Why is my electric heater blowing cold air?

Enjoying the chilled winter atmosphere is no fun when you come home to a cold and unwelcoming environment. To avoid that, people invest in electric heaters to keep them warm. But what happens when that electric heater starts blowing cold air instead of blowing hot air? Is a heater that's incapable of generating heat practically useless?  Here's how to access good furnace repair:

Why is my electric heater blowing cold air?

That may be true in some cases, but that does not mean you should throw it out and spend more money on a new one, but if you are visit Lifestyle Reviews and check out the best on offer. While there are multiple reasons why your electric heater is serving the opposite of its purpose, it can be fixed - quite easily. However, if any of the terms in this post scare you, please call a professional!

 In fact, you might not even need to hire a professional to do the job. In most cases, your heating system might require a little tweaking so it can go back to functioning efficiently. So, make sure to do a quick check of your furnace blowing cold air before you jump to other alternates. Here’s how.

1.     Dirty Air Filters

People usually do not think about cleaning their heaters of all things.

More often than not, electric heaters blow cold air when their filters are clogged, and that's why it's the first thing you should check. 

Start by turning your heater off and inspecting the filters. If the filters are caked with dust, then it's likely the culprit behind your heater's malfunction. Clogged vents limit ventilation and freeze the coils, which in turn inhibits airflow even further. As a result, your electric heater starts emitting cold air. Try changing your filters, and if that does not work, try out some of the other alternatives noted below.

2.     Thermostat settings

Most electric heaters have dual settings, and if your heater blows both cold and warm air at different times, you should check your thermostat.

Naturally, all heaters use a fan to blow air, but if your fan setting is set to ‘on’ throughout the day, it explains why the heater seems like it has malfunctioned. Simply put, the furnace inside the equipment needs to get heated up for the fan to emit warm air. If the furnace is cold, it cannot heat the air being propelled outside.

You can fix this by setting your blower to ‘auto’ so that your fan only works when the furnace is hot. Needless to say, the easiest way to tackle this problem is by reading the instruction manual. The manual will contain details about how you can change the fan speed without affecting other settings. In any case, make sure to wait a few minutes after turning the heater on to check if it is still emitting cold air as the electric furnace takes time to heat up.

3.     Furnace problems

An electric heater works on the same principles as any other type of machinery. Just like your smartphone’s battery can heat up and lead to phone problems, an overheated furnace can produce similar results.

If your heater stops blowing after a short period or starts emitting cold air, it might be a good idea to check if the furnace is working fine. To protect the heater from malfunctioning altogether, engineers embed automatic limit switches that are responsible for turning the heat-generating furnace off.

If it feels like your heater isn't generating any warmth whatsoever, it is best to get your heater serviced by professionals, especially if replacing the filters doesn’t do any good.

4.     Ductwork

This problem doesn’t involve any disassembling of your heater or its electric panel. If the ducts in your house are experiencing leakage, your indoor space may suffer from compromised heating. Ductwork can be tricky but looking for the right combination of open/closed ducts can make all the difference in the world.

When cold air inside the vents flows out, it will naturally make the room colder despite the heater being turned on. The only way to solve this is by ensuring there are zero openings in the vents throughout your house.

The Verdict

If your heater is turning winter nights into a shiver fest, you should proceed with checking it for the above-mentioned problems. In most cases, heaters emitting cold air do not need to undergo costly repairs. Hiring a technician can be expensive which is why many keep it as the last resort. However, if you have tried everything from your end, you need to call a professional. Electrical equipment can be dangerous to work with, especially when it comes to hardware issues.  Be sure to take all the proper cautions when working with electricity, especially turning off the current at the fusebox.