A properly functioning furnace is essential for distributing warm air throughout your home, ensuring a comfortable and cozy environment during the colder months.
However, if you’ve noticed that your furnace is not blowing air through the vents, it can be both frustrating and concerning.
Without adequate airflow, your heating system may struggle to maintain the desired temperature, leading to discomfort and potential issues with the furnace itself.
There are several common reasons why your furnace will not blow air through its vents. One of them is a disruption of power. The temperature settings might also be worth checking.
Understanding the possible causes behind a furnace not blowing air through the vents and taking appropriate troubleshooting steps can help you identify and resolve the problem effectively.
Main Reasons Why Your Furnace May Not Be Blowing Air
There are various possible causes of an electric furnace that is not blowing air. There are a multitude of complex mechanisms involved in a heating system, so even a momentary issue could cause the furnace to malfunction.
1. The Filter Is Clogged
Two kinds of problems can arise from clogged furnace air filters: blocked airflow and tripped shutoffs.
There are times when dust and debris can accumulate to such a degree that the filter blocks warm air from passing through.
Even though the furnace might seem to be not blowing air, it only needs a new filter.
In addition, clogged furnace filters can overheat the system due to restricted airflow, causing the safety shutoff in the system to activate.
Due to a clogged air filter, while you believe the furnace isn’t blowing heat, the furnace has actually overheated and stopped.
2. The Circuit Breaker Is Off
A circuit breaker can be one of the most complicated furnace issues. A heating system will have one, two, or possibly three different circuit breakers. Any one of them could trip and cause the furnace to stop working.
A furnace will not generate heat if the circuit breaker is off. Similarly, if the circuit breaker for the blower fan is off, the heating coils will not produce warmth.
A circuit breaker should not be tested more than once after tripping it. The issue of repeat tripping should be referred to an HVAC technician as soon as possible.
3. The Battery Is Dead
It is often the result of dead batteries in the thermostat that the date and time are improperly set. In the absence of batteries, the thermostat relies solely on the electricity provided by your house.
Thus, the thermostat is configured to reset following a blackout or brownout, thereby defaulting to midnight on Sunday following a power outage during the week.
Sometimes, a thermostat will dump its settings if the battery runs low. It is possible to go several months without knowing that the time your thermostat recognizes is four days and 18 hours behind the actual date and time in your area.
In the meantime, your heating bill could rise while you crank up the heat to compensate for the lack of warmth from your furnace.
4. The Date and Time Are Incorrect
Your thermostat might not set the day and time correctly if you don’t get the expected temperatures. The hour and day settings on some programmable thermostats are off considerably.
As an example, it may be 8 p.m. on Sunday in your area, but your thermostat claims it is 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
Thus, the thermostat thinks you are at work instead of at home reading a book. To conserve energy, the thermostat sets the temperature low. As the typical workday winds down, you will unlikely need a warm house.
5. Your DIY Thermostat Installation Went Awry
Unless you have extensive experience installing thermostats yourself, it is quite possible that your installation didn’t go smoothly.
There is a high likelihood that certain adjustments will be required that can only be performed by an HVAC service specialist, even if you follow the directions.
Another possibility is that your thermostat is incompatible with your current heating system.
Markets have been swamped with fancy self-install thermostat kits that are incompatible with older home heating systems, causing situations such as these to increasingly happen.
6. The Furnace Is Not in “Heat Mode”
Homeowners’ elementary oversight is to turn on the furnace but keep the thermostat in air conditioning instead of heat.
The problem is that many homeowners overlook these options and don’t realize that they are using the wrong mode.
Users can confusedly mis program their systems in various ways because of the complexity of today’s programmable thermostats, which offer multiple options.
7. The Temperature Is Incorrectly Set
Depending on the needs of each household member, there may be different views on ideal indoor temperatures. The term “warm” might mean something different to one person and something else altogether to another.
Disagreements such as these are often unspoken until they become a major issue. This means that a thermostat might be turned down at some point during the day while the rest of the household is unaware of the action.
When you live in a household of two or more people, discuss the indoor temperatures you’d like throughout the day with everyone.
Ensure that your thermostat is set correctly to the temperature you intended, especially if you feel colder than expected and suspect your settings might have been altered without your knowledge.
Ways to Fix a Furnace Not Blowing Air Through Vents
There can be considerable difficulty, time consumption, and expense involved in furnace troubleshooting. You can find many reasons for furnace failure, but here are some things you can look for.
The next step is to call a qualified heating repairman if you cannot get your furnace to blow hot air through vents after following our fixes below.
1. Make Sure There’s Power
An overload in a furnace can cause fuses or breakers to trip, especially if there are underlying problems or contributing factors.
Since it is probably the only component on its circuit, it is the only item to be affected. Because of this, it is sometimes hard to tell whether the power is on or not. Before you try other solutions, make sure you have power.
2. Check The Vents And Filters
An air conditioner that doesn’t blow air could have a problem with the vents and filters.
Inspect the cold air return filter to see if it has been improperly installed or needs replacing before opening any home vents.
A dirty or incorrectly installed filter can contribute to reduced airflow and inefficient system operation.
3. Look At The Thermostat
For furnaces to function properly, the thermostat must be set properly. As long as the regular operation is being carried out, the setting should be “Auto”.
In a central heating and air conditioning system, there should also be a switch to change the setting from cooling to heating. You should choose “Heat” or an equivalent setting.
Ensure the temperature is set to your preferred level; if it’s too low, the system will not operate. Make sure the power source is working, as well as the batteries if your thermostat is battery-powered.
4. Check the Pilot Light
In older gas furnaces, pilot lights replace electronic ignitions. The problem may be caused by a clogged orifice, which can be cleaned with a small wire if the pilot light is not lit.
The circuit breaker must be shut down and the furnace shut off before you try this step.
The pilot light could also fail due to a loose thermocouple, a weak flame setting or a faulty cutoff valve, all of which are more appropriate for HVAC service professionals to resolve.
5. Check the Air Filter
A clogged air filter is one of the most accessible parts to check since it is obvious how it could prevent air from flowing from the furnace. This is like cleaning the lint trap in a laundry dryer every time it is used.
Make sure your furnace filter is cleaned once every three months and that it is replaced if dirt has built up. It is advisable to turn off the furnace and thermostat before retrieving the air filter.
Final Words
You may feel alarmed when you discover your furnace is running but not blowing air. You must check your thermostat settings and air filter, and hopefully, you will be able to get your furnace running again quickly.
Most furnace problems require professional intervention, except for simple fixes to minor issues.
