What’s Causing Your Furnace in Lake Bluff, IL, to Blow Cool Air?

Feeling cold air in your home during the winter in Lake Bluff, IL, makes you uncomfortable. Here are some common problems that can make your furnace blow cold air and what you can do about it:

Furnace’s Fan is “On”

Most thermostats have two settings for the fan: On and Auto. If you set it to On, it’ll blow even when your furnace isn’t producing heat, circulating cool air. Start by checking your switch, ensure you’ve set it to Auto and see if that solves the problem.

Dirty Air Filter

If your air filter is too dirty, your system won’t be able to draw in enough air to circulate the heat. This causes heat to build up and trip safety switches, which could turn off your system. However, it’ll continue circulating air to cool it, which makes it feel like it’s circulating cool air.

Plan to replace your filter regularly, about every 90 days for the common 1- or 2-inch filter. Check it monthly and gently vacuum off debris to keep it clear between changes.

Ignition Failure

Most furnaces have either a pilot light, hot surface or electric ignition to ignite the burners during a heating cycle. If there’s a problem with the igniter, including a blown-out pilot light, your furnace won’t produce heat.

You likely won’t feel any air coming out from your vents unless the fan setting is On. If that was the case and your furnace won’t cycle on, this could be the problem. These furnace repairs are best left to professionals who know how to fix the issue without damaging components or voiding any warranty.

Dirty Flame Sensor

The flame sensor shuts the gas off if it doesn’t detect a flame. A dirty flame sensor may keep your furnace from staying lit and cause cool air to come from your vents. This is commonly checked and cleaned during normal routine fall maintenance.

With our help, you can keep your furnace blowing hot air all winter long. Call to schedule your furnace maintenance with the NATE-certified service technicians at Carefree Comfort Inc. today.

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