When you live in an area with cold temperatures after the summer is gone, you don’t want to deal with Goodman furnace motor problems in the middle of the night. Addressing any issues on the blower motor from the moment they develop will keep your house warm throughout the cold season and your wallet full for Christmas gifts. The last thing you want is to buy a new furnace instead of pretty gifts for the whole family.
Several aspects will make your furnace work inefficiently, from minor issues with an easy fix to severe problems that require you to replace some critical component of the blower motor. Since the blower motor blows the heating air through the vents in your household, it’s essential for the furnace. It takes the warm air and circulates throughout your home so that the temperature gets as high as the thermostat requested. It will do it by spinning a fan, making the air move through the ducts and vents inside the house. It doesn’t take a massive motor to move an impressive volume of hot air; even a small motor can do it.
Single-speed blower motor and the variable-speed blower motor make the common options in furnaces. The single-speed kind blowing air has just one speed and complete capacity when it operates. The thermostat will send the signal for when the blower motor is supposed to run or stop. The variable-speed motor can run at lower and higher speeds, which leads to more even temperatures throughout your household and superior energy efficiency.
What are the signs of Goodman furnace blower motor problems?
Like all the other elements of your Goodman furnace, the blower motor will also become more sensitive to mechanical failures as it goes through intense wear over time. When the furnace is aging, it also poses a higher risk for various problems, and the blower motor doesn’t make an exception. Even if some repairs can win you some time, an aging motor will keep on malfunction and require replacement eventually. Goodman furnace blower not working or Goodman furnace blower motor noise is some of the warning signs, but you should go over the common issues to see if repairs or replacement will solve the problem for you:
No airflow at all
When no airflow is coming out of the vents, the blower motor may be damaged, so it cannot run anymore. If the scenario applies to your case, you will need to purchase another blower motor.
Keep in mind that other factors may also cause the absence of airflows, such as fan control issues, low relay or battery, and even a faulty thermostat. The most accurate method to identify the cause of the airflow absence is to get in touch with the professionals to check the whole furnace.
Poor airflow from the vents
It’s probably the first symptom signaling that something’s off with the blower motor on your furnace. When the airflow coming out of the vents is low, the blower motor may struggle to push the air throughout the ducts to obtain the requested temperature. Several factors could cause the issue, such as dirt and dust buildup, an aging motor, or a bad capacitor. You should call the professional if you think that a bad capacitor or a dirty blower motor is the culprit. But if you know that the blower motor is old, you should skip the professional help and start looking for a new blower motor. Leaky ducts, clogged filters, and dirty ducts may also slow down the airflow, so make sure you’ve eliminated all possible causes before buying a new blower motor.
Weird noises
Even if your furnace doesn’t run quietly, it doesn’t mean that weird noises are normal. On the contrary, any strange sounds coming out from the furnace are signs that the blower motor has a problem. Some of the issues causing the weird noises could be fixed by a professional, whereas others will require you to replace the motor. Screeching or squealing sounds could mean that the motor has a broken belt or some bearing issues; it’s an easy fix to replace the belt or lubricate the bearings.
Clanking, rattling, banging sounds signal loose or broken parts on the blower motor, whereas loud banging noises mean that something is wholly disconnected or damaged, which will be solved by replacement.
No matter the type of weird noises coming out from the blower motor, you should never postpone the fix, as the problem won’t go away on its own. It’s wise to turn off the furnace and call the professional for diagnosis. Even if it’s not complicated to fix a damaged or a loose belt or some poor alignment, the other furnace’s other components could be severely affected by not correctly addressing the problem on the blower motor. Only an experienced technician will run an inspection on the blower motor and decide if repairs or replacement are the solutions.
Overheating
Several factors could overheat the blower motor. Grime and dirt may collect around the motor, affecting the motor’s ability to vent itself, so the heat builds up quickly. The best solution is to get in touch with a professional so that he may service the damaged motor.
More often than not, it’s age the leading cause for overheating. A blower motor that is too old and too worn out will have difficulties in heating the household. The more it struggles to work, the higher the chance for overheating, increasing the energy bill. If so, only a new blower motor will completely solve the problem.
Some signs will always tell you that the blower motor is overheating. A burning smell from the vents and even a complete shutdown of the system may occur with an overheated blower motor. It’s expected for the furnace to shut down automatically if the blower motor is overheated completely; it will prevent damage and electrical hazards. The moment you observe any of these signs, it’s best to turn off the furnace and contact a technician for solving the problem.
The energy bills increase suddenly
The blower motor is the component using the most energy, so it can be the reason for which your energy bill increases suddenly. A dirty, problematic, or the aging motor will have to work harder to efficiently circulation the heating air throughout the house, increasing the energy bill.
If you’ve been using the furnace for some years now or have a single-speed motor, it’s probably a wise thing to get a new and variable-speed model. This type of motor will automatically adjust the energy usage for various heating requests in your house while lowering the amount of wasted energy.
We can definitely connect you with a trusted provider in your area to repair, replace or maintain your heating and A/C systems. Why not let us find a professional for you?
