Why Is My Home Heater Not Producing Heat?

As a homeowner, it can be worrying to discover that your home heater won’t generate the heat you need to keep your household warm. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to find the source of your heating problem and fix it.

Most home heater malfunctions are caused by common issues identified by experts through their experience in mending HVAC systems. Many have to do with the internal components not working because of simple faults, environmental factors, and not enough care taken to maintain the heater. Wherever the trouble may be, you can be sure that it can be resolved and the heating is restored.

Here are some of the reasons why your home heater isn’t producing heat:

There Are Holes In Your Ducts

The source of your home heater not producing heat could be the hot airflow being interrupted by breaks and gaps in your ducts. You’ll notice this in the case where some areas of your home receive heat while other rooms are left in the cold. These gaps in your ducts should be fixed as soon as you discover them to prevent an imminent breakdown of your HVAC system in the future.

Thus, you should check along the ducts you can access and inspect them closely. If you come across any holes, then you can seal them off DIY style with foil tape or mastic duct sealant for a durable and longer-lasting hold. Another option is to call in an expert that provides residential heating services bunker hill to come in and repair or replace some of your ductwork. This is the long-term solution to fix a heating problem caused by airflow restrictions.

The Furnace Has Been Neglected

It’s recommended that your furnace undergoes thorough maintenance by a technician at least once a year or every six months before summer and winter set in. If you can’t recall the last time your furnace was checked by a professional, then this could be a sign it has maintenance issues stemming from a lack of upkeep.
In this situation, your heater may not be producing sufficient heat because of problems found in a few specific areas. The fault could be with the blower being dirty or its capacitor has stopped working.

Other possibilities include the furnace needing repair, especially if it’s an old gas furnace or the flame sensor fails and can no longer light the burners. As such, you should bring in an HVAC serviceman yearly at a minimum, so they can restore your unit and prevent future heating problems before they happen.

The Thermostat Is On The Wrong Setting

Oftentimes, the problem with a home heater is as simple as the thermostat being in the wrong setting. This is particularly the case with smart and programmable thermostats that are a little more complex to operate if you’re not too familiar with the settings. Cleaning in and around your unit is another cause of accidentally changing the settings.

While thermostats may differ according to the manufacturer, the general rule to isolate the issue is to check whether your unit is set to ‘heat’ and should be between 70-75 °F. This temperature should be enough to kickstart the furnace. If you still can’t feel the heat after a few minutes, remove the face of the thermostats to check for damaged wires or batteries that need replacing.

The Filter Is Clogged

Air filters that are jammed with dirt, dust, and outside debris can cause your furnace to shut down and stop producing heat efficiently for your home. This is because the clogging up strains the heat exchanger to work harder and eventually overheat and malfunction. A furnace operating inefficacity also runs the risk of raising your electrical bill.
So, to make sure it’s not your filters causing the no-heat problem, take a closer look at it. If there are visible signs of dust and the filters appear to be a grayish color with blackish dust caused by soot over being white, then it could be the culprit.

Additionally, you can check your living room furniture for a layer of dust that signals a dirty filter. You can also touch the filter to feel whether it’s hot, which indicates it may have overheated. In either circumstance, it’s best to replace your filter with a new one to get your heating running smoothly again.

Conclusion

Keeping your home’s central heating is essential for creating a comfortable temperature environment for your family on cold days. So, when your home heater isn’t producing heat, there are several common areas you can check to troubleshoot where the problem is coming from.

You can inspect your ducts, vents, and reachable parts of the furnace to make sure dust and debris aren’t causing a buildup that’s damaging your system. Then you need to make sure the heating isn’t disrupted by breaks in your ducts.

If you still have trouble at this stage, you can call in a technician to have a look. Keep in mind that heating system breakdowns can be avoided through annual checkups conducted by an HVAC expert.

Let's Discuss