Why Is My Fairbury, IL, Furnace Overheating?

While it’s normal to smell some burning dust when you turn your furnace on for the first time in the season, a burning smell that doesn’t go away is a cause for concern. This is one of the signs that you have an overheating furnace, which is a significant inconvenience. Below are four reasons why your Fairbury, IL, furnace is overheating and what you can do about it.

Age of the Unit

Furnaces have an average lifespan of between 20 and 30 years with routine maintenance. When older furnaces wear out, they’re more prone to overheating due to worn components. If your furnace is nearing 20 to 30 years of age, it’s time to have your furnace tune-up and assessed.

Dirty Components

Dirty components in your furnace make your furnace work harder to keep you comfortable, which leads to overheating. When the motor becomes dirty and can’t ventilate, it’ll burn the dust inside the unit.

This may lead to failure of the equipment and poor indoor air quality. Clean or replace your air filter regularly and schedule routine maintenance so a technician can remove dust and dirt accumulation.

Issues With Airflow

Airflow issues often cause overheating and they range from dirty air filters or blocked vents. Blocked filters cause furnaces to work harder to pull the air inside in order to circulate it, which leads to overheating.

Check your vents to ensure that nothing is blocking your vents, such as furniture, trashcans, boxes or other items that impede airflow. Also, ensure that your return vents are open.

Mechanical Failure

Sometimes things break no matter how well you take care of them. Motors, fan blowers and a few other components are responsible for preventing your furnace from overheating.

If one of these fails, your furnace may overheat. In this case, you need to contact a technician for repairs.

No matter what furnace issues you experience in your home, it’s always best to reach out to a professional. Don’t let your malfunctioning furnace keep you in the cold this winter. Contact Popejoy Plumbing, Heating, Electric, and Geothermal today for all your furnace repair and installation needs.

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