Why is My Furnace in Grovetown, GA, Short-Cycling?

A furnace should turn on and off no more than two or three times an hour, and a cycle should go no longer than 10 or 15 minutes. If your furnace in Grovetown, GA experiences short-cycling, one of the following issues could be the culprit:

Flame Sensor Needs Cleaning

Furnaces produce trace amounts of water that can rust metal components like the flame sensor. Flame sensors also get dirty. Either way, an uncleaned sensor may mistakenly sense the lack of a flame and shut off the gas to the system when it’s running, prematurely ending each cycle.

Filter Needs Replacing

Any blockage, whether in the filter or the vents, will cause a buildup of heat in the furnace. An overheating furnace will shut off before reaching the set temperature. For this reason, you need to replace the filter on a continual basis and clean the registers as well.

Thermostat Issues

Thermostat calibration forms a part of any maintenance plan, and for good reason. Thermostats that mistakenly read the temperature as being higher than it really is will turn off the heating system before it completes its job.

Oversized Furnace

If you have a furnace that’s made to heat larger spaces than what your home provides, you can expect short-cycling, as the system will heat the home too quickly. HVAC professionals calculate the furnace size in terms of BTUs, or British Thermal Units. This is easy to do based on the house’s square footage.

The next time you need furnace repairs in Grovetown, GA, reach out to Plunkett Heating & Air. We’ve been helping residents stay warm since 1958, and our team of NATE-certified service technicians can service all makes and models of oil, gas and electric furnaces. Give us a call anytime when you need to schedule quality heating services.

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