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Heating Cycle Won’t Begin if You Have a Faulty Igniter

Snow is in the forecast for Madison this week, so now’s the time
– before family and friends come over for the holidays – to
make sure your furnace is in working order.

A customer recently called us because his furnace was not lighting up.
He said the igniter continuously tried to ignite the gas, but it just
wasn’t turning on.

It’s important to understand how an igniter should be working, so in case your furnace doesn’t turn on, you can see if a faulty igniter is a cause.

How the Igniter Should Work:

The thermostat will tell your furnace that heat is needed and the furnace
should turn on.
Once it turns on, the blower-inducer motor should start turning.
The pressure switch should then close, as it senses negative air pressure
from the inducer motor.
The gas flow may not begin until about 30 seconds after the inducer motor
starts running.
After those four steps, you should see the igniter glowing. The flame sensor
should sense the flame from the igniter, turning the burners on.
From there, the heating cycle should start.

But, if the ignitor doesn’t glow, the flame sensor won’t allow
the gas to remain on. This, then, means the heat cycle cannot begin, leaving
you and your family in the cold.
In the case of this particular customer, the furnace was about 10 years
old, and he had just moved into the house so was unsure about regular
maintenance. To prevent these sorts of problems from occurring in the
middle of a snowy, winter night, your best bet would be to make sure you
have maintenance performed each year.

At Arco Comfort Air, we not only repair any furnace problems you may be
experiencing, but we also offer that yearly service.
When you call us for a repair, here’s what you can expect:

Our technicians will fully inspect your furnace.
They will determine the cause of the issue.
Then, they will provide you with a job-based quote upfront before starting the job.

You will always be in the loop and will walk away with a working, reliable
furnace in the end. If you are having trouble with your furnace, call
Arco Comfort Air today!

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What Are Customers Are Saying

Preston Gordon you are the man. Thank you for fixing bathroom and finding my lost hidden treasures.

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Katie Lock

Katie Lock

July 24, 2026

Thank you for the great and friendly service Shavine. I appreciate all the advice and friendly attitude.

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Christen Keith

Christen Keith

July 23, 2026

Princeton was amazing. He diagnosed the issue quickly and solved it without fail. Would recommend.

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William Keys

William Keys

July 23, 2026

Cliff did a great job with my emergency breaker job he was quick and dedicated to getting it done to helping me restore my power. I really appreciated the swift response.

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Derek Murphy

Derek Murphy

July 22, 2026

Reggie was absolutely fantastic. Very knowledgeable and explained everything in simple terms. Would definitely recommend him for any of your electrical needs!

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Christian Mayfield

Christian Mayfield

July 21, 2026

Princesten was wonderful! He was very thorough, helpful and extremely professional. We have had many service professionals come through our home and he is by far one of the most professional and respectful people I’ve ever had.

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Elisa Race

Elisa Race

July 20, 2026

Amazing work today by Evan and Shavine. They were able to fix a problem no one else was able to fix. Will definitely use these guys again

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Darren Eaddy

Darren Eaddy

July 20, 2026

Shavine and Evan were very knowledgeable and were able to fix the issue at hand . They answered all our questions and made sure everything was complete before they left .

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Char E

Char E

July 20, 2026

Outside GFI outlet not working. Could not reset. Within a short time problem was resolved. Electrician Shavine was excellent. I would highly recommend Arco and their service provided.

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Bob Ochsner

Bob Ochsner

July 20, 2026

We originally called Acro for one issue but ended up with getting our very out dated breaker boxes replaced which was definitely needed. Shavine M. and Evan S. were both our electric technicians for our full job. Shavine M. was the first technicians on site and was very prompt. The gentlemen let us know before hand the amount of time the power was going to be out and we gave them the space to work. After the work was completed, Shavine gave a walk through of the work completed today and a explaination of the next steps after. We are very happy with the work completed and Shavine and Evan were a pleasure to have as technicians on the job.

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Jasmin A

Jasmin A

July 18, 2026

Great experience! Quote and installation/service performed same day when others were weeks out just for quote appointment. We had an attic vent fan hooked up and some landscape lighting repaired, but seems they could really do any/all electrical projects you would need.

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Marc Mellion

Marc Mellion

July 16, 2026

Andrew Corrothers with Arco was very polite and answered questions that I had when he came for my A/C maintenance.

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Sherry Runner

Sherry Runner

July 15, 2026

Shavine switched out/repaired more outlets and switches in our home than I can count! He also installed several light fixtures for us and they work and look outstanding ! Now all of our lights and outlets are functional and I am so happy with the work that was done . It was a very big job and Shavine worked finished it all in a day ! I highly recommend Shavine with your electrical needs!

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Susan Simpson

Susan Simpson

July 13, 2026

We had our AC serviced by Arco. The first day we had a technician. He said he had to order parts and would return the next day. The next day we got a new technician EUGENE and he was so professional, h shared what he was doing, he was friendly, and insightful. We had to replace our thermostat. He was quick and proficient. I highly recommend Arco but specifically Eugene. Thank you.

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Tamika Glenn

Tamika Glenn

July 11, 2026

They are reliable and always show up as scheduled. Shavine did a great job installing our motion sensor floodlights. I would hire them again for any electrical work.

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Kern Jolibos

July 10, 2026

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