The Most Common Electric Furnace Repairs

As a homeowner, you can choose different appliances to make your home more functional. For furnaces, you can select from gas-forced air or electric. 

While gas-forced furnaces are the most popular because of their low expense, it isn’t the only choice. For some, electric furnaces are a better way to heat the home. 

Electric furnaces are often used when a home doesn’t have a connection to a natural gas line, or if the homeowner has concerns over the safety of a gas-burning system. An electric furnace costs more to operate (electricity is more expensive than natural gas), but it’s also less expensive to install. Electric furnaces will generally last longer than their natural gas counterparts. 

Electric furnaces may not face the same wear and tear as gas powered furnaces, but that doesn’t mean they won’t need regular maintenance. Every piece of equipment in your home wears down as it ages. Some of the common electric furnace repairs include:

Trouble with the sequencer – the sequencer turns heating elements on and off so the furnace won’t generate a power overload. If all the heating elements flipped on at once, it would overload the electrical panel. The sequencer ensures this process operates smoothly to keep the furnace running well and your home toasty warm. 

Trouble with the blower motor – the blower motor is found in all types of furnaces. It’s used to push heated air out through the ductwork and into each room in your home. This blower motor undergoes heavy stress throughout the winter as it keeps up with demand. Years of service can take its toll, causing the blower motor to fail. 

Trouble with heating elements – the individual heating elements can burn out or stop working because of compromised wiring. If this happens, you’ll detect a decline in the amount of warmth generated each time the furnace operates. As electricity passes through the coils, they heat, transferring this heat to the air that moves through the blower, and finally out into the air supply. 

Trouble with electrical – a number of electrical failures can impact how well an electric furnace operates. Electric shorts, corroded connections, broken relays, frayed wires, or other electrical malfunctions can all impact furnace operations. If the furnace trips the circuit breaker, it’s time to call in a professional to find out what’s wrong. 

Whatever your electric furnace is experiencing, we can help. Our technicians have experience working with both gas and electric furnaces, and can repair your furnace and bring it back to working condition in no time. Give us a call today.