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Carney All Seasons Blog

How Short Cycling Threatens Your Furnace

If you notice your furnace turning itself on and off every couple of minutes this winter, don’t ignore it. That behavior is called short cycling, and it is a major threat to the health of your system. If the problem is not solved as quickly as possible, it can cause all kinds of issues up to and including full breakdowns. Let’s take a look at why short cycling happens, and why you need to have it repaired as quickly as possible.

Causes of Short Cycling

Short cycling is caused by heat becoming trapped in the furnace plenum, which is the main body of the system. Clogged air handlers can cut off the flow of air into the system, as can a malfunctioning air handler. As the temperature in the furnace rises above safe levels, the limit switch will activate and shut down the system. This is a precaution to prevent the furnace from becoming damaged due to overheating. Once the furnace temperature has dropped to acceptable levels, it will restart and attempt to finish its heating cycle. If the root problem is not dealt with, though, the furnace will simply overheat and shut down again.

Problems Caused by Short Cycling

Short cycling puts quite a bit of additional stress on the system. Parts of the furnace will wear down much faster than they otherwise would, causing ever-increasing malfunctions followed by a full breakdown. This is why you need to call for repairs as soon as you notice that your system is short cycling. If you allow the short cycling to continue, you’re very likely going to have to replace your furnace years sooner than you would otherwise have to.

Carney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling offers furnace repair services throughout Ambler, PA. Call today to schedule an appointment with one of our expert technicians.

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