As the preferred HVAC company in Glastonbury, Connecticut, SM Mechanical Services, LLC, excels in helping you discover the perfect level of household comfort. Schedule a furnace service from one of our skilled technicians today!
Like most homeowners, you always want new ways to keep your home cozy throughout Connecticut’s bitter winters. Sometimes, uneven heat dispersion or slow airflow gets in the way of that desired coziness. Understanding how to change the blower speed on a furnace is a great solution.
However, our HVAC company in Glastonbury, CT, doesn’t recommend you attempt this task. It’s best left up to our experienced technicians. Learn more about what SM Mechanical Services, LLC, does to change blower speeds below.
What Do the Blower Motor and Fan Do for Your Furnace?
Unlike boilers, furnaces require blower motors to heat a building. The blower motor supplies power to the blower fan, which pushes warm air into your home’s ventilation system. You turn your furnace on by changing your thermostat’s settings to heat. This setting directs electricity to the blower motor.
Most furnaces come with preset fan speed settings. Your furnace will always default to this speed unless an HVAC technician accesses the components and controls to change them. While many homeowners accept these settings as the norm, others seek professional services to change them and make their houses more comfortable.
Why You Might Want To Change Blower Speed
If you’ve never considered changing your blower speed before, you might wonder why some HVAC companies recommend it. Speed adjustments can improve your cold-weather experience by:
- Increasing humidity control: Does your home have higher moisture levels? Perhaps you’d prefer to preserve humidity to counteract your furnace’s drying effects. A fan speed adjustment can help eliminate or increase moisture, depending on your needs.
- Softening furnace noise: If your furnace makes lots of noise, it likely sports a fast fan speed. Slowing the fan down will soften the sound.
- Correcting airflow: Chilly buildings can benefit from a speed increase, while buildings that get too warm need a slower rotation.
- Bettering household efficiency: Adjusting your fan speed to your needs may result in more consistent temperatures.
Do these perks intrigue you? Learn firsthand how to change the blower speed on a furnace according to skilled professionals.
How To Change Blower Speed on a Furnace According to Professionals
An HVAC technician’s role involves maintaining a safe workspace while accommodating their customer’s needs, and will follow several steps to assist you.
#1. Which Speed Do You Need?
How do you know which change will make your home more comfortable? Typically, a furnace that struggles to warm a building quickly and retain the temperature needs a speed boost. Furnaces that overheat or run too loudly need a decrease. Your technician will determine the best speed based on this information.
Once your technician arrives, communicate your comfort needs and where your furnace falls short. Identify issues such as:
- Which rooms feel warmer or cooler than others
- How long your furnace runs per cycle
- How the moisture level affects your comfort
- Whether your furnace is too slow or quick to heat the house
This information helps them find the best speed setting.
#2. Make the Area Safe
Next, the technician will take a few safety precautions. They’ll disconnect the electrical power supply before they begin disassembling any components. A significant electrical voltage flows through the blower motor and its attached parts. If the technician makes contact with the electricity, they may electrocute themselves. They might also don personal protection equipment as an added precaution.
#3. Air Handler Access
Once the technician verifies their workspace is safe, they’ll continue with their mission by removing a panel that provides wire, pulley, and air handler access. These inner workings allow the technician to make the necessary adjustments.
#4. Speed Adjustments
Multi-speed furnaces have power supply wires that control each speed setting. Your technician will select the best speed for your household and connect the associated wire to make it run. Alternatively, your furnace may feature a pulley that controls the blower motor.
The pulley has a screw that, when twisted, changes the fan speed. Tightening this screw makes the fan rotate faster. Loosening it slows the rotations. The technician will refasten the pulley to its location via the attached screw set.
#5. Alignment Inspection
Then, your technician will double-check to ensure they’ve successfully fixed all adjusted components securely to their places. They will check that:
- The power wires on multi-speed furnaces have complete circuit connections that won’t falter or detach from one another
- The pulley is secured to the blower fan, ensuring it won’t become loose and fall out of place
Once the technician confirms all systems are ready to go, they’ll fix the access panel back to the furnace and prepare to test the new furnace speed.
#6. Return the Power Supply and Run the Furnace
Finally, the HVAC technician will flip the connected switch in your circuit box, returning electricity to the furnace. Then, they’ll run the furnace to determine whether their adjustments were sufficient. They’ll repeat the process if you want a more dramatic adjustment.
Otherwise, you can enjoy your newfound comfort, all thanks to a blower speed adjustment.
Other Reasons for Discomfort
Sometimes, winter discomfort occurs for other reasons, such as:
- Aging systems: An old furnace will struggle to keep up with your modern comfort needs as components consistently fail or demand repairs.
- Too little maintenance: Technicians use maintenance services to inspect, troubleshoot, and clean your furnace. You should schedule professional maintenance annually.
- Debris and dirt buildup: Dirty filters, crowded vents, and dusty components hinder furnace performance.
- Unbalanced heat output: Sometimes, your furnace needs a balancing service to ensure an appropriate amount of heated air reaches each area in your home.
Book Furnace Maintenance From SM Mechanical Services, LLC!
SM Mechanical Services, LLC, knows how to change the blower speed on a furnace quickly and efficiently. We can also teach you how to know if your furnace blower is bad. If you live in Glastonbury, Connecticut, turn to our team for knowledgeable technicians who keep you informed with transparent services. Call 860-530-2671 to schedule services.