Why Does My Furnace Keep Turning Off?

Your furnace starts, runs for a few minutes and shuts down before the house reaches the temperature on the thermostat. Then it starts again. On a cold Edmonton day, that repeated cycle can leave you wondering whether the heat will stay on at all. 

A furnace should turn on and off as your home needs heat. When it keeps stopping early, though, something may be interrupting the heating cycle. The timing can help us find out what is happening. If your furnace keeps turning off, our furnace repair team in Edmonton can diagnose the cause. 

When Does the Furnace Shut Down During its Cycle? 

Does the furnace stop almost immediately after trying to start? Or does it run long enough to send warm air through the vents before shutting off? There is a useful difference between a system that cannot establish a steady flame and one that heats for several minutes before stopping. 

You do not need to stand beside it with a stopwatch. An estimate of how long it runs, along with what you hear and feel, gives us a place to start. If you notice a clicking sound before each attempt or the blower running after the heat cuts out, mention that when you call. 

Check Whether It Restarts on Its Own 

After the furnace shuts down, watch what happens next. Does it start another heating cycle without your help? Does the fan continue moving air while the thermostat still calls for heat? Or does the equipment stop trying altogether? 

Some furnaces display an error code or flash an indicator light when they shut down. If you can see a code without removing a panel, write it down. It may help us identify which part of the startup or heating process needs attention. 

Avoid repeatedly resetting a furnace that will not stay on. A shutdown may be a safety response to a problem the system has detected. Resetting it might briefly restore heat without addressing the reason it stopped. 

Tell Us When the Pattern Began 

Did the problem appear suddenly, or has the furnace been running for shorter periods over the past few weeks? Has anyone worked on the heating system recently? Does it happen every time the furnace starts or only once in a while? 

A furnace that keeps turning off could have an ignition, flame detection, airflow or control issue. Those symptoms overlap, so we need to inspect the equipment before recommending a repair. We’ll explain what is causing the shutdown and what it will take to get the furnace heating reliably again. 

If your home is getting colder while the furnace repeatedly starts and stops, give Hydro-Flo a call. We can assess the problem and discuss the repair before work begins. 

780-203-2230 

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