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!