Tips for Thawing Your Furnace

When you think of a furnace, having it freeze over is probably one of the last things on your mind. But believe it or not, it can happen! When your furnace freezes over, you’re stuck without heat until you can thaw it yourself or hire an HVAC technician to resolve the issue.

Because it’s such a hassle, this post will cover how to prevent a furnace from freezing in Mabank, TX and everything else you need to know about dealing with frozen furnaces.

Why do furnaces freeze?

The answer to the question of what causes a furnace to freeze over in Mabank, TX starts with the condensate line. These pipes are designed to allow built-up moisture to flow from the inside of the unit to the outside of your home. The moisture has nowhere to go if these lines freeze, and your system will shut down to prevent damage.

Furnace installation professionals are supposed to account for the chance of freezing by sloping the condensate line at least a quarter of an inch per foot of piping. But mistakes can happen, and customers can lose heat.

What to do if your furnace freezes

Before you panic and call an HVAC technician, there are a couple of DIY remedies for addressing a frozen furnace. Start by pouring warm water on the condensate pipe. Just make sure the water isn’t boiling, as this will just damage the pipe. You can also wrap the line with an electric heating pad to warm it up and get the moisture flowing. A space heater also works well to warm the line and the area surrounding it.

After warming the line, you’ll want to break up any ice around the discharge point using a small hammer or screwdriver. Just be careful while doing this—you don’t want to accidentally damage the vent.

How to prevent your furnace from freezing

Fortunately, there are a few easy things you can do to prevent a furnace from freezing in Mabank, TX. First, you can prevent ice formation by placing a mound of rock salt outside below the condensate drain line. You can also help keep the drain line warm by insulating it with heat tape. Adding insulation in the crawlspace or attic can also prevent freezing while improving your home’s energy efficiency.

If your furnace has frozen in the past, you may need to set up an appointment with an HVAC technician to take additional measures. Your technician can do things like shortening or rerouting the drain line, widening the discharge opening or increasing the condensate line slope. Any of these steps should prevent your furnace from ever freezing again.

Call us to deal with your frozen furnace

You may be able to thaw your furnace by yourself. But if your efforts fail or you’d like to know more about what causes a furnace to freeze over in Mabank, TX, call our heating experts at Ken’s Comfort Zone Air Conditioning. We’ll send someone out right away to thaw your furnace and help ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Categorised in: Heating Repair

This post was written by Writer