Winter usually brings fairly mild weather, but temperatures can still dip well into the 30s. That’s far too cold to go without a working furnace!
If your furnace blower won’t kick on, that means no warm air and a downright chilly home. Below, learn why your furnace blower isn’t working, then call us for furnace repair services.
How a Furnace Blower Works
Before getting into the reasons why your furnace blower won’t run, it’s helpful to understand how furnaces work. Gas furnaces burn fuel to generate heat through combustion. The furnace’s blower fan draws cool air from your vents and passes it over the heat exchanger to warm it. Once the air is warm, the blower pushes it through the ductwork to heat your home.
Heating your home isn’t the blower’s only job. If you have a central air conditioner, it’s also responsible for pushing cool air through your home in the summer.
Reasons Why Your Furnace Blower Is Not Working
Furnace blower not working? There are quite a few reasons why your furnace’s blower may have stopped working. They include:
- Motor failure: If something is wrong with your blower’s motor, it naturally won’t turn on. The problem could be a failed blower capacitor, worn bearings, or insufficient lubrication. Loud noises from the furnace indicate something amiss with the motor. In some cases, you may need to replace the part.
- Overheating: Modern furnaces feature a failsafe that turns them off if they detect an airflow obstruction to prevent permanent damage. Common causes of blockages include dirty air ducts and clogged air filters.
- Tripped circuit breaker: Your circuit breaker might trip if there’s an electrical problem with the furnace. If you reset the power supply and the furnace trips again, call a technician for help.
- Damaged control board: Think of the control board as the “brain” of your furnace. If the control board is faulty, the furnace may turn on and off randomly. Sometimes, the problem is as simple as a loose connection. Other times, you may need to replace the part.
- A lack of maintenance: Regular maintenance can help prevent many of the issues discussed above. Through maintenance, technicians identify small issues and correct them before they escalate into costly repairs.
What to Do if Your Furnace Fan Won’t Turn On
If your furnace blower won’t work, unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Troubleshooting depends on what exactly is wrong with the furnace. That said, you may be able to repair the furnace yourself by following these steps:
- Replace your air filter if it looks dirty or clogged with debris. Depending on your furnace, you might need to replace the filter every 30-90 days.
- Verify that the thermostat is set to the correct temperature.
- Check the circuit breaker and look for blown fuses.
- Ensure the blower door is in place and closed. The furnace won’t run if the door is ajar.
- Try resetting the furnace. For some newer furnaces, you can trigger a reset by turning the system on and off twice within 30 seconds.
If none of these methods work, it’s time to call us for furnace repair.
Furnace Blower Not Working? Call Our Experts
If your furnace blower isn’t working, don’t waste time and stress yourself out by trying to fix it yourself. Count on our professional technicians at Airmech Heating and Air Conditioning instead! Whether you need a new furnace or are looking for a second opinion on heating repair, you can trust the Airmech Heating and Air Conditioning team. Contact us to schedule a service today.