Why Is Cold Air Blowing From My Furnace?

You can hear your furnace cycling on and off but your home is getting colder. You place your hand by the vent only to find that your furnace is blowing cold. There could be a few reasons why your furnace is only pumping out cold air. No matter what the reason, it’s important to find a solution and get your furnace fixed fast.

Why is my furnace blowing cold?

Here are the most common problems that may cause cold air to blast out of your vents:

• Your Thermostat – This one can be a simple fix. Check the fan switch on your thermostat; if it’s set to ON this will cause the blower to run non-stop even when the furnace isn’t heating the air. This leaves cold air blowing into your home when the burner is off. Flip the fan switch to AUTO and your furnace blower motor should start cycling on and off again and blowing hot.
• Your Furnace – If your furnace was blowing hot one minute then it starts blowing cold, your furnace may have overheated. If this is the case, your furnace may stop blowing air altogether. When your furnace overheats it goes from blowing cold air to triggering the limit switch. This switch is a safety feature designed to turn the burners off when your system starts to overheat. Start with changing out your air filters; dirty air filters can trigger overheating. If this doesn’t help, it may be time to call in the experts.
• Your Pilot Light – If you have a older (likely over 20 years old) gas furnace, the pilot light may be out. If this is the case and you feel confident doing so, try to re-light the pilot light. If it won’t light or it won’t stay lit there may be a problem with the gas supply or the thermocouple. If you’re having an issue with your pilot light, call a professional, it isn’t something you want to mess around with.
• Really Cold Weather – Sometimes during really cold weather, you outside gas meter can malfunction and stop or reduce gas flow to your home. Additionally, excess demand can infrequently overtax the gas supply system. Check with the gas utility or your HVAC pros for this problem.

Cleveland Furnace Problems

If you have Cleveland furnace problems, contact the team at P.K. Wadsworth today.