It’s not unheard of for heating systems to have a glitch every now and then. It could be as straightforward as a bad thermostat or an electrical issue. If your gas furnace won’t turn off, here are a couple steps you can take to get a properly working furnace again.
A dirty air filter creates issues for numerous homeowners and their HVAC system. Here’s why. It limits airflow, forcing your furnace to work harder and run longer to meet your desired temperature.
This increases usage on your furnace, as well as the odds of a malfunction and premature failure.
It can also make your furnace overheat and shut down for a time to cool off. Then it will keep repeating this process when your furnace switches on. This is known as short cycling. In addition to wearing out your furnace faster, it can drive up your heating bill and make your home feel uncomfortable.
We recommend replacing flat filters each month and pleated filters every three months. If you can’t remember the last time you got a new furnace filter, remove it and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see light through your filter, it’s too dirty and you should replace it.
If the matter was connected to a clogged air filter, replacing it with a fresh filter should solve this common issue when your heat won’t turn off. If not, we recommend checking your thermostat settings next.
Your thermostat controls your furnace and simply tells the unit when to turn on and off. It’s usually to blame when your furnace won’t stop running.
At times having the heat turn off is as easy as changing a wrong thermostat setting.
Make Sure Your Thermostat is Set to “Auto”
Your thermostat has two settings, “auto” and “on,” that manage your heating system’s blower motor.
“Auto” indicates the furnace blower will only operate when the furnace does.
“On” means the furnace blower will run constantly. This constant air flow can help with heat distribution but will also drive up your power bill and lead to wear and tear on your furnace.
If your thermostat is set to “on,” it will seem like your furnace is not turning off, but it’s really just the furnace blower you’re noticing. Changing it to “auto” should resolve the problem. It will also help you save money on your energy costs.
If your thermostat won’t turn off heat, compare the temperature setting to the room temperature. If it’s higher than the room air temp, your furnace will keep operating until it reaches your desired temp.
Remember that if it’s very cold outside, your furnace will have to operate much longer than usual to keep your home cozy. This is because of a big temperature difference between the cold air outside and the warm indoors.
As a check, you can try decreasing the thermostat to correspond with the room. Then, wait a few minutes. This should make the furnace shut off momentarily.
If you use a programmable thermostat, it’s probably battery powered. You can test replacing the batteries to see if that solves the problem. If it doesn’t or if there’s wiring to your electrical system, shift it to “off.”
If your furnace won’t turn off after you switch it to “off,” you will need to turn off the power.
Thermostat seems to be working fine but your furnace still won’t shut off? There are two places you can shut off the power to your heating unit: at the breaker box and at its specific power switch.
If you had to turn off your system at the breaker, call us at for professional service, as you may require furnace repair.
Occasionally correcting this problem can be as easy as changing your air filter or adjusting thermostat settings. In other instances, you might need a professional when your heater won’t shut off.
The furnace fan limit switch regulates your furnace’s blower motor. If the switch goes bad, it might seem like your furnace running nonstop, even though just the blower is running.
You might see a furnace error code if there’s a problem with the limit switch. Your furnace will communicate through a blinking red light on the front of your heating system.
Our Experts can identify and correct any issues you’re having with your furnace blower motor. Sometimes this can involve replacement parts, like the control board, faulty wiring or the fan switch itself.
Like anything else in your home, your thermostat can break down as time passes and need to be replaced. If it’s time for a new one, ask us about installing a smart thermostat.
These thermostats make it easy to save energy, because they create an energy-efficient heating and cooling schedule according to your preferences. Additionally, you’ll be able to set and keep tabs on your thermostat from just about anyplace with your phone.
Your furnace relies on ductwork to circulate hot air to vents throughout your home. If your home or ductwork is older, your furnace might be running all the time since the ductwork is leaking hot air in the attic.
Diagnosing this leaky ductwork and other airflow problems can be challenging to troubleshoot on your own, since it’s hidden behind walls and ceilings. Our Experts can help with diagnosing and taking care of any air duct repair service that you need.
Troubleshooting furnace problems can be annoying, particularly when it impacts your comfort, energy efficiency and heating bill. When it comes to furnaces, there’s a reason why we say we’re Experts in our field. You can depend on our ACE-certified technicians to solve your problem quickly and affordably. And what’s even better, we back our HVAC system repairs with a 100% satisfaction guarantee for one year.* Contact us at to schedule your appointment today.
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There’s no reason to skip your seasonal maintenance that saves energy and helps ensure your air conditioner and heater will work reliably all season long.
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