repair your appliances - don't replace them!

If your home's heater is constantly blowing air, you may wonder if there is anything you can do to find and fix the issue yourself. If so, use the following three-step guide to finding and repairing simple problems when your home's central heating system is constantly running.

Step 1:  Change The Filter

This first step may seem easy, but keeping the heater's filter changed is vital to the unit's function. If the air filter clogs up, the flow of air is blocked inside the heater's casing.

When this happens, the full force of hot air cannot travel through the system, resulting in the cooler air coming out of your vents. The thermostat then reads that the air in your home has not reached the desired temperature, it tells the unit to keep running.

Even if you do not see any obvious dust or dirt in the filter, change it anyway. Giving it a clean filter can help you eliminate the possibility it is the issue while you go through the other two steps.

Step 2:  Check The Exterior Air Flow Vents

Once you have changed the filter, turn your attention towards the exterior air flow vents on the heater. If these are clogged or blocked, this decreases the air that is allowed to circulate through the system, causing a back flow of hot air that cannot make its way into your house.

If there is anything blocking the vents, move it out of the way. Then, after turning off the heating unit, use a brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to suck the dust and dirt out of the vents.

Once this is done, turn the furnace back on, and check to see if hot air is coming out of your room vents. If not, go to the next step.

Step 3:  Play With The Thermostat

This final step involves playing with the thermostat to see if it could be the problem. If your thermostat is malfunctioning or the heater's circuitry is not able to read its commands, you may need a repair professional to either change the thermostat or inspect the electrical system.

Decrease the thermostat a few degrees and wait a few minutes to see if the heater kicks off. If not, keep decreasing it to see if the heater does turn off. If it doesn't, there could be an issue with the thermostat or the wiring.

After completing the steps above, you may find that your heater is still staying on all of the time. If so, you may want to contact an appliance service that specializes in heating repair to have them inspect your central heating unit and discuss your options for fixing any issues they may find.