Your heater is an important system in your home, even if we do not deal with the snowfall and extreme cold that our neighbors in more northerly states experience. Any sign of trouble with your heater must be taken seriously if you hope to make it through the winter in comfort. Do not ignore any operational issues, such as a furnace that short cycles. Doing so is only going to lead to more serious problems down the road.
What Is Short Cycling?
Short cycling occurs when a furnace or other HVAC system runs only in short bursts. Ideally, your furnace should be running in steady heating cycles. This allows it to operate properly and to function at peak performance levels. In some instances, though, a furnace may start up, run only briefly, and then cycle back down before a full heating cycle is completed.
Why Is This a Problem?
Short cycling is one of those issues that homeowners are tempted to overlook, because they figure that their heaters are at least still up and running. That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that you are getting a decent performance from your heater, or that other issues aren’t developing as a result of your inaction.
Short cycling has a number of negative effects.
- Decreased Efficiency. If your system is forced to restart over and over, you are going to be paying more to heat your home even as you are doing so less and less satisfactorily. It takes more energy to start the system up over and over than it does to run the system through consistent cycles. This is reflected in your heating costs.
- Increased Wear and Tear: Starting and restarting regularly is going to put a massive amount of wear and tear on your heating system. This can lead not only to further decreased efficiency, but also to eventual repair needs or even a complete breakdown.
- Reduced Comfort. If your heater is overheating and short cycling, then it is going to shut down before it has a chance to effectively heat your home. Because of this, you’re probably going to be paying more for a lesser heating experience.
If you notice that your furnace is short cycling, schedule prompt heating repairs in Spring, TX with the technicians at Milton Frank Plumbing. Call (281) 645-5905 today or contact us online!