New Jersey’s winters get cold, and while you might love looking at the snow, you’re probably beyond grateful for your home’s functional heating systems when the mercury drops. How long does a furnace take to heat up when you need some relief from the cold? That’s a valid question if you’re counting on your unit to keep you and your loved ones cozy.
In any case, instead of shivering in your home or settling for a slow heating unit, you have the option to call a professional HVAC contractor in Jackson, NJ, like Casper Friendly Services. Furnaces keep your home warm, but they’re complex systems that require close attention when things aren’t running smoothly.
Read on for more about your furnace’s expected heating timeline from a team that works hard to provide the Jackson community with quick and reliable services that keep everyone warm and safe.
How Your Furnace’s Heating Cycle Works
Once your furnace is on, it can typically increase the temperature in your home by one degree for the first hour. Then, it adds one more degree for every 45 minutes after that. However, if it takes longer than this, you could have furnace trouble.
Knowing how long a furnace typically takes to heat up is just one part of the equation, though. It would be nice if your furnace instantly heated your home to the desired temperature, but it needs some time to do so safely. That’s why your furnace doesn’t just turn on and stay on until it reaches the temperature you set on the thermostat—it cycles on for 10 to 15 minutes and then shuts off for 5 or 10 minutes.
Why does your furnace work this way? By cycling on and off, your furnace can heat your home without overheating its own components. However, how long your furnace runs will also impact how quickly it heats your home, and this length of time can depend on different factors.
Is the outdoor temperature below freezing? Your furnace will take longer to heat your home. If the thermostat setting is significantly different from your home’s current indoor temperature, the heating unit will also take a little longer to catch up.
Short Cycling vs. Long Cycling: What’s the Difference?
How long does a furnace take to heat up? If something is wrong, it could take longer or shorter than normal.
Short cycling refers to when your furnace cycles on for only a few minutes at a time before shutting down. Although this process may not seem like a big deal, it can signal a serious issue that will cause more wear and tear and impact your furnace’s lifespan and overall efficiency. The most common causes of short cycling are a furnace that’s too big for a space and insufficient airflow due to blocked filters.
Are your furnace’s cycles too long? Long cycling is equally unhelpful and occurs when your furnace cycles on for about 20 minutes or more. The extended cycle often happens when the furnace is too small for the space it’s in and, like short cycling, will increase the wear on your system’s components.
In either situation, it’s best to call a technician to address the furnace issue sooner rather than later. While it might not reveal any serious issues at first, a short- or long-cycling furnace always leads to higher energy bills and a shorter system lifespan.
Why Your Furnace Isn’t Heating Up Fast Enough
Do you feel a chill in your home? If your furnace isn’t heating up quickly enough, you may notice several issues, including the following:
Clogged Air Filters Aren’t Just Unhygienic
One of the most important parts of any furnace maintenance routine is changing out the air filters in time. While your HVAC system runs, the air filter collects dust and other airborne debris. Unless you want that circulating in your house and contaminating your breathing space, you’ll have to clean off the debris on the filter every one to three months, at the very least.
In addition to health concerns, a clogged air filter can cause lots of issues for your air conditioner, such as:
- Uneven heat or cold spots throughout the home
- Higher energy bills
- A poor-performing system
If your furnace has clogged air filters, it will also take longer to turn on, leaving you out in the cold. However, if the problem is a clogged air filter, that’s good news for you; the solution is easy and inexpensive. Replace the air filter with a new one, or clean the filter if yours is reusable.
How can you avoid this furnace problem altogether? Make it a point to replace your air filter every quarter. Change it more frequently if your home has pets or anyone with asthma or sensitive respiratory systems.
A Malfunctioning Thermostat Isn’t Uncommon
Sometimes, the problem isn’t the actual furnace but the thermostat instead. This device has the important job of telling your heating unit what temperature to heat your home to. If it malfunctions, your furnace won’t get to the warm and comfortable indoor temperatures you’re hoping for in the dead of the New Jersey winter.
Of course, a common mistake that homeowners make is setting their thermostats to a higher temperature. While they’re trying to make up for how cold it is inside the house, the only thing this does is waste energy and strain the heating system.
Is your thermostat reading a different temperature than what your home is actually at? It will essentially give your furnace incorrect instructions, which can lead to insufficient heating and even reduced energy efficiency. Usually, it’s just a quick replacement job for your HVAC team.
Leaking Air Ducts Draw Heat From Your Home and Money From Your Wallet
If it’s a central heating unit, your furnace likely uses your property’s air ducts to send warm air throughout the house. However, if there’s a hole anywhere in the ducts, some of that warm air will escape instead of heating up your home. Your furnace will struggle to reach the desired temperature in this instance, but it’s not always easy to detect the problem with a cursory look.
To find the precise location of an air duct leak, you need an experienced HVAC professional like Casper Friendly Services to address the leaky ducts. Ignoring the issue can put a lot of strain on your heating system over time, leading to:
- Higher energy bills
- Reduced system performance
- A less comfortable home
Don’t wait to call for assistance if your furnace isn’t performing as it should.
Don’t Forget To Consider Whether You Have An Aging Furnace
Even furnaces from the world’s best brands won’t last forever. As your heating system ages, it becomes less efficient and struggles to heat your home.
Is your furnace taking longer to heat your home? It could be nearing the end of its useful life. Repairs may provide a temporary fix, but a replacement will be more beneficial to your comfort and utility bills.
What Should You Do If Your Furnace Doesn’t Work Right?
How long does a furnace take to heat up, and what should you do when it doesn’t work like it should? The furnace’s electrical and mechanical components work together to give your home the warm air it needs to stay comfortable during chilly New Jersey winters. If your furnace isn’t up for the task, no online tutorials or quick fixes will fix the problem.
You need a team with professional heating experience to diagnose and repair the issue as soon as possible. Several causes lead to furnace malfunctions or performance issues, so call a local heating professional right away when you notice something is off.
An experienced heating technician like Casper Friendly Services knows exactly what to look for and how to fix the problem. Plus, having a professional fix your furnace correctly the first time can help you save money on future repairs!
Reach Out to Casper Friendly Services—Jasper’s Favorite Heating Team
Your family relies on the furnace to keep them warm during winter’s worst days and nights. Although your furnace won’t magically heat up your home the moment you turn it on, it shouldn’t take all day to get your house to a comfortable temperature!
Are you noticing issues with your furnace recently? Get in touch with the reliable professionals from Casper Friendly Services. As fellow New Jersey locals, we know how important it is to not only have a dependable heating system at home but also a trustworthy technician to fix it when things go wrong.
How long does a furnace take to heat up when it’s working perfectly? While the average furnace should heat up a home by one degree every hour or so, cycling for more than 15 minutes at a time isn’t normal. Thankfully, our experts are available 24 hours a day for emergency service, so you’ll have all the help you need first thing in the morning, on weekends, or during a frosty winter’s night. Is your furnace acting up? Call Casper Friendly Services at 732-656-8258 today, whether it’s to replace a dirty furnace filter or install a whole new system!