Signs Your Heater is Having Electrical Problems

It’s always a cause for concern when your furnace or heat pump malfunctions. Whether it’s working less effectively or not heating at all, it’s important to get the heater repairs you need. There are many potential causes, but heater failures in the Buckhead, GA area are frequently attributed to electrical problems. Familiarizing yourself with some of these problems can help you identify issues quickly and get help before the situation gets worse.

Problems Starting or Shutting Down

Does your heater seem to have trouble starting and producing heat? Does it start normally only to refuse to shut down at the right time? In either case, it’s likely there’s an electrical problem at fault. If you have a heat pump, the primary culprit is often a damaged or failing capacitor. For furnaces, electronic ignitions and safety switches can sometimes bring your system to a halt. The good news is that fixing these issues usually only requires cleaning, adjusting or replacing the troublesome component.

Rapid or Inconsistent Cycling

When your home gets cold, your heating system should turn on and run until your thermostat’s setpoint temperature is reached. This represents a normal heating cycle. However, the process is rather complex and vulnerable to failure in multiple ways. Anything from a faulty sensor to an incorrect fan switch setting can cut the normal heating cycle short. This disruption, known as short cycling, can ruin your heater’s efficiency and performance and eventually lead to mechanical problems.

Excessive Heating Expenses

No matter how you slice it, a rapid rise in your heating costs is bad news. If you’re lucky, those ballooning bills may just be a result of going too long without HVAC maintenance. Alternatively, unexplained cost increases could be the result of an electrical malfunction somewhere in your heating system. A faulty thermostat is a common electrical issue that can cause your heater to run excessively, needlessly wasting energy. Failing capacitors can also disrupt your heater’s normal operation and drag down its efficiency.

You deserve the comfort and efficiency of a heating system that reliably delivers peak performance. When electrical problems get in the way, turn to Ful-Bro Heating and Air Conditioning’s heater repair services or call 678-369-0500 for fast and friendly repairs.