Have you ever gone to bed in a nice, cozy home only to wake up freezing? Is the furnace thermostat showing a temperature much lower than where you originally set it? You might be wondering, “Why does my furnace keep turning off at night?”
The heater suddenly not working at night is puzzling, especially when it worked fine all day. If you’re local and in this situation, there’s a good chance you need furnace repair services in Applewood, CO. Southwest Heating & Cooling can help.
What Causes Applewood, Colorado, Furnaces To Shut Down Overnight?
Why does my furnace keep turning off at night? It’s important to get to the bottom of a furnace suddenly turning off when the frigid Colorado temperatures come around. To that end, it’s useful to understand how the furnace works.
Furnaces run in cycles. When the thermostat reading falls below your desired temperature, it triggers the heat to come on and will run for about 15 to 20 minutes or until your home reaches the right temperature. Typically, these cycles run several times an hour, ensuring that your home remains at a consistent temperature.
Very rarely, the furnace will run for longer cycles or stay on continuously. Usually, this only happens when it’s especially cold outside, such as in the wee hours of an Applewood winter’s night. However, considering that a furnace is more likely to have frequent heating cycles after dark to keep up, it shouldn’t be turning right off for too long – and there are several potential reasons it may do so.
Dirty Air Filter
A dirty or clogged air filter is one of the most common reasons your furnace would turn off when it should be working. Accumulated debris blocks airflow through the furnace, causing the unit to automatically shut down to prevent overheating and excessive wear and tear.
Faulty Thermostat
Another common reason for furnace shutdowns is a faulty thermostat that isn’t:
- Sensing the temperature correctly
- Communicating with the furnace
- Calibrated
Fixing or replacing the thermostat can stop the furnace from short-cycling or turning off for long periods.
Problems With the Flame Sensor
Are you still wondering, “Why does my furnace keep turning off at night?” The next check would be the flame sensor, which detects when the pilot light ignites and triggers the fuel supply to start the combustion process. A dirty, blocked, or ill-maintained sensor won’t accurately detect the flame, so the furnace won’t kick on, and you’ll wake up to a cold house.
Older furnaces also have an additional part that can cause unexpected shutdowns – the thermocouple. This part works with the pilot light to control the gas line. If it gets dirty or malfunctions, the furnace will keep shutting off.
Malfunctioning Blower Motor
Your furnace has a blower motor that helps deliver warm air throughout your Applewood home. If this part breaks down, the furnace will struggle to work properly or at all.
Blower motors sustain a great deal of wear and tear even with normal use, especially in older furnaces. This motor failure is a common answer to the question, “Why does my furnace keep turning off at night?”
Incorrectly Sized Furnace
Regardless of how old it is, your house won’t be comfortable all night if the heating equipment isn’t the right size. One of the most important tasks when installing a new furnace is to match it to the square footage, layout, and design of the space. Oversized units are more likely to short-cycle and turn off before they actually produce enough heat, and undersized units won’t keep up, either.
A furnace that’s too big might come on and produce a great deal of warm air, but it will likely shut off before distributing it evenly. Since the thermostat still shows a colder temperature, the furnace will kick on again to start another cycle before too long. That’s why your unit wears out so quickly if it isn’t the perfect size for the space you want to heat.
Faulty Pressure Switch
The pressure switch is a safety feature. It will shut down the furnace if it detects negative air pressure or improper airflow to prevent the furnace exhaust, which contains carbon monoxide, from circulating around your home.
If the switch malfunctions, it can cause the unit to turn off or produce inconsistent heat.
Keep Your Applewood Furnace Running 24/7
Why does my furnace keep turning off at night? Find out more from Southwest Heating & Cooling and keep your home warm and safe on the coldest Applewood, CO, night! We can also help with furnace-turning-on problems and other repairs, so call us!