What to Do When Your Heater Wont Turn Off!

It's not unheard of for heating systems to have a glitch once in a while. It could be as simple as a broken thermostat or an electrical issue. If your gas furnace won't shut off, here are a few steps you can take to get a properly working furnace again.

Examine the Air Filter

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 satisfy your ideal temperature.

This increases wear and tear on your furnace, as well as the odds of a breakdown and early failure.

It can also make your furnace overheat and shut down for a time to cool off. Then it will keep duplicating this process when your furnace switches on. This is known as short cycling. In addition to wearing out your furnace faster, it can increase your heating bill and make your home feel unpleasant.

We encourage replacing flat filters once a month and pleated filters every three months. If you can't remember the last time you replaced your furnace filter, pull it out and hold it up to the light. If you can't detect light through your filter, it's too dusty and you should get a new one.

If the matter was connected to a clogged air filter, putting in a new filter should solve this common issue when your heat won't turn off. If not, we suggest checking your thermostat settings next.

Check Out the Thermostat

Your thermostat controls your furnace and basically informs the unit when to turn on and off. It's often to blame when your furnace won't stop running.

At times having the heat turn off is as simple as adjusting a wrong thermostat setting.

Ensure Your Thermostat is Set to “Auto”

Your thermostat includes two settings, “auto” and “on,” that manage your heating system's blower motor.

“Auto” means the furnace blower will only operate when the furnace does.

“On” indicates the furnace blower will run continuously. This constant air flow can help with heat circulation but will also drive up your power bill and increase wear and tear on your furnace.

If your thermostat is switched to "on," it will sound like your furnace is not shutting off, but it's really just the furnace blower you're noticing. Changing it to "auto" should solve the problem. It will also help you save money on your energy costs.

Confirm Your Temperature Setting

If your thermostat won't turn off heat, check the temperature setting to the area temperature. If it's greater than the room air temp, your furnace will keep operating until it reaches your desired temp.

Remember that if it's extremely cold outside, your furnace will have to operate much longer than usual to keep your home cozy. This is due to a big temperature difference between the cold air outside and the warm indoors.

As a check, you can try decreasing the thermostat to match the room. Then, wait a couple of minutes. This should make the furnace turn off in a few minutes.

Put in Fresh Batteries

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, switch it to "off."

If your furnace won't turn off after you switch it to "off," you will need to cut the power.

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.

1. Go to your breaker box and find the breaker labeled "furnace." Push the breaker switch to the right to cut power.
2. Next, look for the specific power switch to your heating system. It looks like a light switch and is located on or near your furnace. Push the switch down to shut off power.
3. Your furnace should be shut off now.

If you had to turn off your system at the breaker, call us at 239-908-6991 for professional service, as you may need furnace repair.

What Causes a Furnace to Keep Running?

Occasionally fixing this problem can be as easy as changing your air filter or changing thermostat settings. In other instances, you might need a professional when your heater won't shut off.

Fan Limit Switch Needs Replacing

The furnace fan limit switch regulates your furnace's blower motor. If the switch goes out, it might sound like your furnace running continuously, even though just the blower is running.

You might see a furnace error code if there's an issue with the limit switch. Your furnace will speak via a blinking red light on the front of your heating system.

Our Experts can diagnose and fix any problems you're having with your furnace blower motor. Often this can involve replacement parts, such as the control board, faulty wiring or the fan switch itself.

Bad Thermostat

Like anything else in your home, your thermostat can break down as time passes and need to be replaced. If you're due for a new one, ask us about getting a smart thermostat.

These thermostats make it easy to save energy, because they create an energy-efficient heating and cooling schedule based on your preferences. Plus, you'll be able to set and monitor your thermostat from just about anyplace with your phone.

Leaky Air Ducts

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 operating all the time because the ductwork is leaking hot air in the attic.

Diagnosing this leaky ductwork and other airflow issues can be difficult to troubleshoot on your own, since it's concealed behind walls and ceilings. Our Experts can help with diagnosing and taking care of any air duct repair service that you require.

Depend on Our Experts for All Your Furnace Repair Needs

Troubleshooting furnace issues can be inconvenient, especially when it affects your comfort, energy efficiency and heating bill. When it comes to furnaces, there's a reason why we say we're Experts in our industry. You can depend on our ACE-certified technicians to solve your problem quickly and affordably. And what's even better, we stand behind our HVAC system repairs with a 100% satisfaction guarantee for one year.* Contact us at 239-908-6991 to book your appointment today.