5 Reasons Why Your Furnace Keeps Tripping Your Circuit Breaker
You may not know this but furnaces actually require a bit of electricity to properly function. If your power goes out, so too can your furnace, leaving you and your family ill-equipped to suffer the elements. Most of the time, the furnace can simply be reset after a sudden trip of the breaker. This is not always the case though. If the furnace trips circuit breaker then you may have a larger problem on your hands. This may lead to a safety concern and you should have a professional HVAC company come out to inspect the unit for problems. Continue reading to become more familiar with these types of problems.
Why Is Power Required To Run My Furnace Anyway?
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Your furnace uses a fuel source such as heating oil, propane, or natural gas to heat your home. However, there are certain aspects of the furnace that require electricity. Without it, the furnace will not be able to function properly. Your furnace must receive a continuous flow of power for peak performance.
Specifically, two components of your furnace require power. These include the blower motor and the electronic ignition.
Blower Motor
Every furnace has a blower motor. This component is responsible for dispersing the heated air throughout your home. Without this device (or without electricity to power the device), the heated air would be unable to travel far from the furnace itself. This will leave the remainder of your home cold.
Electronic Ignition
Although there is a possibility that you may have an older furnace, which uses a pilot light to ignite, most furnaces these days are equipped with an electronic ignition. This is much more reliable but is also dependent on a power source, without one, you will be unable to turn on the furnace.
It is not a normal occurrence for a furnace to continuously trip a circuit breaker and if this is happening, it is important to distinguish the cause and formulate a plan to address the issue.
6 Possible Reasons Your Furnace Keeps Tripping Your Circuit Breaker
There are multiple reasons why your furnace may be tripping your circuit breaker. Let’s go over 6 common ones.
1. Your Furnace Filter Is Dirty
When the air filter in your HVAC system is clogged, it prevents free airflow. This, in turn, causes your system to use additional power to heat your home. When this happens, it is possible for the circuit breaker to trip due to the excess use of power.
Solution: This is easy to remedy by simply checking your HVAC air filters regularly. The best practice is to check your air filter every month and replace them whenever you find they are dirty.
2. Your Registers Or Air Vents May Be Blocked
Similarly to dirty air filters, blocked air vents or registers can also cause your furnace to consume more power than usual to heat your home. Do an inspection of your home and move anything that may be blocking these features such as; large pieces of furniture, clothing, or other cloth material or anything that looks like it may be preventing the airflow of your vent or register.
Solution: Again, this is an easy issue to prevent by simply ensuring that all your vents are free of anything that obstructs the airflow.
3. Your Furnace Motor Itself Is Defective
It is possible that over time, your furnace motor wiring has been affected due to wear and tear. This can easily cause the circuit breaker to trip. If you suspect that this is the issue, call an HVAC company right away to replace the motor. Regularly maintain the furnace to prevent this from occurring in the future.
Solution: It is important to find a professional HVAC specialist once a defect is discovered or suspected. You may feel inclined to reach out to someone less qualified to save a bit of money. However, many times these individuals create larger issues that require additional work and money in the future.
4. The Air Ducts In Your Home Are Leaking
When your HVAC system has leaky air ducts, the heated air is continuously escaping, causing your furnace to work harder than usual to heat your home. Anytime your system has to work harder than usual, the possibility of tripping your circuit breaker exists.
Solution: If you suspect that your HVAC ductwork is leaking, call an HVAC expert right away as well. Ductwork can be extremely difficult to care for if you are not an expert and a well-qualified HVAC specialist can easily address your concerns quickly.
5. Your Electrical Panel Needs A Repair
There are times when the issue may have absolutely nothing to do with your furnace itself. In these situations, you will need to call an electrician to inspect your electrical panel to make sure there are no deficiencies there. If there are, they will need to repair them in order for the furnace to function properly.
Solution: Call a licensed electrician to examine your electrical panel. They will be able to determine if your panel needs a repair for all of the electrical appliances to operate safely in your home.
A lot of power is needed to run your furnace and if you have too many things connected to the same circuit, it very well may continue to trip. You should have your furnace connected to its own exclusive circuit to prevent things like appliance, tools, or lights from tripping the breaker.
Solution: Call a licensed electrician to inspect your electrical panel. They will be able to determine if your panel is working as expected or if it needs a repair. Likewise, they will be able to
With all that being said, circuit breaker trips, whether they are due to the furnace or not, can be very dangerous. You should always address the issues as soon as possible to prevent fires or other major problems.
Call Hart Home Comfort For All Of Your Home Heating Requirements
Hart Home Comfort offers high-quality heating and cooling services in the area. We have professionally certified technicians who can conduct excellent HVAC services, including boiler repair, furnace maintenance, HVAC installation, and more. Each of our expert technicians has the extensive knowledge and experience needed to correctly and promptly service your HVAC system.
When you need heating system repair or replacement, you can feel confident that you are in good hands with Hart Home Comfort. We offer one of the affordable HVAC services in the area. Need a replacement system? No worries. We can help you find the make and model most suitable for your needs while keeping your budget in mind. Your home comfort, efficiency, and indoor air quality are our priority. Book an appointment, and give us a call today for a free, in-home consultation.
For any questions about what Hart Home Comfort can do for you, give us a call today. Click here to contact us now or call us at (631) 667-3200 to find out more!