When winter weather arrives, what type of heating system in your home keeps you warm? Furnaces are the most common, and the majority run from natural gas. Not all houses have this option, however, either because they don’t have a connection to a natural gas line or because of concerns over the safety of gas-burning systems. In these cases, an electric furnace is a good alternative. An electric furnace costs more to run (electricity is a more expensive energy than gas), but it also costs less to install. An electric furnace can often outlast a gas model.
Here’s another benefit: because electric furnaces don’t suffer the same level of wear as a furnace that uses combustion gas, they tend to have fewer repair needs over their lifetimes. Annual heating maintenance can drop that already low amount by 85%.
Nothing can prevent all repairs, however. If your electric furnace malfunctions, contact us to arrange for fast furnace repair service.
The More Common Electric Furnace Repairs
Both electric furnaces and gas furnaces share types of repairs, and there are a few specific to the electric furnace as well.
- Replacing a failed blower motor: The blower motor is an electric component found in all types of furnaces. This motor undergoes heavy stress in winter, and it may burn-out due to wear or an electrical short. In most cases, technicians must replace the motor.
- Repairing burned out heating elements: The heart of an electric furnace is a series of heating elements containing electrical coils. As electricity passes through the coils, they grow hot and transfer this heat to the air from the blower fan. If you start to notice a drop in warmth levels in your house, a heating element may have failed, requiring a professional to look into it.
- Fixing the sequencer: The sequencer is a component that turns on and off different heating elements so the furnace won’t create a power overload. You don’t want all the heating elements turned on at once, that would definitely overload the electrical panel. A sequencer can be repaired or replaced as necessary.
- Replacing the limit control: The limit control is a feature to shut off the furnace to avoid overheating. On older furnaces, the limit control also controls the fan. If your electric furnace won’t stop running—or it won’t turn on at all—you may need to have a professional replace a malfunctioning limit control.
- Various electrical failures: Electric shorts, corroded connections, loose wires, broken relays… there is a wide range of electric malfunctions that can impair the furnace or cause it to break down entirely. One warning sign you may see is when the furnace causes a circuit breaker to trip when it turns on. As with most electrical repairs, you never want to handle one on your own.
We can take care of your needs for heating in Haughton, LA and throughout our wide service area. We have extensive experience working with both natural gas and electric furnaces. We will track down the problem and have it fixed accurately.
Call the Doctor of Home Comfort: Hall’s Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration!
