Posted: February 9, 2026
The last few weeks, our winter weather has been testing home heating equipment across the region. Stubbornly frigid temperatures, regular snow and other inclement conditions conspire to keep furnaces cycling over and over throughout the day.
That said, sometimes a furnace runs too frequently because of service issues. This can be a problem for Northeast homeowners, who will see their heating oil or gas bills skyrocket and faster wear and tear on their home heating equipment. A constantly running furnace can also dry out your home’s air and circulate impurities, lowering your indoor air quality.
In this article, we’ll discuss when you should be concerned about your furnace cycling, what you can do about it and when it’s time to call in the HVAC pros from Mirabito Energy Products.
It depends. This time of winter can be brutal, and any kind of home heating equipment will need to cycle frequently when it’s well below freezing outside. Especially if your home is older or has less-than-ideal insulation, your furnace may need to run on and off throughout the day to replace heat leaking out of your house’s thermal envelope.
However, you should be cognizant of irregular or nonstop furnace operations, especially when it doesn’t adequately heat your living space. Here are a few reasons your furnace may be cycling too often and how to address them.
If your furnace won’t stop cycling, start by checking your thermostat settings. Make sure the fan is set to “AUTO,” not “ON,” so it only runs during heating cycles. Also, confirm your temperature setting is reasonable. A high temperature point can cause your furnace to run constantly without ever reaching the target setting.
If you have a programmable thermostat or smart thermostat, you should check your schedule’s temperature settings. You may have overlapping or outdated adjustments that are signaling your furnace to run more often than you need it.
Your furnace’s air filter is integral to preventing dust, danger, mold and other airborne impurities from entering your rooms. But if this filter becomes clogged with debris, your furnace will work harder — and run more frequently — to raise temperatures in your home. For this reason, we advise homeowners to check their air filter once a month in the heating season and change it if it’s dirty.
A furnace that runs constantly while also making louder mechanical noises could have a service issue that you need a professional technician to address. This is particularly pertinent for systems that are over 10 years old. Some common mechanical problems that lead to constant cycling are faulty blower motors or fan limit switches. If a thermostat or air filter fix doesn’t get your furnace cycling less often, please contact Mirabito for a home heating service call.
And remember: the best way to prevent mechanical issues from happening is with annual preventive maintenance. Consider enrolling in a Mirabito service membership, which protects your furnace with yearly maintenance, 24/7/365 priority service and discounted repairs.
An undersized furnace may run nonstop because it simply can’t generate enough heat for your home. Even running at full capacity, it may never reach the thermostat setting. Undersized ductwork causes similar trouble, restricting airflow so heat can’t circulate properly. This issue is common in older homes or spaces where additions were made without heating upgrades.
The Mirabito Energy Products team can review your home heating setup and, if necessary, upgrade your furnace system to provide ample warmth to your home without constant cycling.
Reach out to us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. We serve home heating customers in Central New York, the Adirondacks, Utica, the New York Capital Region, the Catskills, the Hudson Valley, mid- to northern Pennsylvania, east and central Connecticut, southern Vermont, eastern Massachusetts and eastern Rhode Island.
