When the burners in your furnace won’t light, it’s a pretty huge problem. After all, your furnace cannot create heat without working parts. But how do you figure out what’s wrong? There could be a variety of problems that contribute to burner issues inside your furnace.
No matter what is wrong, schedule furnace repair in Kirkland, WA. Our team can troubleshoot and get down to the root of the problem, solving it, so that your furnace not only works great, but doesn’t face any additional problems for the rest of the season. Keep reading to learn more about why you might be experiencing burner problems inside of your furnace and what to do about it.
The Furnace Is Off
Many homeowners elect to turn their furnaces off completely in the winter to prevent the unit from consuming energy while it isn’t in use. Setting your thermostat to “heat” doesn’t mean that your furnace turns back on if you manually switched it off. Burners not working may be attributed to your heater not being on at all. Before checking any other places, look at the switch to make sure it is in the “on” position.
Pilot Light Is Out
More updated furnaces no longer use a standing pilot light to ignite burners to create heat. If you have an older model heater, it may use a basic pilot light. Peek inside when your furnace is running to see if the pilot light has gone out.
If you do not see a bright blue flame, you may need to relight it. Having a pilot light that continually goes out means there may be an issue with the gas line leading into your furnace. It’s also possible that the pilot light assembly needs cleaning. Our team is always here to help if you have concerns.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Most furnaces are connected to a circuit breaker. When there is a power surge or other electrical issue the breaker will trip to cut off power to the furnace. Even if you have a gas furnace, it may still connect to a circuit breaker for any electrical connections. Having the breaker trip once isn’t a big deal, but if it keeps happening you may have a bigger problem than just the burners.
Malfunctioning Thermocouple
The thermocouple is one of many safety components. It manages gas flow to the burner so too much gas doesn’t release at any given time. If the thermocouple reads the temperature and finds that the flame is not hot enough, it shuts off the gas flow so too much doesn’t build up in the chamber. If the thermocouple malfunctions, the gas source may turn off at inappropriate times so the burner cannot ignite.
Dirty Flame Sensor
A more modern furnace uses a hot surface to ignite the burners. If the flame sensor gets dirty because of dust or soot it may not work correctly. Usually the fix is as simple as wiping down the surface so that the sensor is clear of blockages.
The team at WSB HVAC is connecting you to comfort. Schedule an appointment today for heater service.