Picture this. You come in from shoveling the snow and kick up the temperature on your thermostat by a few degrees. To help you recover from the cold, you stand under the heater vent. But suddenly, you feel a chill. The heater is blowing out cold air instead of hot air. It’s a common issue with HVAC in Moore, OK, and one you may be able to avoid. Find out why your heater is blowing cold air and what you can do to prevent it from happening to you.

Common Causes of Cold Air

You expect cold air to blow when you have your AC on, but this shouldn’t happen when you use your heater. Therefore, you can be sure the cold air is a sign of another issue. Typically, one of the following problems are causing your cold air:

The Fan is Off

If you don’t have your blower fan on, the system won’t blow hot air. Check your thermostat and look for the fan setting. Is it set to “off” or “on”? If so, switch the fan on auto mode. Whenever your system produces heat, the warm air will blow through the vents and into your home. While you’re at the thermostat, make sure the display works. You could have an issue with your thermostat settings or a low battery. Test the thermostat by increasing the temperature by about five degrees. If the heater doesn’t react, you could have an issue with the thermostat. Your best course of action is to call a Moore heating and cooling specialist.

No Pilot Light

New heating systems have pilot lights that are electronic and inextinguishable. However, older systems have pilot lights that can go out. If you have a furnace that’s more than ten years old, you should check the pilot light. But don’t be too hasty. The pilot light could be difficult or dangerous to access. In this case, call a professional. If you can access the light, check to see if it is on. You can read the owner’s manual to determine what steps you need to take to light the pilot light. After you manage to light it, find out if it stays lit. You shouldn’t need to relight it frequently. If it keeps going out, call a professional to assess the situation.

Dirty Flame Sensor

One of the components of your furnace is the flame sensor. This part is responsible for determining when the burner makes warmth and also helps heat up the air when it moves through the duct system. If your heater is blowing out cool air, the issue could be the flame sensor. You can test this theory by turning the heater off and on. Does the air feel warm but then cool off? If so, you can be sure your flame sensor is to blame. The gas burner won’t remain on, and the air becomes cold within seconds of the heater kicking on. In this case, you need to contact a professional and have them clean the flame sensor. They will need to open the burner and access the flame sensor. Cleaning a dirty flame sensor is not a DIY job. As you try to access the unit, you could end up doing damage to the components. In the end, your DIY repair attempt could destroy your heater and leave you with thousands of dollars in damage.

Dirty Filter

Another potential issue is your filter. If you have a clogged or dirty air filter, the air in your HVAC system won’t move well. When the air enters the system, it gets stopped up and can’t enter the chamber, where it would warm up. The air that does make it through won’t be very warm, and this is why you feel cool air coming from your heater. As one of the easiest fixes, a dirty filter doesn’t require professional attention. You can replace the filter with a new, clean one. However, make sure the filter is the appropriate size and that you install it the right way. If you’re not sure how to install a filter, you can contact a professional. They can install it for you and explain what you need to do the next time you need to change the filter. Although this is an easy fix, you should avoid allowing your system to run with a dirty filter. The clogged filter causes your HVAC system to work much harder than it should, and this takes a toll on the parts and will eventually lead to a broken heater. You should change out your filters once every three months or even more frequently if you have a large household or pets in the home.

No Utilities

If you have a gas heater, you rely on natural gas for all of your heating needs. Your cold air could be a result of trouble with the gas line. First, make sure you paid your gas bill. If you didn’t pay it, contact your utility company and make a payment. It’s the only way to restore your heat. There could be trouble with the gas line, and this requires the utility company to fix the situation. Before you do anything else, call the gas company and ask if there are any issues with the gas line. Even if they don’t know of any issues, you can ask them to check the connection with your home. There may be nothing wrong, but it’s worth looking into.

Are You Having Issues with Your HVAC in Moore, OK?

Whether your heater is blowing cold air or you have another issue with your heater, you can rely on us. Our company has spent years working with locals to fix their heating and cooling issues. Why wait in the cold when you can trust us to help? You deserve to have a fully functional heater all winter long. The next time you have trouble with your HVAC in Moore, OK, call us at Home Comfort Solutions. We’re ready to respond to your call and to repair any problems with your heating and cooling system.

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