Why Your Furnace Is Blowing Out Cold Air

During the wintertime, your furnace is essentially your best friend. When your heating system decides to malfunction, you might want to freak out. However, don't panic. Despite how alarming the situation may be that your furnace is blowing out cold air, there are some common reasons why this is occurring. Keep reading to learn why this may be happening and what you should do.

The Furnace Has Not Warmed Up Yet

When the furnace is first turned on, it is extremely common for a blast of cool air to be blown out. It can take several minutes for the air to turn warm, due to the fact that the cool air needs to make its way through the vents. Therefore, give the heating system a little bit of time to warm up, similar to the way you allow the water out of your faucet to warm up. After several minutes, if the air has not warmed up, then there is likely a problem somewhere within the furnace that needs to be addressed by a heating repair professional.

The Thermostat May Be Set Wrong

Have you noticed that the air that is coming from the furnace is consistently cool? If so, you may want to take a look at the thermostat to ensure that the fan is set correctly to "auto". If it is only set to "on," then the system is going to run all the time, even when the system is not heating up the air. By keeping the thermostat on the "auto" function, the fan will only run when the heating system is actually heating the air.

The Filter Is Dirty and Clogged

Can you remember the last time that you checked, cleaned, or changed your system's air filter? When air filters get dirty, there are problems. Dirty air filters will restrict the airflow, which results in your heating system running longer and therefore also utilizing more energy. If this occurs for an extended time period, the furnace may end up overheating. In the end, this allows cold air to come into your home. It is recommended for your air filter to be cleaned or replaced, depending on the type of air filter you have, regularly—roughly every three months—to ensure that your furnace is working efficiently and to extend the life of your heating system.

If you are having problems determining the culprit of the cold air coming out of your furnace, get in touch with a heating service in your area, like Mauzy Heating, Air & Solar, as it could be a more serious issue than those described above.

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