My Furnace Won’t Stop Running. What Should I Do?

Your furnace works hard to keep your family warm and comfortable for almost half a year here in New England – but sometimes, it can work a little too hard.

If your home heating system is constantly running even after the target thermostat temperature is reached, or if it runs constantly and never reaches the target temperature, you’ll suffer with higher energy bills and less comfort.

So how do you deal with a constantly-running furnace? It starts with some troubleshooting.

When your furnace is constantly running but can’t reach thermostat temperature:

• Check your thermostat – Make sure your thermostat is to a reasonable temperature – somewhere in the 68 to 72 degree range.
• Check the furnace air filter – A blocked air filter will reduce airflow throughout the heating system, resulting in warm air not reaching your living space.
• Check your ductwork – Pushing hot and cold air through your ducts will eventually loosen duct seals and joints, causing conditioned air to escape; leaks can also develop within the duct lengths. Studies show that as much as 10 to 15 percent of the air you pay to heat (or cool) will escape through duct leaks; when that air escapes, your furnace has to make up the difference to reach your target room temperature.
• Seal air leaks – Another reason why your furnace might not be able to reach its target temperature is that air leaks within your building envelope could be stealing warm air from your living space. Sealing windows and external doors with caulking, weatherstripping and doorsweeps will help mitigate the problem.

When your furnace keeps running after the temperature has been reached:

• Check the blower motor – Your forced air heating system uses a blower to push air through ducts and into your living space; sometimes, the blower runs at the same time that your furnace is heating the air, but sometimes it runs on its own. If both are running at the same time, air from the vents should feel warm; if the air feels cool, your blower could be running alone. In the latter scenario, check your thermostat to see if it is set to “on” rather than “auto.” If it is, switch back to auto.
• Check your thermostat – If the on/auto solution didn’t fix the problem, check your thermostat for things like disconnected or frayed wires or obvious problems like worn batteries. If you change the batteries doesn’t fix the problem, you’ll probably have to install a new thermostat.

If none of these solutions fixes your problem heating system, contact Scott Williams today. Our expert heating oil technicians will diagnose the problem and perform furnace repairs quickly so you can get back to enjoying cozy, comfortable nights in your Suffolk, Norfolk or Plymouth County home.

For expert heating oil repairs and installations in southeastern MA, trust the pros at Scott Williams. Contact us today to learn more!