4 Reasons Why Your Furnace is Shutting Off Your Circuit Breaker and How to Solve It

Tripped circuit breakers are irritating and worrisome, especially if it seems like the furnace is the culprit. If your breaker shuts off once and average function resumes after you reset it, there is no sudden cause for unease. In this instance, a surprise power surge is typically the cause. 

However, you can’t avoid the problem if the breaker flips over and over. This may happen with both electric and gas furnaces. After all, even gas-fired furnaces count on electricity to run the blower motor and other parts. Before you arrange furnace repair, double check the most common reasons your furnace could be blowing the circuit breaker and how you can stop it. 

1. Overloaded Furnace 

Does your furnace run for just a few minutes before flipping the breaker? This can be a result of poor airflow. A dirty filter or closed air vents require your furnace to work harder. The resulting electrical draw may overload the system, strain the circuit and trip the breaker. Consider the following tips to restore unimpeded airflow and fix the trouble: 

• Change the air filter. 
• Open all air registers and ensure none are obstructed by furniture, curtains or rugs. 
• Don’t lean anything against the furnace or otherwise restrict airflow into it. 

2. Full Circuit 

HVAC equipment does best on its own circuit, but this might not happen in older houses. Review the labels on your electrical panel to find out if another appliance shares a circuit with your furnace. As an interim measure, you can unplug the secondary item or avoid using it while the furnace is working. A safer, more ongoing solution is to have an electrician install an individual circuit for your HVAC system. 

3. Short Circuit or Ground Fault 

Does your furnace trigger the circuit breaker right as it begins running? This may be evidence of an electrical issue in the furnace. An exposed wire might be shorting out the circuit when it reaches a neutral wire or leads to a ground fault if it touches a grounded wire or metal object. Either of these problems can increase the electrical draw enough to flip the circuit. You’ll do best with an HVAC Expert like Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning to diagnose and resolve the trouble. 

4. Electrical Panel Trouble 

If you rule out any malfunctions with your furnace, the electrical panel might be the source. Shaky connections or malfunctioning breakers may lead to erratic performance. If you have an older house, you could need to have the panel replaced if it’s too old, damaged or incorrectly installed. In this instance, you need help from an electrician. 

Your furnace could continue tripping the circuit breaker regardless of your efforts to resolve the situation by yourself. If this occurs, leave the furnace off and contact Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning for help. Our HVAC Experts can help you diagnose the situation and advise the needed repair. We’re take pride in our repair, so we stand behind it with a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee for a year.* For more information about us, or to request furnace repair, call us at 954-736-4314 right away. 

*Not applicable to the Advantage Program. See your signed Advantage Program Agreement for full details and exclusions. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is subject to certain restrictions and limitations as set forth in the applicable Terms and Conditions.