Receiving your annual furnace maintenance helps keep your heating system running up to 30 percent more efficient and helps extend the life of the equipment. But things can still stop working, and when they do, you may feel like you’re always hearing about something else.
This time it’s your blower, next time it’s your control board. Now you need to replace your flame sensor.
A flame sensor is an important safety element on your gas heating equipment. During the ignition cycle, your gas furnace goes through a process where either a spark or a hot surface igniter actually ignites the gas. As the gas is ignited, the flame sensor creates a current of electricity. This is measured in micro amps. If the furnace’s control board fails to read the right level of micro amps, the furnace will stop giving the system fuel to avoid an explosion.
Over time, if the flame sensor is not adequately cleaned, oxidation or carbon buildup can interfere with the flame sensor’s ability to work properly, which can result in a malfunction of the furnace.
The way to diagnose if an unclean flame sensor is to blame for a furnace malfunction is to take a micro amp draw reading, which a professional furnace technician can provide you. If a dirty flame sensor is the culprit, the technician will clean the sensor with steel wool. If dirt was the sole factor, we will see a notably higher amp reading. If the reading does not change, the technician will proceed with the heating equipment repair diagnostic process.
If you aren’t sure your heating equipment is going to make it through these last few weeks of winter, give Levy & Son Service Experts a call and we’ll come out and perform a full furnace maintenance or a free in-home estimate on a new heating system.
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There’s no reason to skip your seasonal maintenance that saves energy and helps ensure your air conditioner and heater will work reliably all season long.
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