Setting up your seasonal furnace maintenance helps keep your heating system operating up to thirty percent more efficient and helps extend the life of your furnace. But things could still stop working, and when they do, you might feel like you’re always hearing about something else.
This time it’s your blower, next time it’s your pressure switch. Now you have to have your flame sensor replaced.
By the way – what is a flame sensor?
A flame sensor is a critical safety element on your gas heating equipment. During the ignition sequence, your gas furnace enters a process where either a spark or a hot surface igniter will actually ignite the gas. As the gas is ignited, the flame sensor produces a current of electricity. The current is quantified in micro amps. If the furnace’s control board does not read the right level of micro amps, the furnace will stop giving the system fuel to stop 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 function properly, which can end up causing the heating system to malfunction.
The way to determine if a soiled flame sensor is to blame for a furnace malfunction is to take a micro amp draw reading, which an expert furnace technician can give you. If a dirty flame sensor is the reason, the furnace expert will clean the sensor with steel wool. If dirt was the only factor, we will see a significantly higher amp reading. If the reading shows no change, the technician will carry on with the heating system repair diagnostic process.
If you aren’t confident your heating equipment is going to outlast these last few weeks of winter, give Peitz Service Experts a call and we’ll come out and provide you with a full furnace maintenance or a complimentary in-home estimate on a new furnace.