Why isn’t my furnace blower motor working?

During the wintertime, we often get calls from frustrated homeowners with a furnace that isn’t working. In particular, the blower motor isn’t running.

3 Things to Check

If you’d like to investigate yourself before calling your licensed HVAC repair technician, here are the three things to check:

1. Did the furnace circuit breaker trip? If it has, reset and allow time for a normal heating cycle.
2. Is your thermostat set properly? If set too low, your house may be freezing, but your furnace won’t realize something isn’t right and be maintaining the temperature to what it is set at.
3. When is the last time you changed your filter? They should be checked and changed monthly, and a clogged furnace filter will restrict airflow, sometimes to the point that your furnace will overheat or simply stop working.

Is the Air Cold or Warm?

If after trying those three steps you still are not warm, you need to feel the difference between cool airflow and no airflow. A furnace blower motor that stops pushing warm air out is not the same as a blower that is forcing only cold air into your home.

If you have cool air but a steady airflow, your blower motor is working but your furnace is not creating heat. Check the furnace flame for a complete blue color. Any yellow, red or orange indicates dust and dirt buildup on the burner. Inspect the heat exchanger for cracks, which can cause a safety hazard.

Finally, Test the Blower Fan

If you have looked at all of the above but still have no air blowing, next test the blower fan. Turn the furnace off, turn your thermostat to “fan only” and wait a few minutes. If you hear the fan come on, the problem is not your blower motor. If that fan doesn’t come on and it’s not your circuit breaker, then it is most likely a motor problem. At this point, we would recommend a service call from Rol Air Plumbing and Heating. You can call us at 763-515-6411 or schedule an appointment with us online below.