3 Reasons Why Your Heater is Blowing Cold Air

Heaters are supposed to keep a home or workspace warm, cozy and comfortable by providing warm air reliably, even throughout winter's harshest and coldest weather. Sometimes, though, heaters do not perform as they should and instead of delivering warm air, cold air comes through the register leaving spaces chilly and uncomfortable. When this happens, it is important to uncover the cause of the cold air and rectify it as soon as possible. While there could be many reasons a heater is not performing optimally, here are three common causes of cold air coming through a heater.

Problems With the Pilot Light

One of the most common reasons a heater blows cold air through the vents is because the pilot light has gone out. Gas furnaces will blow cold air when the pilot light is out and sometimes simply relighting the pilot light will fix the problem. If, however, the pilot light is ignited and cold air is still coming through the vents, it may be an indication that the furnace's thermocouple needs to be adjusted or replaced. The thermocouple is the copper rod that the pilot flame hits, and a faulty thermocouple can cause cold air to flow when warm air should be circulating.

If reigniting the pilot light fails, first check to make sure the gas valve is in the "on" position meaning that is it is parallel to the gas supply line. If the gas is on and the pilot light will not ignite, this may indicate that the pilot light is dirty. Make sure the gas valve is in the off position and clean the pilot light. This may solve the problem and allow warm air to flow freely again.

Dirty Furnace Air Filters

Another common cause of cold air blowing from a heater is an overheated furnace. Furnaces rely on air intake to operate properly and clogged, dirty air filters restrict the flow of air through the unit. This restricted air flow causes the furnace to work harder and longer than necessary and it overheats in the process.

If it has been awhile since the air filter in the furnace has been replaced, try replacing the filter with a new one and see if that fixes the problem. If it does, be sure to replace the filters monthly to avoid this happening again. This routine and easy maintenance can prevent damage caused by repeated overheating of a furnace. Continual overheating of your furnace can cause damage to the unit's heat exchanger and that can be an extremely expensive part to repair or replace.

Incorrect Thermostat Fan Settings

If cold air is coming out heating vents, check to make sure the fan setting on the thermostat is set to the "auto" position rather than the "on" position. When in the "on" position, the fan will constantly blow and circulate air whether or not the furnace is actually on and heating air. This will cause the air coming from the registers to feel cold or cool simply because the fan is continuously blowing unheated, room temperature air.

Reset the furnace fan to the "auto" position and see if this solves the issue. If it does, be sure to leave the setting on auto and replace the furnace's air filter regularly. These steps should ensure that the heat will flow freely and comfortably throughout your Colonial Heights home or building.

What If None Of These Common Issues Are the Problem?

There could be many reasons why the heating unit is not performing properly. These include:

*Large holes and leaks in ductwork or poorly insulated crawl and attic spaces can get into the ducts and cause the air to feel cold.

*Clogged drain lines can also cause air blowing through vents to feel cold.

*Electric heaters may blow cold air if the circuit breaker has tripped. Sometimes simply resetting the breaker can correct the issue. If, however, the furnace breaker continues to trip, it may indicate a short circuit or other electrical problem.

*Malfunctioning auxiliary heat strips on heat pumps. If the weather outside is extremely cold, these heat strips can malfunction and cause cold air to blow through the heat vents.

In all of these cases, our expertly trained service professionals can help assess and fix the problem and offer suggestions and tips to prevent them happening again.

Keeping a home, office or building at a comfortable temperature year round, regardless of the weather outside, is critical to the feel, enjoyment and even the productivity of a space. A properly running and functioning heater is not only important in setting the level of comfort in a space, it is critical to keeping people and pets safe in cold, harsh winter weather. If heating problems are causing you discomfort, our trained repair technicians in the Colonial Heights region, can help alleviate the problem and make your home comfortable once again.

Do not settle for an uncomfortable home and don't take on repairs that may be unsafe or difficult for you to tackle on your own.

For top quality heating unit service and repair in Colonial Heights, VA, call Colonial Plumbing & Heating Co., Inc. at (804) 526- 8415 today.