When a furnace cycles too much as you have described in your post the problem is usually the setting of the “heat anticipator”. This is a setting on your thermostat that controls the on time of the burners and controls the cycling time.

Why does my furnace shut off before it reaches the set temperature?

A lack of airflow can cause your furnace to stop heating before reaching the set temperature. Ensure there is nothing impeding airflow around your furnace, within your furnace and through your ducts. Check that registers are open, no ducts are damaged or crushed and replace your furnace filter.

Why does my furnace keep cycling on and off?





So, if your furnace keeps turning off and on too quickly, your thermostat might be malfunctioning or broken. There are several things that could be causing your thermostat to not work properly. The wiring could be old and need replacing, it might need new batteries, or it could be the location of your thermostat.

How do I stop my furnace from short cycling?


Quote from Youtube video: So to fix this issue shut off your thermostat. And open up the furnace. And then replace the batteries on the thermostat.

Can a bad thermostat cause a furnace to short cycle?

Thermostat Troubles Can Cause Short Cycling



Your furnace or central air conditioner spends a good amount of energy simply turning on and off, which is why you want yours to run for at least 15 minutes at a time before shutting off.

How do you fix short cycling?

How To Stop and Prevent Short-Cycling

  1. Check your air filter. Believe it or not, a clogged air filter can cause a wide variety of air conditioning issues. …
  2. Check your thermostat placement. …
  3. Check your air conditioner’s refrigerant levels. …
  4. Replace the low-pressure control switch. …
  5. Check the compressor.





Why does my furnace keep turning on and off and blowing cold air?

If your furnace is blowing cold air in your home, this is a sign of an issue with the flame detector, gas supply, air filter, pilot light, or condensate lines. Many of these issues are able to be easily solved on your own by sanitizing or replacing components in the gas furnace.

What are the symptoms of a bad furnace thermostat?

7 Ways to Tell Your Thermostat Is Broken

  • Thermostat Has No Power. …
  • AC or Furnace Won’t Turn On. …
  • Heater or AC Won’t Turn Off. …
  • Thermostat Doesn’t Match Room Temperature. …
  • Thermostat Doesn’t Respond. …
  • Short Cycling. …
  • Thermostat Forgets Programmed Settings.


Why does my furnace cycle so often?



Your furnace may be shutting down because the heat exchanger is overheating. When the heat exchanger overheats, the furnace shuts down to protect it from cracking. When the exchanger cools, the furnace cycles back on. After overheating several times, it’s only a matter of time before the heat exchanger cracks.

Can a bad flame sensor cause short cycling?

Bad Flame Sensor



Flame sensors are also subject to corrosion. This is because your furnace produces small amounts of water during the heating cycle. Over time, this can lead to corrosion and rust in your furnace, resulting in short cycling.

Is short cycling normal?

One of the most common, and unfortunately harmful, problems an air conditioner can have is something called short-cycling. This is both a symptom of a problem and a cause of a problem. Sometimes a few simple adjustments may be all that’s needed to repair the issue.

Will low refrigerant cause short cycling?



Low Refrigerant



Another common cause of short cycling is low levels of refrigerant. Like a clogged air filter, low refrigerant can produce excess stress on your AC system and make it work harder. And it also causes overheating, which could lead to the frequent turning on and off.

What is considered short cycling?

Short cycling is an HVAC term used to define a situation where a furnace or air conditioner turns on and off too frequently. The term “short-cycle” describes the period of time that your HVAC equipment is actually running, and the shorter this cycle, the harder your system needs to work.

How do I know if my furnace is short cycling?

A furnace “short cycles” when it turns off before reaching the desired temperature. This means that if your thermostat is set to 72 degrees, the furnace may shut down at 65 or 68 degrees, but will never reach 72 degrees. Short cycling can also be used to describe a furnace that turns on and off too often.

How often should my furnace turn on and off?

3-8 times per hour



On average, furnaces should kick on and off anywhere from 3-8 times per hour. However, if your furnace does so more frequently, don’t assume it’s short cycling just yet.

Is one way to determine if short cycling is occurring?

How to Determine if Your Unit Is Short Cycling. One way to find out if your HVAC system is operating normally or is turning on and off intermittently is to measure the length of time between when it shuts down and then gets going again.

Why does my furnace keep short cycling?

A dirty air filter is the most common cause of short-cycling. If your air filter is clogged with dirt, it won’t allow proper air flow to the heat exchanger. That can cause the furnace to overheat and forces the high limit switch to ride to the rescue by shutting the furnace off.

How do you fix a short cycling boiler?

Adding thermal mass to the heating system will decrease the burner short cycling and this can be done by adding water volume to the system. A relatively easy way to add thermal mass is adding a “Buffer Tank”. A “Buffer Tank” is simply a tank of water.