What to Do When Your Heater Won’t Turn Off!
It’s not unheard of for heating systems to have a glitch once in a while. It could be as straightforward as a broken thermostat or an electrical issue. If your gas furnace won’t turn off, here are a few steps you can take to get a properly working furnace again.
Check the Air Filter
A dirty air filter causes issues for numerous homeowners and their HVAC system. Here’s why. It limits airflow, forcing your furnace to work harder and run longer to satisfy your desired temperature.
This increases wear and tear on your furnace, as well as the likelihood of a breakdown and premature failure.
It can also make your furnace overheat and shut down for a time to cool off. Then it will keep repeating this process when your furnace turns on. This is called short cycling. In addition to wearing out your furnace faster, it can increase your heating bill and make your home feel uncomfortable.
We encourage replacing flat filters each month and pleated filters every three months. If you can’t remember the last time you replaced your furnace filter, remove it and hold it up to the light. If you can’t detect light through your filter, it’s too dusty and you should get a new one.
If the matter was linked to a clogged air filter, putting in a fresh filter should fix this common problem when your heat won’t turn off. If not, we recommend checking your thermostat settings next.
Check the Thermostat
Your thermostat runs your furnace and simply informs the unit when to turn on and off. It’s often to blame when your furnace won’t stop running.
Sometimes having the heat turn off is as easy as adjusting an incorrect thermostat setting.
Ensure Your Thermostat is Set to “Auto”.
Your thermostat has two settings, “auto” and “on,” that control your heating system’s blower motor.
“Auto” indicates the furnace blower will only run when the furnace does.
“On” indicates the furnace blower will run constantly. This constant air flow can help with heat distribution but will also increase your power bill and increase wear and tear on your furnace.
If your thermostat is switched to “on,” it will seem like your furnace is not turning off, but it’s really just the furnace blower you’re hearing. Changing it to “auto” should resolve the problem. It will also help you spend less money on your energy costs.
Confirm Your Temperature Setting
If your thermostat won’t turn off heat, compare the temperature setting to the area temperature. If it’s higher than the room air temp, your furnace will keep operating until it hits your desired temp.
Keep in mind that if it’s extremely cold outside, your furnace will have to run much longer than normal to keep your home cozy. This is because of a large temperature difference between the cold air outside and the warm indoors.
As a test, you can try decreasing the temperature to correspond with the room. Then, wait a couple of minutes. This should make the furnace turn off momentarily.
Put in Fresh Batteries
If you have a programmable thermostat, it’s probably battery powered. You can test replacing the batteries to see if that resolves the problem. If it doesn’t or if there’s wiring to your electrical system, shift it to “off.”
If your furnace won’t turn off after you switch it to “off,” you will need to cut the power.
Turn Off the Power
Thermostat appears to be working fine but your furnace still won’t turn off? There are two spots you can cut the power to your heating unit: at the breaker box and at its specific power switch.
- Head to your breaker box and locate the breaker marked “furnace.” Move the breaker switch to the right to shut off power.
- Next, search for the dedicated power switch to your heating system. It looks like a light switch and can be found on or near your furnace. Push the switch down to shut off power.
- Your furnace should be turned off now.
If you had to turn off your system at the breaker, contact us at 780-800-7092 for professional service, as you may require furnace repair.
What Causes a Furnace to Keep Running?
Occasionally fixing this problem can be as easy as changing your air filter or adjusting thermostat settings. In other situations, you might need a professional when your heater won’t shut off.
Fan Limit Switch Needs Replacing
The furnace fan limit switch regulates your furnace’s blower motor. If the switch goes bad, it might seem like your furnace running nonstop, even though just the blower is going.
You might notice a furnace error code if there’s a problem with the limit switch. Your furnace will communicate through a blinking red light on the front of your heating system.
Our Experts can identify and fix any issues you’re having with your furnace blower motor. Often this can involve replacement parts, like the control board, faulty wiring or the fan switch itself.
Faulty Thermostat
Like anything else in your home, your thermostat can wear out over time and need to be replaced. If you’re due for a new one, ask us about installing a smart thermostat.
These thermostats make it easy to save energy, since they create an energy-efficient heating and cooling schedule according to your preferences. Plus, you’ll be able to adjust and monitor your thermostat from just about anyplace with your phone.
Leaky Air Ducts
Your furnace relies on ductwork to distribute hot air to vents across your home. If your home or ductwork is older, your furnace might be operating constantly because the ductwork is leaking hot air in the attic.
Diagnosing this leaky ductwork and other airflow issues can be difficult to resolve on your own, since it’s concealed behind walls and ceilings. Our Experts can help with identifying and handling any air duct repair service that you need.
Rely on Our Experts for All Your Furnace Repair Needs
Troubleshooting furnace issues can be annoying, especially when it affects your comfort, energy efficiency and heating bill. When it involves furnaces, there’s a reason why we say we’re Experts in our industry. You can count on our ACE-certified technicians to resolve your problem quickly and affordably. And what’s even better, we stand behind our HVAC system repairs with a 100% satisfaction guarantee for one year.* Contact us at 780-800-7092 to schedule your appointment now.
