Though electrical furnaces are not as common as gas furnaces in America, they are ideal for people living in remote areas that do not have access to main gas supply lines. Nonetheless, like any other type of furnace, an electrical furnace is bound to malfunction at some point.

It is essential to learn about the various signs that indicate your electrical furnace is malfunctioning so that you can call a furnace repair contractor immediately to sort out the issue before the furnace incurs severe damage.

With that said, here are four signs that will let you know your electrical furnace needs immediate repair services.

Frequent Tripping of Your Circuit Breaker 

An electric furnace works on a similar principle as a toaster or an electric oven, whereby heat gets generated by passing an electric current through heating elements. However, it is essential to note that an electric furnace has several heating coils. But if all the coils were to get applied simultaneously, it would lead to an electrical overload.

An electrical furnace has a component known as a sequencer that alternates the heating coils to ensure that an overload doesn't occur. However, when the sequencer malfunctions, all the heating elements get turned on simultaneously, resulting in an electrical overload that prompts your circuit breaker to trip.  

If your circuit breaker trips every time your electric furnace gets turned on, it could mean that the furnace's sequencer is malfunctioning. In addition to frequently tripping your circuit breaker, a malfunctioning sequencer could also result in the heating elements burning out prematurely, resulting in more expensive furnace repairs.

Whenever you realize that your electrical furnace is causing your circuit breaker to trip frequently, it is advisable to call a furnace repair contractor immediately to fix the sequencer before your heating elements burn out.

No Warm Air From the Vents

Sometimes, you might realize that there is no warm air coming from the vents despite turning on your electrical furnace. In most cases, the above scenario could result from clogged vents. Thus, it is advisable to check if your ducts are clogged before calling a furnace repair contractor.

However, if your vents are not clogged, the next possible culprit is a broken blower motor. The blower fan is responsible for sending the heated air in the electric furnace to your home's vents so that the heat can reach every room. However, when the blower burns out or malfunctions, there is no way for the warm air to get to the vent system. Therefore no warm air will be coming through the vents to heat the rooms in the house.

It is also essential to note that if the heated air remains in the furnace, it will continually absorb the heat produced by the heating element. Thus, there is the possibility that when the air becomes excessively hot, it could damage some of the other components in the furnace.

As soon as you realize that there is no hot air coming through your vents, it is advisable to turn off the furnace and call an electric furnace repair contractor immediately to fix your blower motor.  

Unexpected Drops in the Level of Heat Produced

Typically, when you set your thermostat to the desired temperature, your electric furnace should maintain the selected level of temperature until you change it. If you encounter a sudden drop in temperature, but your thermostat still reads the temperature you set, then one or more of your heating elements has burned out.

As mentioned earlier, an electrical furnace utilizes several heating elements to provide heat. If one or more heating elements burns out, the amount of heat produced by the furnace will drop significantly.

When you notice a significant drop in the amount of heat produced by an electric furnace, it is advisable to call a furnace repair technician to replace the burnt-out heating elements so that the furnace can regain its optimal performance.

Furnace Turns On and Off Repeatedly

An electrical furnace comes equipped with a safety feature known as a limit control switch to prevent the furnace from overheating. When the furnace reaches an excessively high temperature, the limit control switch automatically shuts the furnace down temporarily until it cools down then turns it back on again after some time.

However, when the limit control switch starts malfunctioning or gets damaged, it loses its ability to discern when the furnace begins to overheat. As a result, the limit control switch may turn the electric furnace on and off sporadically or shut the furnace down entirely.

Therefore, when you realize that your electric furnace is turning on and off repeatedly within a short period, you need to call a furnace repair contractor to replace the broken limit control switch.