What to Do When Your Furnace Trips a Circuit Breaker

What to Do When Your Furnace Trips a Circuit Breaker

Here’s a situation you don’t want to run into during one of our colder days: you turn on the heat to get the furnace warming up your home, and the furnace turns on for a moment… only to shut down because a circuit breaker has tripped. You reset the breaker, try the furnace again… and the same thing happens. What’s wrong? And is there anything you can do about it?

Yes, this can happen to a gas furnace as well

If you have a gas furnace, you might wonder how this might occur in the first place. But take a moment to think about how a gas furnace runs. It does require electricity for some of its components, such as the blower. And most modern furnaces have electronic ignition systems rather than standing pilot lights. Both electric and gas furnaces can trip circuit breakers if they malfunction.

Steps you can take

• Check on the furnace filter to see if it is clogged. This filter needs to be changed every 1 to 3 months during the year. In Southern California, where the furnace won’t run as often, you can expect to need to change the filter every three months. If the filter is clogged, it will place extra burden on the blower motor, leading to circuit overload.
• Go through the house and check on all the room vents. Open any that are shut or that have been accidentally covered by moved furniture. Blocked vents can cause the blower motor to overload.
• Look to see if there are any other appliances on the same circuit as the furnace. One of these appliances might be the issue rather than the furnace.
• If none of the above is the source of the problem, call for professionals.

You can rely on our heating repair experts to see that your furnace is quickly restored to working order.

Russell’s Heating & Air Conditioning is here to see to your comfort needs around the year in Beaumont, CA. For exceptional customer service, please give our office a call.