As a homeowner, it’s likely that you’ve developed a few DIY skills as a natural reaction to problems that you’ve encountered in your home. If you’re confident, this can even extend to your furnace when it comes to finding faults, changing the filter, cleaning and other minor tasks. But, many components in the furnace are sensitive, it’s easy to cause damage and this can lead to a higher repair bill. Working on a gas furnace without formal training is especially dangerous and this is a task best left to your local heating specialist. One of the more important components that can fail are furnace ignitors and dealing with this issue is beyond basic DIY skills. In this article, we will explain the purpose of the furnace ignitor and three common signs that it may be bad.
What is a Furnace Ignitor?
A furnace ignitor is the component in your furnace that begins the entire heating process and if it isn’t working properly the entire system will not perform as intended. The ignitor lights the burner units, which in turn starts the combustion process that generates heat.
Older furnaces were equipped with a pilot light that produced a blue flame that would ignite the gas the burners released. This standing flame burned constantly and if it went out, it had to be manually relit to produce heat. If you have an older furnace, you may still have a pilot light built into the furnace but they are getting rarer by the day. We still see pilot lights on furnaces in the 10-15 years old range and these furnaces are nearing retirement. If your furnace has reached this age and you’re noticing a lack of performance and higher energy bills, contact your local HVAC specialist and ask about a replacement.
In recent years, the pilot light system has been replaced with better technology that’s far more dependable. The latest furnaces have electrically powered hot surface ignitors that don’t have a standing flame consuming a constant supply of gas. An electric furnace may even have a thin wire that glows hot to create the spark required to start the heating process. These advanced ignitors are constructed with heat resistant materials, such as silicone nitride and silicon carbide. These materials can withstand and create very hot sparks for sufficient times to ensure that a clean combustion reaction takes place.
3 Furnace Warning Signs Explained
When a furnace ignitor fails to ignite, it will prevent the generation of heat from your furnace. This critical component is often overlooked, but if there is a problem there are three other warning signs to look out for, they are:
1. The Furnace Will Not Run
Let’s get the most obvious sign out of the way first. If the ignitor has failed or it’s starting to fail, it will not activate and the furnace simply cannot run. But, it’s important to realize that there are other possible causes when a furnace fails to run as intended. So, it’s a good idea to avoid jumping to conclusions until you’ve investigated some other possible causes of the problem. A common cause of a non-running furnace is an electrical issue and we will look at that problem next.
2. Electrical Problems
The furnace should have a dedicated circuit breaker and if that is getting regularly tripped, it’s time to delve a little deeper. There could be some kind of voltage related conflict that exists between the furnace ignitor and the circuit breaker. Flipping the breaker may fix the problem for a short-time, but the problem may return later. In some cases, the circuit breaker cannot be flipped and there is no easy resolution for the problem. Dealing with electricity, breakers and a faulty furnace ignitor is beyond most DIY enthusiasts. To ensure a quick resolution and to improve safety it’s a better idea to contact your local heating specialist for expert help.
3. The Furnace Will Not Ignite
In some cases, the furnace is performing well and then it stops running suddenly. The ignitor may not be capable of creating that spark that causes the combustion reaction to occur. Again, without that reaction heat is not generated and the furnace will not heat your home. This may seem strange, but this may be a good thing if you have a modern furnace installed in your home. Newer furnaces have built-in safety features that prevent an electrical short that could cause an unwanted spark or reaction. This helps to prevent house fires and explosions, but it relies on a special component. The furnace filter needs to be clean and clear for an efficient airflow that supplies fresh air to the combustion. If the furnace filter is dirty and clogged with debris, it will not work properly and the safety feature kicks in. Cleaning and replacing the dirty filter is pretty simple and the full process is detailed in your owner’s manual. Another key safety component is the flame sensor and if that has failed the combustion reaction is not possible. Replacing the flame sensor is not advisable and you should contact your local heating specialist.
In Conclusion
Sharp eyed readers will have noticed a trend in this article towards seeking assistance from a local heating specialist. This is intentional, certain minor issues can be tackled by people that are confident and knowledgeable on related DIY techniques. But, caution should be exercised for a number of reasons that we will examine further.
First, working on a gas furnace can be hazardous if you are not sure how to proceed. Gas is flammable and electricity can create sparks, which is a potentially fatal combination. If you have any reservations about the safety of yourself and others in the home it’s time to call an HVAC specialist.
Next, from a purely pragmatic perspective, an HVAC system represents a considerable investment in your indoor comfort. As such, it makes good sense to protect it from damage and unqualified people working on that system certainly qualifies. If you or a “handyman” don’t fully understand the system, it’s easy to cause more damage. This will increase the size of the repair bill when the HVAC specialist is called to fix the problem.
Finally, when non-qualified people work on heating and cooling systems that are still under warranty it can violate the terms of that warranty. This can have real financial consequences if you have a relatively new furnace and it’s not worth the risk. Contact your local licensed and certified HVAC specialist for extra peace of mind.