Gas furnaces are a major appliance now found in many homes: it plays a major role when one needs to keep the house warm in dire temperatures. Unlike wall heaters, which need a pilot ignition, furnaces work with natural gas combustion; however, most of its major components still distribute electrical power (for higher efficiency). This being said, why would a furnace trigger the circuit breaker? Here are a few reasons:
- The filters – Usually when the filters have not been cleaned or changed out within a 6 month period, dust starts to accumulate and prevents air to flow evenly, making the blower work twice as hard to distribute the heat. In result of an over worked blower, the electronic components use twice as much power, resulting in a tripped circuit breaker. One can prevent this from happening by checking and changes the filter at least once to twice a year.
- Blocked/Closed off air vents – Air vents help in the air distribution throughout the house. Any blockage of the air vent, or closed off air vents, will have the unit accumulating more heat; hence, triggering the safety switch or the circuit breaker. You can prevent this by making sure all vents are not obscured and are open or slightly open to prevent built up heat.
- Circuit Breaker Box – Finally if all basic furnace components have been checked and nothing seems out of the ordinary, it is recommended to have your circuit breaker box checked by an electrician to prevent any kind of shortages (DO NOT DO IT YOURSELF). We recommend you seek a professional electrician to seek the problem.
Furthermore, the furnace tripping the circuit breaker is common. Best way to make sure that all components and possible problems have been checked is by calling your local HVAC professional technician and making sure they do a full diagnostic of your unit. If you have any further questions, or would like to schedule an appointment for one of our professional service tech to come out, please feel free to give us a call to (818)962-3404 or sending us an email to service@goairinc.com