Identifying The Causes Of A Blown Furnace Circuit Breaker

Your circuit breakers work to protect the electrical systems within your home from damage associated with surges. Your furnace, as one of the largest appliances within your home, also represents a significant electrical load. A constantly blown circuit breaker that powers your furnace is not only a huge disruption for your entire home, but can also point to some sort of issue with your furnace or its associated wiring. You should avoid using a furnace that is constantly tripping a circuit breaker until it has been repaired, but you may be able to narrow down the cause of the issue to help your professional contractor determine the best course of action.

Clogged Filter

Replacing the air filter is the simplest yet one of the most important parts of furnace maintenance that you should complete regularly. However, in the event that it has been several months between the last time that you have replaced the filter, it could be allowing next to no air to pass through it. This can lead to the motor within your furnace working and overheating, which could potentially blow out the circuit breaker and also represents a fire risk. Replace the filter, and have a professional inspect your motor to ensure that there are no major signs of damage. If the filter is to blame, your furnace will likely turn on and work for a little while before it blows the circuit breaker.

Damaged Wiring

Damaged wiring within your furnace can also contribute to electrical issues. Wires can become loose or damaged over time with the normal operation of your furnace, as it does shake when it turns on. In the event that internal wiring within your furnace is damaged, the entire unit will likely trip the breaker almost immediately after it turns on, and will not be able to provide any heating to your home no matter how often you reset the breaker.

Home Wiring Issues

In some cases, the issue lies with improper wiring in your home instead of damage or wear to the furnace itself. This can happen in older homes that do not have wiring that is up to code. If this is the case, your furnace will operate normally most of the time, but will blow a circuit breaker in the event that another appliance in your home is turned on at the same time. In the short term, you should avoid running other appliances on the same circuit as your furnace at the same time to ensure that your heating system still works. Proactively, however, you'll want to get in touch with an electrician about rewiring your home so that running multiple appliances at once is not an issue.

Contact a service, like Thurlow's Heating & Air Conditioning Inc, for more help.

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