3 Surprising Reasons for Your Furnace's Underperformance

Winters in Wyoming can be notoriously cold, especially at night. As such, a reliable heating system is essential if you want to stay comfortable in your home. Unfortunately, many homeowners experience periods of underperformance from their furnaces, which leaves them cold and miserable during the winter months.

But with a little investigation, you can often uncover a few interesting reasons for your furnace's underperformance. Discover a few of these reasons and understand why they occur.

1. An Incorrectly Sized Heating System

Many homeowners often assume that any furnace will do for their home, regardless of size. However, a furnace that is too small or too large for your space can lead to inefficiencies in the system, which results in inconsistent temperatures and poor performance.

For example, you might think that a larger furnace will provide better heating performance, but this isn't necessarily true. A unit that is too large for the space tends to short cycle, which brings in an opposite effect from what you might expect.

Short cycling is when the furnace turns the burner on and off too quickly, which results in incomplete heating cycles and less consistent temperatures. The unit releases excess heat into your house, which then triggers the thermostat to shut off prematurely. And when the thermostat is off, your unit won't have enough time to complete a full heating cycle.

Not only will you have to deal with higher energy bills, but you will also feel the temperature difference. Some parts of your home may be uncomfortably cold while others are too hot.

On the other hand, a furnace that is too small for your home won't produce enough heat to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. The unit will strain, take longer to heat up your space, and still require more energy to do so. The result is a highly inefficient heating system that will cost more to operate but provide little to no benefit.

2. An Obstructed Heat Exchanger

The heat exchanger is a metal chamber in the furnace that warms up and pushes the heated air through your home. This component absorbs heat from the furnace's burners and transfers this heat to the air that passes through.

Unfortunately, debris can sometimes collect in the heat exchanger and block the flow of air. This obstruction can cause the heat exchanger to overheat and shut off, which suddenly interrupts the heating process. As a result, your furnace won't be able to produce enough heat to keep your home comfortable.

You might also notice that your heater makes strange noises or smells when you turn the unit on. The thermostat setting might no longer have any control over the indoor temperature as well as you'd expect. These are all clear warning signs that there might be a blockage inside the heat exchanger.

The heat exchanger is quite sensitive, so only a professional technician should service this component. You might put yourself at risk of serious injury if you attempt to clean or repair the heat exchanger yourself, especially if the unit is still on.

3. Clogged or Dirty Ducts or Coils

The air that passes through your house has to go through a series of ducts before this heated air reaches the vents. If these ducts become blocked with dust or debris, the flow of air reduces, which results in inadequate heating performance.

In addition, dust and debris can also accumulate on your furnace coils and affect their efficiency. If the coils have a lot of grime, they won't be able to absorb and transfer heat effectively. This problem can cause your furnace to overwork as the unit tries to heat your home. The result is higher energy bills and inefficient performance.

If you have any concerns that your furnace isn't nearly as effective as you're used to, contact us at Wyoming Air. Our qualified technicians will take a look at your system to determine the underlying issue and recommend the best solution. We can also inspect your ducts for blockages and clean the furnace coils to ensure optimal performance. Please reach out to us today to schedule an appointment.