When your furnace trips the breaker, it can leave you with no hot water. With average Northern Illinois winter temperatures in the low teens, a tripped breaker also makes for a frigid home. While your breaker might trip after a rare power outage, multiple tripped breaker incidents may indicate a furnace issue.
Read on to explore six common reasons you might have no heat due to a furnace breaker trip. Learn some steps you can take to address the problem and essential precautions so you can safely tackle your furnace issue.
Overloaded circuit
Newer homes typically have a dedicated breaker for the furnace. However, many older homes in the Chicagoland area use a shared circuit that includes the furnace as well as other appliances, outlets, or lights, which increases the risk of overloading the circuit.
In most cases, your breaker box indicates whether the circuit is shared or unique to the furnace. If it’s a shared circuit, you may need to avoid running the other appliances or using those outlets while the furnace is on. Consider talking to an electrician about moving the furnace to a separate circuit to prevent overloads in the future.
Dirty air filter
When air filters become dirty or clogged, they restrict airflow to the furnace. This causes your furnace to work harder to pull air in and heat your home, which in turn causes it to draw extra energy and trigger the breaker.
The good news is that for most furnaces, it’s quick and easy to check your air filters. Energy Star recommends checking your filters once a month. It’s also a good idea to have a professional furnace inspection at least once a year to stay up to date on necessary furnace maintenance.
Faulty electrical component or short circuit
Wear and tear, a broken part, or damage from rodents or insects can lead to exposed wires inside your furnace. An exposed hot wire may cause an electrical failure or short circuit that trips the breaker.
When this happens, your furnace suddenly draws a large amount of power, tripping the breaker and shutting off the furnace. Fortunately, this isn’t a major problem to fix, but it does require professional furnace repair.
Thermostat malfunction
If your thermostat is broken or malfunctioning, it can signal the furnace to work harder than it needs to. This causes the furnace to draw extra energy, triggering the breaker.
In this case, there’s no issue with the furnace itself — it’s simply a signaling problem caused by the thermostat. You’ll likely notice the furnace is also heating your home beyond what you’d expect for the set temperature on the thermostat. Try adjusting the thermostat, or if the issue continues, you may want to consider replacing the thermostat.
Improper sizing of the furnace
A furnace that’s the wrong size for your breaker may turn on for a little while, overload, and then trip the breaker. If you notice that your furnace frequently trips the breaker after a few minutes, this could be the cause.
Running a furnace that’s too small causes the furnace to work harder than it should, drawing extra power and tripping the breaker. An oversized furnace may also pull more power than the breaker was intended to handle. In either case, the issue is likely to keep happening unless a pro installs a new furnace or changes the breaker circuit.
Faulty breaker
Some breaker issues aren’t the result of a faulty furnace. The problem could lie with the breaker or electrical panel. Over time, electrical connections can fray or become loose, causing the breaker to trip. If you suspect a breaker issue, contact a certified electrician to inspect the panel and advise on repairs or replacements.
Safety Precautions
A tripped breaker is frustrating, but it’s an important fail-safe to prevent electrical overload, component damage, and fire hazards — simply resetting the breaker without investigating the problem may increase the risk of fire. If your breaker trips multiple times, it’s best to call an HVAC pro and schedule an inspection.
If you’re troubleshooting, remember to turn off your furnace breaker and any nearby electrical elements, even if you’re just cleaning or changing the filter. Generally, if you have to unscrew anything to access a part, it’s best left to the experts.
Troubleshooting Steps
The following troubleshooting steps can help you diagnose why your furnace is tripping the breaker:
- Check the filters: Make sure your furnace filters are clean, and consider changing the furnace filter if you’re close to the change date.
- Check for blocked vents: Airflow issues cause your furnace to work harder than it should. Check the intake vents and ducts and make sure there’s nothing blocking the airflow.
- Inspect the thermostat and breaker: Check if your thermostat is working properly, and inspect the breaker to see if it’s a shared circuit.
- Call a pro: If you’ve walked through the above steps and haven’t found any problems (or if you’ve noticed a shared circuit that’s causing issues), it’s time to call an HVAC professional to inspect your ductwork and furnace.
Having Problems With Your Furnace Tripping the Breaker? Contact the Professionals at G & R Heating and Air
If you’re suddenly without hot water due to tripped breakers, you need a pro who can fix your furnace fast. At G & R Heating and Air, our licensed HVAC professionals service the greater Chicago area, so you can always get the help you need when you need it.
If you’d like to learn more about furnace repair and installation services in Northern Illinois, or if you need to schedule a free second opinion, contact our office or call us today to book an appointment.
