You may have discovered that your furnace stopped working, only to find out that the breaker to your system was tripped.
This occurs every once in a while, and it can be challenging to figure out what caused the problem.
Regardless of which type of fuel your system uses, your furnace still needs electricity to function. There are furnace parts that run on electricity. The most vital of those components is your furnace blower. This is the component of your furnace responsible for distributing warm air throughout your home, and it needs electricity to operate. Most furnaces also turn on with an electronic ignition rather than the pilot lights utilized in older furnaces. The electronic ignition also needs an electrical power supply to operate. Since it uses electricity to carry out its functions effectively, it will most likely trip the breaker at some point. The most likely reason that your furnace trips a circuit breaker is when the blower is overworking. Every time something restricts airflow to your system, your blower works harder in an attempt to compensate. The most likely culprit for airflow obstructions is a dirty or clogged air filter. When your blower works harder to push air through a dirty or clogged filter, it will increase the blower’s energy consumption, which may trip the circuit breaker. Other issues that may also contribute to an overworking furnace blower include duct leaks, home air leaks, and blocked or closed-off air registers. On some occasions, a tripped breaker may not necessarily be your furnace’s fault, your furnace may be sharing a breaker with other appliances that caused the trip, or perhaps the circuit breaker malfunctioned.