Furnaces are subject to any number of problems and malfunctions. Few of them are more mysterious–or frustrating–than a tendency to shut down before your house has come up to temperature. If you would like to improve your knowledge about the factors that may be involved in this issue, and what it takes to repair your furnace, read on. This article will discuss two common causes of a furnace that shuts off prematurely.

Your furnace filter has become excessively clogged. 

The furnace filter is often misunderstood by homeowners, who think that its principal function is to clean the air coming into your home. While it certainly does this, the most important role of the filter is to prevent airborne dust and debris from damaging the sensitive internal components of your furnace.

Over time, a filter may become so blocked up that it blocks even the flow of air into your furnace. This has the effect of increasing the furnace’s temperature. As a result, the furnace’s high limit switch–part of its important safety system–will kick on and block the flow of gas to the burner. Swapping in a fresh filter is generally enough to eliminate this problem.

Your blower motor has gone bad.  

Your furnace generates heat through the combustion of oil or gas. Yet ensuring that this heat is transmitted to the rooms of your home is the job of the blower system, which consists of a high powered fan. If something goes wrong with the motor that controls the operation of this fan, it will cease to distribute air throughout your house. As a result, the temperature inside of the furnace will once again rise, triggering your limit switch to shut down the entire system.

If your furnace has ceased to function the way that it should, please don’t hesitate to contact the experts at McKee Energy Solutions.