Everything You Need to Know About a Furnace Blowing Cold Air

If your furnace is blowing cold air, don’t panic! There are a few reasons this could happen, but, in most cases, furnaces will blow cold air when they haven’t been used in a while, indicating that something has gone awry internally or your components are dirty and need a good cleaning.

Allow our team at Aire Serv of Birmingham to walk you through troubleshooting various causes of cold air coming out of your furnace. Keep reading to learn more.

Why Is My Furnace Blowing Cold Air Instead of Heat?

Are you feeling a chill in your house? Are you frustrated because your home furnace is blowing cold air instead of heat? Don’t worry; it might just be a quick fix.

Possible reasons why your furnace is acting up may include the following.

Dirty Air Filters

When the air filters of your heater become dirty, they can restrict the normal flow of warm air coming from the unit. This can cause an issue where your heater will blow out cold air instead of warm air. It’s important to take preventative measures to help ensure your air filters stay clean and unrestricted so you can keep your home comfortable during those colder months.

Cleaning or replacing your air filters every 1-3 months is vital to maintaining a functioning heating system and ensuring a comfortable amount of warm air circulating throughout your home. Check your filters and make sure they are consistently clean.

The Thermostat Isn’t Working

Cool air coming from your heater when you expect warm air can be particularly frustrating, especially in winter. This could signify that your thermostat is broken and needs to be either repaired or replaced. The thermostat works as the “brain” of the HVAC system, telling your heater when to turn on and off to regulate the internal temperature. Cool air can blow out when it’s not working properly because the system isn’t receiving the signal to begin circulating hot air.

A faulty thermostat should be caused by improper thermostat installation or something most significant. Regardless of the cause, have your thermostat inspected and repaired by a professional HVAC technician in Birmingham to diagnose and repair any issues you may have.

The Pilot Light May Have Gone Out

When cold air blows out of your furnace, the cause may be a pilot light that has gone out. The pilot light is essentially what ignites the furnace and keeps it running. While older furnaces require manual reignition of the pilot light, most modern models feature an electric igniter. So, if you think this might be the issue with your furnace, one way to quickly check is to look for signs of a flame in the combustion chamber. If there’s no flame present, you may have to go through some troubleshooting or even call in a professional technician. In the meantime, ensure you have plenty of blankets available to keep warm!

The Emergency Shut-Off Switch Needs to Be Reset

Troubleshooting a faulty furnace can be an intimidating process, but resetting the emergency shut-off switch is often a great place to start. When cold air is blowing from the furnace, the unit has likely gone into “safeguard mode” because of an issue or blockage in its operations. Restarting and resetting the emergency shut-off switch may have the benefit of addressing these issues for your home heating system to return to normal.

The Motor or Blower May Need Repair or Replacement

Cold air coming out of your furnace, obviously, isn’t normal. This issue could be caused by a broken motor or blower within the unit, preventing the engine from generating heat properly. Your furnace will require a thorough inspection to determine if this is, in fact, the problem. If you need a repaired or replacement motor, you’ll want to seek out an experienced professional in Birmingham to help resolve the issue. Taking on this job yourself is not advisable since it requires specific expertise and experience to get it done correctly.

How Much Will Furnace Repair Cost?

When it comes to identifying and troubleshooting why your home furnace might be blowing cold air, the most important step is determining the root cause of the problem. Once that’s done, you can then address the repair job itself and consider what might be involved in terms of cost. Many factors could contribute to these costs, so it’s important to understand them before starting any work.

Generally speaking, smaller issues related to wiring or lubrication are ‘easier’ in terms of cost than larger issues like an entire furnace replacement. That being said, it’s also important to consider hiring a professional furnace technician for this job, as costly mistakes can easily occur if you decide to do it yourself! Ultimately, keeping up to date with your heater maintenance will help you save money in the long run.

How Can I Prevent My Furnace from Blowing Cold Air in The Future?

Preventing your furnace from blowing cold air can be as simple as regularly changing your air filter, checking the condition of your heat exchanger and vent systems, or scheduling routine professional maintenance visits. Fortunately, most of these processes are straightforward and relatively affordable.

Changing your air filter proactively will allow the least resistance for warm air to travel through vents while inspecting the heat exchanger will help identify whether it has any holes or cracks that could cause cold drafts in the winter.

Additionally, having an HVAC technician visit your home annually to run diagnostics and inspect other parts of your system is important for ensuring everything runs safely and efficiently. This is key for preventing cold air from escaping through broken or malfunctioning components.

Cold Air Blowing Out of Your Furnace? Aire Serv of Birmingham Is On The Job!

There are several reasons why your furnace might be blowing cold air instead of heat. Luckily, many of these issues can be resolved with professional help. However, if you’re not comfortable troubleshooting the problem yourself or if the issue persists, it’s time to call in a professional at Aire Serv of Birmingham. HVAC repair costs can vary depending on the severity of the problem, but it’s always worth addressing furnace problems as soon as they arise to prevent further damage.

Call us today to schedule furnace repair or replacement!