns on and off for very short periods of time, it’s called short cycling. Short cycling can be a symptom of a large problem it is not corrected as soon as it is found. It could cause permanent damage to your furnace and lead to higher utility bills.
A dirty air filter is the most common cause and the easiest to fix. Warm air can’t pass through a dirty filter and when it has nowhere else to go, it backs up within the unit. Several closed vents forcing too much hot air in a confined space can also be a problem. Other technical issues in limit switches, pressure switches etc can cause short cycling.
Another possibility is your unit is oversized. When your home cools off, the process repeats itself by turning the heat on then turning it off. This would likely be an issue that you’ve had all along since the installation of your equipment, not something that just started happening recently.
There are two thermostat issues that can cause short cycling. If the thermostat isn’t working properly, it can cause short cycling. If the thermostat is placed near a heat source such as direct sunlight or a heat register, the sensor on the thermostat may think your home is too warm and shut the furnace off.
If you are experiencing problems with your furnace and haven’t been able to resolve them with the tips above call 360.825.0800 for a service appointment with Treat’s Heating & Cooling. We have been in business for over 40 years.
The Black Diamond, WA furnace experts at Treat’s Heating & Cooling offer high quality installation, repair, maintenance, and other heating and air conditioning services throughout Western Washington including Enumclaw, Buckley, Bonney Lake, Sumner, Puyallup, Tacoma, Auburn, Black Diamond, Covington, Maple Valley, Federal Way, Kent, & Seattle WA.