Contrary to what some people might tell you, electric furnaces are pretty common in our area. They’re affordable, efficient, and they’re perfect for keeping a home warm during a Florida winter. However, they’re not without their own set of unique problems.
We want to keep homeowners up to speed on what can happen with their electric furnaces. Things aren’t always smooth, and when something goes wrong, we want you to be as informed as possible. While we’re always available to call for help, we want homeowners to know exactly when they should call for help. Locating a problem and knowing a little bit of information surrounding furnace repair in Gainesville, FL can be a great start for homeowners out there.
1. A Clogged Air Filter
If you thought that only gas furnaces had air filters, then we’ve got news for you! Every furnace has an air filter, regardless of whether it’s a gas-powered system or an electric furnace. This filter is still responsible for collecting whatever contaminants are in your air before they enter the sensitive coils of your electric heating system. As the furnace filter gets clogged up, your heater’s efficiency and efficacy can dramatically be reduced as it begins to struggle for air.
We tell homeowners to replace or clean their air filter every 1-3 months depending on the heater’s usage. This means you’ll never really run into any efficiency problems due to a clogged filter, and any repair needs will likely be unrelated to this.
2. A Circuit Issue or Broken Sequencer
The sequencer in an electric furnace is the component that stops all of the heating elements from turning on at once. Just like an over, an electric furnace needs to slowly heat up to stop a circuit from tripping. The sequencer staggers the start of your heating system so that each heating element turns on one at a time. When there’s a problem with the sequencer, you’ll see tripped circuits all the time as the system tries to turn on all the heating elements at once and your home’s electrical system gets overloaded.
While this is definitely an issue, since an electric furnace runs on electricity, tripped circuits can unfortunately be a pretty common problem. If your heater is constantly turning off, or you’re seeing lights, devices, and appliances starting to waver in their ability to remain on, you could be seeing an electrical issue that’s caused by your furnace. It’s a good idea to have a professional check this out.
3. Faulty Limit Control
What happens when your system gets too hot for it to function safely? The limit control is a component that stops your heater from overheating and lets it cool off in the case of extreme inefficiency or a problem. If your furnace isn’t turning on at all, this could be from a faulty limit control that won’t let the system restart.
Likewise, if your heater is starting to overheat when it runs, your limit control could be broken. This can become a safety concern and a huge problem for your home’s electrical system.
We can help. Call North Central Florida Air Conditioning for help with your furnace today. Improving lives by improving homes!
