How Often Should Your Furnace Cycle in the Winter? | Kitchener ON

It’s no secret that residents of Fort Wayne, IN, and beyond rely on their furnaces to provide their homes with safety and comfort throughout the long winter months. A common issue that furnaces face, however, is short cycling. A short cycling furnace can cause issues such as high utility bills, decreased comfort, and inconsistent temperatures throughout the home.

In the latest blog post from the HVAC experts at “Doc” Dancer, we’ll discuss furnace cycles, how often your furnace should cycle, and what to do if you notice your furnace short cycling.

What Is a Furnace Cycle?

Furnaces, just like air conditioners and other HVAC systems, work in cycles. A furnace will produce heat for about 10-15 minutes to ensure that your home has reached the temperature that you’ve set on your home’s thermostat. It will repeat the process as frequently as needed to ensure that your home stays at the set temperature.

If your thermostat is set to a higher temperature, or if it’s a colder day outside, your furnace might need to stay on longer and cycle more frequently in order to keep your home comfortable. 

If your thermostat is set to a lower temperature, or if it’s a warmer day outside, however, your furnace likely won’t need to stay on as long or cycle as frequently.

How Often Should a Furnace Typically Cycle?

Depending on the weather outside, as well as the set temperature, a furnace should cycle anywhere from 3-6 times an hour. Warmer weather will lead to fewer cycles, and colder weather will cause more heating cycles.

While an electric or gas furnace that occasionally cycles more than six times an hour isn’t necessarily a cause for concern, it should be monitored going forward. If the system consistently cycles more than six times an hour, it may be short cycling.

What to Do When Your Furnace Short Cycles

A furnace that consistently turns off before the set temperature is reached, or one that begins a new cycle every few minutes, is short cycling. When this happens, you’ll face higher utility bills and decreased comfort, as your home will never truly reach the desired temperature.

As soon as you suspect that your heating system might be short cycling, contact a trusted team of HVAC professionals. A number of different issues, such as a clogged or dirty air filter or a dirty flame sensor, for example, can cause a system to short cycle. 

To truly get to the root of the issue and ensure that the problem is fixed completely, have a professional inspect and diagnose your HVAC system. From there, they’ll be able to provide you with the needed repairs.

Contact “Doc” Dancer for Furnace Repair Services

For the best furnace repair services in the Fort Wayne, IN area, don’t hesitate to get in touch with “Doc” Dancer. Our professionals have years of experience and knowledge in the HVAC industry and have seen it all when it comes to furnace-related issues. Contact us today to receive fast, effective, and reliable furnace repair services in Fort Wayne.