Burnout: Your Furnace Can Get Overworked in Extremely Cold Weather

By Shelley Frost

December 13, 2024

"Burnout" is fatigue caused by prolonged or excessive stress. Now, you might be thinking that this applies to you and your professional life. But could it also apply to your furnace?

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Your furnace really could be working too hard. Heating systems have to work harder when your equipment isn't in optimal condition, whether that's due to a lack of maintenance or parts that need to be repaired. When your furnace puts in overtime, it's hard on the equipment, which could cause it to break down faster.

Symptoms of an Overworked Furnace

Is your furnace overworked? When it's extremely cold outside, your furnace often works overtime to keep your home at a constant temperature. Issues with the equipment make it less efficient, which adds to it being overworked. Here are some signs your heating equipment is running too hard.

High Utility Bills

An overworking furnace runs longer and works harder than normal. That requires more energy, which increases your utility bills. It can be difficult to determine if your bills are higher than normal because the amounts fluctuate. However, if your energy costs seem higher than normal or keep increasing, it could be a sign that your HVAC system is working too hard.

Constant Operation

When your furnace can't keep up with the cold weather, it runs more often than normal. It's trying to reach the temperature you set on the thermostat, but it's having trouble doing so. If it seems like your furnace is always running, you could have an issue.

Inconsistent Temperatures

When your home feels cold, even when your thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature, it could be a sign that your furnace is overworked. You might notice different temperatures in different parts of the home.

Strange Sounds

A hardworking furnace often makes new or unexpected noises due to how much it's running. Sometimes that noise means one or more parts inside the furnace are wearing out and may need to be replaced.

Increasing Number of Repairs

Strain on your furnace eventually causes parts to wear out. This could cause more performance issues or a steady decrease in performance. If you have to keep calling an HVAC company for repairs, it could be due to the system being overworked.

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How to Keep Your Furnace From Becoming Overworked

It's natural for your furnace to run more the colder it is, but there are ways you can ease the workload.

Keep Up With Routine Maintenance

Scheduling routine maintenance at least once per year keeps your equipment in peak condition. This helps it work more efficiently and puts less strain on the components. It's also necessary to change your air filters regularly — usually once every 1 to 3 months.

Open All Vents

Shutting off vents to certain rooms disrupts the pressure inside your ductwork. It forces air back toward the main unit, which interferes with the stream of air flowing from your furnace. Dampers are a more effective way to redirect air from rooms you don't use.

Check the Outdoor Vents

Many furnaces have exterior vents that lead outside your home. If the extremely cold temperatures also come with snow or ice, check those vents to make sure they're not clogged. Blocked vents can interfere with the furnace's performance. Even more importantly, blockages can cause carbon monoxide to accumulate inside your home and put your family's safety at risk.

Block Cold Outdoor Air

Cold air often finds its ways into your home through little gaps and cracks. Your windows and doors may also allow colder air to enter. Some ways to block the cold include:

Adding weatherstripping
Caulking around windows
Fixing broken windowpanes
Installing window insulation kits
Hanging thermal curtains
Hanging a blanket over doors
Using draft blockers along the bottom edge of doors
Sealing gaps around your home

Upgrade Your Home

If you have the money to do home improvements, consider installing more insulation to help keep the heated air inside your home. Replacing older windows can also help. Newer windows are energy-efficient and help reduce heat loss. Other upgrades, including new roofing and siding, also increase the energy efficiency of your home. The more efficient your home is, the less your furnace has to work to heat it. Having an energy audit done on your home helps you identify potential home improvement projects to prioritize.

Maintain a Consistent Thermostat Setting

Programming your thermostat to a lower temperature while you're gone could help save money. However, in extremely cold weather, your furnace has to work even harder to get your home back up to your desired temperature. Maintaining a consistent thermostat setting makes it easier for your heater to keep you warm.

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