To have the heater stop functioning during winter can be a nightmare for any homeowner. And no matter what you try to do, the heater might remain shut down, causing extreme discomfort for you and your family members. There are various reasons why a heater might refuse to switch on. Below, we look at six of them.
- Excessive Gas
If the heating furnace is not calibrated properly, it can end up burning excessive gas. And when it happens repeatedly, the furnace will overheat and start cycling on a limit switch. A combustion analysis should reveal the problem and let the technicians known that excess gas is being burned. They can then recalibrate the furnace to only burn the exact gas as required.
- Capacitor Failure
Sometimes, the capacitor in the furnace might malfunction. And since it is the capacitor that starts the furnace, a failed capacitor essentially means that your heater won’t turn on. The good news is that the technicians will be able to determine whether a capacitor is on its way to failure or not. When I hired a local service offering heating and air conditioning repair near me to conduct a maintenance check on the furnace, they were able to detect a nearly dead capacitor right away. As such, they replaced the capacitor and ensured that I never had to deal with a heater that refuses to switch on.
- Heat Exchanger
A cracked heat exchanger can also lead to heater failure by making the airflow in the heating system very inefficient. And since the heat exchanger has carbon monoxide inside them, the gas will leak into your home when it cracks. As such, it is recommended that you replace the heat exchanger when it is near the end of its life expectancy to avoid furnace failure.
- Overloaded Motor
Sometimes, the heater motor can get overloaded. The heater will not start in such a situation. Just keep the motor switched off for an hour and then click on the reset button. If you are lucky, the heater should now start. However, if the heater does not switch on, you may need to call in a service technician.
- Low Refrigerant Level
When the refrigerant level of the heater is very low, the compressor unit can overheat and blow off. As a result, the heater won’t start. Only by replacing the compressor with a new one and recharging the refrigerant level will the heater switch on again. However, if you do regular maintenance of the heater, the technicians will always check the refrigerant level and recharge it if necessary, avoiding the possibility of compressor failure. Only homeowners who do not do timely maintenance of the heater are at risk.
- Blocked Filter
The heating furnace has filters that can become clogged with dirt over time. If these filters are not cleaned or replaced, then the accumulated dirt can make the system run inefficiently. And eventually, the heater won’t even start.