Have you awakened during the night and realized it is cold in your home?
Did you try adjusting the thermostat only to find it is blank?
Did you check the breaker panel but found the breaker for the furnace has tripped?
After resetting the breaker and turning on the furnace, did it trip again?
Here are a few things you should check if your furnace keeps tripping the breaker.
Check your filter
A clogged filter is one of the most common reasons a furnace is overworked and trips a breaker. When the filter becomes blocked with debris, dust, and dirt, the restricted airflow puts stress on the blower motor inside the air handler, which in turn, overloads the circuit breaker. Please change your air filter on a regular basis to prevent this problem.
Make sure vents are not blocked
Never place furniture or rugs over supply and return vents throughout your home. Obstructed vents can prevent proper air distribution, which strains an engaged blower motor. A strained blower motor can trip the breaker and lead to more serious mechanical problems. If the motor is having to work hard and thus pull higher amps, it can cause a nuisance breaker trip.
Therefore, make sure all air vents are free and clear of any obstructions.
Electrical Problems for Harrisonburg Homeowners
Many of today’s newer furnaces require a dedicated circuit, if your home’s furnace is shared by another electrical device, it could cause the breaker to trip. You also could have an electrical short within your furnace. There could be a wire touching or worn that could cause the furnace to short to ground.
The best solution is to have your heating system checked by a licensed professional.
Mountain Valley Home Comfort has been Harrisonburg’s local choice since 1984!
Visually inspect your duct work
Even small holes and tears result in significant air leaks. If leaks are visually obvious, this could be the reason your furnace is tripping the breaker. Air escaping from these leaks means the blower motor inside the furnace is working harder and could overload the circuit.
Contact your local contractor about repairing the duct work.
Mechanical malfunction
Your home’s furnace could have a faulty blower motor using excessive electricity. In this case, a trained technician needs to assess your heating system and make qualified recommendations for replacement or repair.
Regardless, if any of these scenarios apply, you should never keep resetting the breaker. The breakers trip as a safety device to prevent more serious damage to your equipment or your home.
Never ignore a tripped breaker.
If you regularly change your filter and have verified the vents are not obstructed, nor any air leaks exist throughout your duct work, call your local experts at Mountain Valley Home Comfort immediately to schedule an appointment.
