2 Furnace Repairs You Might Need When The Furnace Blower Stops Working

Posted on: 13 December 2022

If your furnace isn't blowing out hot air, there's no way it can warm up your house even if the burners kick on. The problem behind a furnace that doesn't blow air is often the blower system. If you don't hear the blower kick on when the furnace starts, that's a good sign the blower motor or capacitor is shot. When these parts go bad, your furnace won't blow hot air. Here are the furnace repairs you could need. 

1. Put In A New Capacitor

Bad capacitors are a common problem for a furnace, and replacing one is an easy furnace repair. First, the technician has to determine if the capacitor is bad. They might be able to tell by looking at it, but if not, they can test the capacitor with a multimeter to verify that it's faulty.

The capacitor is a fairly small part in the blower area of a furnace. It has a similar look to a battery in that it has a cylindrical shape. The capacitor holds a power charge and sends a jolt to the blower motor when the blower needs to start up. If the capacitor is bad, the motor can't start and the blower fan won't turn.

The capacitor may be held to the furnace with a bracket. Replacing it involves disconnecting the wiring and pulling the part out of the bracket and replacing it with a new capacitor of the same size and power rating.

2. Replace The Motor

If the motor is burned out or has bad bearings, the furnace repair technician will probably replace it rather than try to make repairs. There are a few things that can go wrong with a blower motor, and it's often easier to replace the whole motor rather than take it apart to repair it.

Replacing a blower motor is more complex than replacing a capacitor so labor costs will be higher. The cost of the blower motor itself varies quite a bit by furnace brand. The repair technician can give you a quote for the work, but replacing a bad motor is necessary if a failed motor is the reason your furnace can't heat your home.

The motor is often hidden behind other furnace parts, so those parts have to be taken out first in order to access the motor. Wires may need to be disconnected from the control board too. When everything is out of the way, the repair technician can remove the blower assembly so the motor can be taken out of it after disconnecting the wiring and removing the screws.

Putting in a new motor is careful work since all of the wires have to be attached in the right places when they're put back on. Plus, the blower assembly is heavy, so it's not an easy part to work with.

Contact a local furnace repair service, such as Myers Heating & Cooling, to learn more. 

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