Why Does My Furnace Keep Tripping The Breaker

Sometimes, it’s hard to tell why your circuit breaker keeps tripping, as your home likely has many electronic devices and appliances. However, you can tell something is wrong if the breaker trips when your furnace runs. So, why does my furnace keep tripping the breaker?

Check your air filter to see if it’s clogged when your furnace keeps tripping the breaker. A clogged filter can put unnecessary strain on a furnace and increase the electrical load. Blocked return vents, clogged air filters, and a faulty blower motor can also overload your furnace and trip the circuit breaker. 

In some cases, your furnace will trip the breaker if you have too many devices plugged into the same circuit. Follow along as we explore why your furnace keeps tripping the breaker and highlight some easy fixes. 

Why Does My HVAC Keep Tripping The Breaker?

1. Clogged Air Ducts

Air ducts carry warm and cool air throughout your home when you run your furnace and air conditioner. Over time, air ducts get caked with dust, debris, dirt, and pet hair. This can significantly reduce the airflow throughout your home and strain your furnace. 

Clogged air ducts can make your furnace work much harder than it needs to. Eventually, this can overload your furnace and even trip the circuit breaker. Many people fail to consider that their dirty air ducts are to blame, but it’s a common problem. 

Call a local HVAC service to have your air ducts professionally cleaned. Get in the habit of having your air ducts cleaned once every 3-5 years or as needed. This will improve the airflow and indoor air quality at your home. 

2. Overworked Blower Motor

Furnaces rely on blower motors to push warm air after generating it. Blower motors work harder than many other parts of your HVAC system, as they run a lot during extreme temperature fluctuations. Eventually, your blower motor can become overworked and trip the circuit breaker. 

Keep in mind that an overworked blower motor is typically a symptom of a larger problem. For example, clogged air ducts and dirty filters can stress your HVAC blower motor. Otherwise, your blower motor may have an electrical problem or it is unlubricated. 

An unlubricated blower motor can seize and cause further issues for your furnace. It’s best to enlist the help of an HVAC technician to replace or lubricate your blower motor. 

3. Dirty Air Filter

You would be surprised at how many common HVAC problems are related to dirty air filters. Air filters protect your home from dirt, dust, debris, and other contaminants. Without a clean filter, the air quality in your home will quickly suffer and your house will become dirty. 

Failure to replace your air filters can stress your furnace and air conditioner alike. Your furnace must work harder than it needs to if the air filter is clogged. The extra stress on your furnace can eventually trip the circuit breaker. 

Most homeowners must replace their air filters every 90 days. Some air filters get dirty much faster because of pet hair and recent construction. Check your air filter monthly to keep track of when you should replace it. 

4. Shared Circuit

Sharing a circuit with a furnace and another device or appliance is rare. However, some homeowners plug something else in on the same circuit as their furnaces. While it’s rare, it can explain why your furnace keeps tripping the breaker. 

The added electrical load of the other device may simply be too much for the circuit. Furnaces are quite electrically demanding, so they typically need a dedicated circuit. Without it, a furnace is often at risk of overloading the shared circuit. 

You can avoid this problem if you keep your furnace on a dedicated circuit. This will save you the trouble of constantly resetting your circuit breaker. 

5. Short Circuit

Furnaces can run into short circuits because of many issues, such as wiring issues. Exposed and damaged wires can cause a ground fault, which will trip the circuit breaker. Even loose wires can trip the circuit breaker, as they can increase the resistance. 

The increased resistance can generate more heat and overload your furnace. It’s worth calling an HVAC company if you suspect that your furnace problems are due to wiring issues. Adjusting wires is dangerous if you have no experience with electrical work. 

6. Blocked Return Vents

Return vents let air flow out of the ducts and into the rooms in your house. Sometimes, the airflow can be intense, so you may close or block the return vents to take a break. However, closing too many return vents can create extra pressure within your HVAC system. 

The extra pressure can overload your furnace and eventually trip the circuit breaker. You may in some cases not even realize that you blocked the return vents. For example, some people place potted plants near floor registers in their homes. 

It’s easy to accidentally slide the plant over and block the return vent. Ideally, you should keep most of your return vents open to maintain healthy airflow. That way, you don’t have to worry about extra pressure that trips the circuit breaker. 

7. Faulty Heating Element

Furnaces rely on multiple components to heat your home, and the heating element is one of the most important. Electric furnaces have heating elements and gas furnaces have heat exchangers and pilot lights that serve a similar purpose. A current must pass through an electric furnace’s heating element to generate heat.

Sometimes, the heating element may draw more power than it needs, and that can trip the breaker. A wiring issue with the heating element can also trip the breaker. Otherwise, your furnace’s heating element may simply be damaged and cause the system to overheat.

Each of these problems can explain why your furnace keeps tripping the circuit breaker. HVAC technicians can inspect each of these components if you schedule yearly checkups.  

Summing It Up

Your furnace may keep tripping the circuit breaker because the air ducts are dirty and clogged. This can also happen if you haven’t recently replaced the air filter, as it can strain the system. Plugging other electronics into the same circuit as your furnace can draw too much power and trip the circuit breaker. 

Related Guides:

• Why Is My Furnace Rattling?
• Does Furnace Filter Thickness Matter?