It’s a chilly day and you walk into your house, only to find that instead of keeping your home nice and toasty, your furnace is blowing cold air. What should you do? Whatever you end up doing, don’t panic just yet. While this issue could be caused by a host of different issues, more often than not it’s probably something that you can fix yourself without the necessity for a costly repair.

In today’s post, furnace installation experts at Econoair Heating & Cooling Inc. share a few troubleshooting tips for getting your heating system up and running in no time without the help of a professional.

Troubleshoot a Furnace That's Blowing Cold Air

Troubleshooting Tip #1: Check Your Furnace Filter

One of the first things you should do is check your furnace filter. Your furnace may be blowing cold air or even no air at all due to a dirty or clogged filter. A dirty air filter inhibits airflow to the furnace’s heat exchanger, which will trip the high-limit switch. This switch detects overheating and signals the system to shut off the burner, resulting in the cold air. Once the furnace cools, your system will try to fire up again.

Troubleshooting Tip #2: Check Your Pilot Light

If your pilot light is off, this means that there’s no combustion taking place, and therefore no heat being produced. Before calling in your furnace repair company try doing these things first:

  • Turn off your furnace’s power.

  • Locate the pilot light assembly and switch it to the OFF position.

  • Wait at least ten minutes to allow any escaped gas to clear.

  • Turn the switch to PILOT, then attempt to relight it using a match or lighter.

  • Once the pilot light is on, turn the switch to ON.

  • Restore the furnace’s power.

Troubleshooting Tip #3: Check Your Thermostat Fan Setting

Check to see if your thermostat fan setting is set to ON instead of AUTO. A thermostat fan that’s set to ON will run the blower 24/7 regardless of whether or not your furnace is on. If this is the case, switch to AUTO instead so that the fan only blows during the heating cycle.

If the furnace still isn’t working after completing the steps above, give trusted heating and AC repair company Econoair Heating & Cooling Inc. a call at 905-763-2400 or fill out our contact form and we’ll get your furnace up and running in no time.

Author Bio

Bruce Pou