La Habra, CA enjoys warm winters like most Southern California cities. But our nights still get cold and while we don’t depend on our heating systems the way someone in Boston or Minneapolis might, we still need them to get through the coldest patches of the year. That makes it doubly important to watch out for subtle signs there might be a problem, such as air flow that might be lower than normal. It may not sound like much, but it can potentially be quite devastating if you don’t arrange for the issue to be fixed.
What Causes It
Most Southern California residents use forced-air furnaces to heat their homes: generating hot air in a centralized locale, then pushing it through your duct system via a fan. In those terms, two things can potentially cause a slowing of the air flow: a problem with the fan and blockage in the air vents. The former issue can include a faulty fan motor, bent or broken fan blades, or trouble with the electrical system providing power to the motor. The latter can include a blockage in the ducts themselves or sometimes a breach in the ducts that pulls the conditioned air out.
Why It’s an Issue
For starters, low air flow means that your home isn’t being heated as quickly as you might like, which means your heater will run longer than it needs to and increase your monthly bills accordingly. More importantly, it raises the likelihood of repairs. In addition to the increased strain on the furnace in such a situation, if the hot air remains in the furnace, it could cause key components to overheat. Modern furnaces have a safety switch that will shut them down before that happens, but you’ll still need to get the issue looked at before your system will function again.
If you detect low air flow in your furnace, shut the system down and call the pros at JC Mechanical right away!