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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 Home Services, 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 Home Services today!

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What Are Customers Are Saying

Great service. Recieved a quote and the issue fixed same day and very friendly and professional servicemen. Would highly recommend and affordable.

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Victoria Philpotts

Victoria Philpotts

September 29, 2026

Andrew is great. We have had a lot of good technicians service us, but we've never had a person so thorough and explain everything so clearly. He also has a really great personality.

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Frank

Frank

September 29, 2026

Jesse was awesome, and did a great job on my PM service. I would highly recommend them and him!

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Richard Gutch

Richard Gutch

September 28, 2026

We contacted Arco Home Services for plumbing repairs. Jacob Adams was our tech. Jacob showed up on time and gave us an estimate for the multiple items we wanted done. He was professional, knowledgeable, and personable. He explained all steps and issues that were encountered and spent close to a day and a half completing the many repairs we requested. He knew what he was doing and worked diligently to make sure that the work was done timely and correctly. I can say it was a pleasure to have him complete the work we needed which included installing a new utility tub with new faucets and shut off valves, new bathroom faucet, installing a new sink with faucet and all plumbing in the second bathroom, repairing a toilet flange and reseating the toilet along with multiple other time consuming items to bring the plumbing in our older home into good working order. I can highly recommend Jacob's work and would ask for him again if I needed any additional repairs done. Thank you Jacob for a job well done.

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R. E. Tesmer

R. E. Tesmer

September 26, 2026

Andrew came out did an outstanding job serving my furnace. I had horrible experiences in the past with a different technician, but Andrew came in and turned my opinion around. Great job !

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Tina Andears

Tina Andears

September 25, 2026

We had a limb fall on our main line and Domenic came out and replace the entire unit. Evan came out and replaced a basement unit. Both were very efficient and polite.

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Annette

Annette

September 25, 2026

Andrew came out and performed yearly maintenance on my furnace. He arrived on time and was very efficient. He informed me my system was in good condition and I am prepared for winter. Highly recommend!

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Kathryn Pierce

Kathryn Pierce

September 25, 2026

The ARCO rep Andrew, that took care of the A/C inspection was knowledgeable, professional and courteous! He answered questions completely!

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Giyate Giyate

Giyate Giyate

September 25, 2026

Kellyed Reyes and Shaun McAlpin were great! Assessed the issue, and shared with me my options.

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Hallie Johnson

Hallie Johnson

September 24, 2026

Arco representative Andrew Corrothers came out to inspect our AC unit and did a great job detailing the issues with our unit. Andrew also provided informative options for our unit and potential replacement options. Definitely a job well done by Andrew. Note: There was no charge for visit, part of my service contract.

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John Alexander

John Alexander

September 24, 2026

Arco is amazing. Our furnace was not working and he had it running withing minutes of being here. Highly recommend.

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Bridgett Jackson

Bridgett Jackson

September 23, 2026

Shauvine & Shaun were Fantastic communicators, arrived promptly & diagnosed my issue quickly and accurately - I will Definitely call your company again because of Them - 5 stars

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Al Brooks

Al Brooks

September 23, 2026

Today I had a visit from Eugene Scott from ARCO. He was very professional and friendly. Very informative and a pleasure to have in my home.

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Thomas Noyes

Thomas Noyes

September 23, 2026

Shaving and Shaun did a great job. They were very prompt and completed the job in good time and very efficiently.

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Aldon George

Aldon George

September 23, 2026

Cliff was awesome. Explained everything and look forward to working with him in the future.

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matt mckenzie

matt mckenzie

September 22, 2026

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