Heating

Short cycling is a term to describe when your heating system cycles on and off repeatedly, never quite completing the heating cycle necessary to raise the temperature of your home to the thermostat setting. In some cases, the level of heating in the home is still sufficient. You may not think to schedule heating repair right away because the issue does not seem urgent. However, if you wait too long to schedule heating repair and continue to run your system, there may be consequences.

Don’t let your system continue to suffer from the effects of short cycling. When your heater does not perform as needed, call JW Plumbing, Heating and Air for heating repair in Burbank.

Short Cycling and Your Furnace

If you have a furnace that runs for a short period before shutting off, only to run again a little later, there may be a safety switch at fault. The furnace limit switch keeps the furnace plenum from overheating, an important safety feature that helps to protect your home. If the furnace plenum reaches a temperature past what is set on the limit control, the entire system should shut down. The furnace may heat up too much for a couple of reasons. Most likely, there is not enough airflow over the heat exchanger to push heat into the ducts. This could be due to a broken fan motor that needs replacement. Alternatively, the limit switch could be broken or there may be other electrical issues at play.

Short Cycling and Your Heat Pump

If you rely on a heat pump for heating, your system is probably not shutting off because it’s overheating. More likely, electrical trouble or a faulty thermostat contributes to the shorter run times. The biggest concern for a short cycling heat pump is worn-down parts—the compressor in particular. Compressors are responsible for pumping refrigerant through AC systems. Replacing a compressor is a costly ordeal, which is why heating repair is urgent for this particular problem.

Call the people at JW Plumbing, Heating and Air for quality heating repair in Burbank. We have enough experience with both heat pumps and furnaces to guide you to the right solution for your system.

company icon