Cold Air From the Furnace

The cold season has finally began and your homes heating system is working full time to keep the residents in your home comfortable. No homeowner wants to feel cold blasts of air when the furnace is working hard to keep the house warm. There are many reasons a furnace may blow cold air while it runs. Some are simple and easy to fix others might need a technician to sole properly.

Cold Air Coming From the Furnace

Takes time. If you are just turning on the system for the season it may take time for the conditioned air to feel heated. Just like when it takes time for the hot water to leave the water heater tank to reach the faucet. When the system is turned on auto and just kicked on; the hot air may take a few moments to be distributed. This is common among many HVAC systems but keep an eye out if the problem persists.

Check the thermostat. It is often easy to forget that the thermostat should be set to “auto” instead of “fan”. While on the “fan”setting, the furnace does not run but the fan will continuously run. “Auto” setting will turn the fan off then the furnace is not running.

Pilot is out. Check the pilot to see if it has gone out. This is a common problem when the furnace blows cold air. A homeowner can relight a pilot on their own, based on the manufacturer owner’s manual, if they feel comfortable doing so. If the pilot does not stay lit, call an HVAC professional.

Ductwork in an attic or basement. Ductwork that travels through a colder area of the house like a basement or attic can cool the heated air before it gets released into the home. There are multiple installation techniques that can be used to help preserve the heat while it travels through the ductwork of a cooler area.

After you follow the tips above and problems continue it is a good idea to call an HVAC professional. A licensed professional will be able to successfully diagnose the problem in a timely matter. Their knowledge and professionalism will get your HVAC system working properly for the residents of your home.

Ultimately, a furnace has the lifespan of about 10 to 15 years. If your homes unit is older than this, the ideal situation might be to replace the unit as a whole. There are additional benefits to a new system that include saving on consumption and utility bills.