鲍蝉颈苍驳听补听smart thermostat聽isn’t just聽smart聽蹿辞谤听saving聽on heating聽expenses. It can also聽alert you聽if there’s聽a problem聽with your furnace.
The Google Nest聽is equipped with聽a聽function聽called Furnace Heads Up, which will聽alert you聽if it聽senses聽a problem聽with your heating system. You’ll聽notice聽the聽alert聽on the thermostat, in the app and in your monthly Nest Home report.
One of the most聽frequent聽problems聽is: “Nest noticed that your furnace shuts down within 15 minutes of heating.” Here’s聽why this is happening聽and how you can聽fix聽it.
Your Furnace Is Short Cycling
When you聽get聽the message “Nest noticed that your furnace shuts down within 15 minutes of heating,”聽that means聽your furnace is short cycling. Short cycling is when the furnace聽turns聽on for a聽short聽period of time then聽turns聽off. This HVAC game of red light, green light聽prevents聽your home from聽being warm聽and can聽increase聽your energy bill. It can also increase聽wear and tear聽on your furnace. It may also be more聽susceptible to breaking聽down and may even聽require replacement聽sooner.
Without Furnace Heads Up, you might not聽detect聽your furnace is turning on and off聽often,聽because聽its blower fan might keep聽running. This feature can聽detect聽power interruptions that聽take place聽during short cycling.
How Do I Keep My Furnace From Short Cycling?
There are a few聽simple聽ways you can聽prevent聽your furnace from short cycling.
Replace Your Air Filter Often
If your air filter is too dirty, it will聽restrict聽airflow. Your furnace will then shut聽off聽early聽to聽avoid聽overheating. We聽encourage聽changing聽flat filters聽once a month, and pleated filters every three months. It’s聽simple聽to stay on top of聽changing聽your filter by聽setting up聽a Filter Reminder on your thermostat.
If you’ve聽replaced聽your filter after聽receiving聽a Furnace Heads Up alert, you can聽run聽a test to see if that聽repairs聽the problem.
- Press聽the ring to聽bring聽up the Quick View menu, where you’ll聽select聽“settings” and then “equipment.”
- The thermostat will聽show聽the wires聽connected聽to it.聽Choose聽“continue.”
- You’ll see system components聽displayed.聽Hit聽“test.”
- Choose聽“Furnace Heads Up” and follow the instructions. Your furnace will聽run聽a 15-minute heating聽check聽and聽tell聽you the results when it’s聽done.
Google says if the filter is clean or if your furnace didn’t聽tell聽the test, something else could be聽awry聽that聽requires聽professional聽assistance. If this happens,聽contact聽黑料社区聽at (866) 963-7996 蹿辞谤听furnace repair.
Clean or Replace Your Furnace’s Flame Sensor
Having a dirty 辞谤听bad聽flame sensor is another top聽reason聽why your furnace聽is short cycling. You can聽tell聽if there’s a problem by聽paying attention to聽your furnace as it聽starts up. Here’s what to聽check聽for.
- Remove聽the door from your furnace so you can聽see聽the burners. If you have a viewport in the furnace door, you may not聽need聽to remove the door for this.
- Turn聽on the furnace by setting the thermostat to a聽higher聽indoor temperature.
- When you聽Turn聽on the heat, the fan will聽turn on聽first. You should聽notice聽it turn on.
- The ignitor will聽start聽to glow. The ignitor is either on the left or right of the burners, but it聽depends on聽the furnace model.
- Once the ignitor is聽warm聽enough, the gas will聽Turn聽on and the burners will聽ignite.
- If the flame sensor can’t聽sense聽a flame, it’s usually聽due to the fact聽it’s dirty 辞谤听faulty. Your furnace will then聽turn聽off as a safety聽precaution. If your furnace is short cycling, you’ll聽observe聽the flame and fan shutting聽off聽after a聽few聽seconds.
If you’re聽wondering聽how flame sensors could get dirty being bathed in fire聽continuously, a聽combination聽of moisture and chemicals in the air form a thin聽coating聽of carbon on the surface. Cleaning a dirty flame sensor will聽end聽the short cycling聽problem. This聽task聽is best left to an Expert. That’s聽due to the fact聽an聽HVAC professional聽like聽黑料社区聽will be able to clean it without聽breaking聽it or be able to tell you if聽it needs to be replaced.
Check Your Furnace’s Exhaust Pipe聽Frequently
Your high-efficiency furnace聽vents聽combustion gases聽outdoors聽through a PVC pipe. This pipe can get聽blocked聽by snow or bird nests, so you’ll want to聽make sure聽it’s always clear. If the pipe gets聽clogged, it can聽cause your furnace to overheat. It could also聽cause carbon monoxide to flow聽back into your home, creating a potentially聽life-threatening聽situation.
However, modern furnaces聽are equipped with聽a pressure switch that聽typically聽will聽prevent聽these situations from聽happening.聽Families聽with聽young聽children will often find their kids have聽stuffed聽toy cars, sticks or nuts into the exhaust if it’s in聽an area聽that can be reached聽by聽tiny聽hands. Even this聽small聽amount is enough to聽trip聽the pressure switch. The聽uneven聽flow of air into and out of the system聽trips聽the pressure switch, which shuts聽off聽the burners. If this is the聽root聽of your problem, you will聽encounter聽short cycling and a聽furnace error code聽specifying聽the pressure switch was聽triggered.
An Expert HVAC technician from聽黑料社区聽can聽check聽the codes for you and聽diagnose聽the problem. Unfortunately, Nest has not聽evolved聽to the point where it can聽interpret聽the error codes furnace manufacturers聽produce, so you will still聽require聽a pro to聽help you out.
Let the Experts Solve Your Short Cycling Furnace
If you聽get聽the message, “Nest noticed that your furnace shuts down within 15 minutes of heating,” you know what to do. At聽黑料社区, our Experts have the聽knowledge聽to聽resolve聽any furnace problem quickly and affordably. What’s even better is that we聽stand behind聽our repairs with a 黑料社区 Guarantee.* To聽book聽your appointment,聽contact聽us at (866) 963-7996 辞谤听schedule online.
*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 黑料社区 Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.
