Why Does Your Heater Keep Running After It Has Reached The Set Temperature?

A well-maintained furnace should heat your home quickly and efficiently. However, if it continues to run after your home has reached the temperature you set on the thermostat, you may have a problem.

First and foremost, your home can get too hot. Running your furnace excessively consumes more energy, increasing your heating bills while causing additional wear and tear on the parts in your furnace. This creates the possibility of breakdowns, which can reduce its life expectancy.

Reasons Why Your Heater Keeps Running After It Has Reached The Set Temperature?

Incorrect Thermostat Temperature Settings

When the thermostat is set to “Auto,” the heating equipment’s fan should only run during the heating cycle. Check the thermostat settings if the fan does not cease running. Set the thermostat to ” Heat ” during the cooler months of the year, set the thermostat to “Heat,” and check the temperature settings.

It should be slightly warmer than the outside temperature, but not excessively so. Reduce the thermostat’s temperature setting to something cooler than the current room temperature.

If lowering the temperature causes the fan to stop running, the thermostat was probably set too high. As a result, the heater had to work extra hard to reach the desired temperature.

Incorrect Thermostat Fan Setting

Fans on thermostats typically have two settings: on and auto. If the fan setting on your thermostat is set to “On,” the fan will operate continuously, even if your heating equipment is not heating your home. Other fan settings that may cause the device to run indefinitely include “Manual,” “Low,” “Medium,” and “High.”

Simply change the fan to “Auto” to solve the problem.

Limit Switch Problems

If modifying the thermostat’s temperature and fan settings does not work, the limit switch on the equipment may be faulty. The job of a limit switch is to instruct the blower when to turn on and off. This switch is located under the hood of a furnace.
Check the fan limit switch to see if it is set to “On” or “Manual Override.” On some versions, the limit switch unit has a button that you press to change it to “On” or “Manual Override.” These settings will force the fan to spin indefinitely.

Pull the button out if it is pushed. This step will reset the limit switch to “Auto,” causing the fan only to run when the furnace heats your home. Examine the user manual for your heating equipment to locate and identify the limit switch.

If none of the above solves the problem, give us a call at 502-306-2983 for heating repair in Louisville, KYAfter Hours’ skilled, experienced, and certified HVAC service professionals are eager to assist. If extensive repairs are required, we will go over all of your options, whether you want to upgrade or need an emergency replacement.

Our technicians are licensed specialists that excel at both boiler and HVAC repair in Mount Washington. We arrive when we say we will, complete the job correctly the first time, and clean up after ourselves before we go.