Tag: Furnace

Why is my furnace so loud

Why is my Furnace So Loud and How Do I Fix It?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Colder months must be maddening if you can’t live without warm air but struggle with loud noises.

Why is my furnace so loud?

Your heating system may be in trouble if you hear a loud bang instead of a bit of cling-clang. If furnace noises keep you up at night, whether a loose screw or restricted airflow is to blame, it won’t go away by itself. Routine maintenance and tune-up services are a must, especially with older furnaces. 

Rattling noises may indicate loose parts, but a carbon monoxide leak does not sound like anything. Without a carbon monoxide alarm, you may not detect the hazardous leak in time.

Call a professional HVAC technician immediately if you suspect one. A reliable HVAC technician will help you remedy a furnace making unusual noises and suspect your airflow for any hazards.

Here’s everything you need to know about your noisy furnace.

Loud Furnace: Should I Be Worried?

If a professional technician regularly inspects your well-maintained HVAC system, then no. Some annoying noises are just that. Furnace noises aren’t unusual and may result from vibrations, especially when it is linked to air ducts.

However, you should worry about your loud furnace if you neglect routine maintenance and inspection. A poorly maintained furnace making noises may indicate a much more serious problem. Don’t worry. You can still salvage your old furnace by detecting a serious problem early.

Let’s familiarize ourselves with a furnace’s various noises and possible causes.

What Causes a Noisy Furnace?

Any noise indicates operations, cogs turning, resource burning, and output distribution. However, the volume and frequency can help you determine whether there is a malfunction.

Loud noises are worrisome. These noises indicate various stressors and hindrances. You must know what these noises mean to keep you and your entire family safe from their potential hazards.

A Cracked Heat Exchanger

A cracked heat exchanger disrupts the heating cycle, producing insufficient heating and a whistling noise.

A faulty heat exchanger may be due to the high-pressure air or gas buildup formed by air and heat exchange. Your heat exchanger may develop abrasions or corrosion and eventually crack under all that static pressure. It’s important to pay attention to that whistling sound and listen if rattling noises accompany them.

Note: Gas buildup may leak out of cracks and into your airways.

Carbon monoxide may make it into your air ducts and cause hazardous indoor air, especially if you have a central air conditioning system. Warm air traveling through ductwork is only filtered in some ways. If your air ducts aren’t regularly cleaned or checked, your ductwork may already be saturated with toxic gases.

Immediately contact a professional HVAC technician to fix the crack or replace the heat exchanger. Any issues with your heat exchanger left untreated for a long period may lead to bigger problems.

Still, it would be best if you prevented minor issues from snowballing into bigger ones that crack your heat exchanger. So how does your heat exchanger sustain a crack?

Dirty Burners

Banging noises aren’t typical. They are not operational noises stemming from vibrations or burning. Just the opposite! Banging or popping noises indicate overcompensation from other components or forceful operations.

The sudden ignition of the surplus of gas trapped within your furnace produces a loud booming noise. The banging noise is due to delayed ignition. The gas line continues supplying your furnace with the necessary fuel at the rate your home demands through control systems. However, dirty burners hinder the pilot light from igniting the gas resulting in delayed ignition.

The delay in ignition firing up that much gas all at once causes a shaky and loud furnace. If whistling sounds accompany the popping, your dirty burners may have already cracked your heat exchanger.

Regularly cleaning your furnace, its entire surface, and everything accessible to you will prevent dust from settling. Make it a habit to cover your furnace during warmer months when it isn’t used to keep dust, insects, mold, and mildew from infiltrating its access points.

A Clogged Air Filter

Another reason to keep the outside of your furnace clean is to ward off any buildup from saturating your furnace filter. A filter can effectively keep impurities from contaminating your breathing air. However, the filtration systems of your AC units, ducts, and home directly filter your indoor atmosphere.

A furnace filter keeps the interior of your furnace clean, ensuring none of its internal components are contaminated or obstructed by any particles. It is the line of defense your furnace relies on against different debris. However, a clogged air filter can’t protect your furnace from damage and contamination, leading to scraping sounds and hindered heating.

A dirty filter leads to various issues with different particles building up and shaking around your furnace. Always clean dirty filters to protect critical furnace components from sustaining any damage.

Small particles scratching metal components produce rattling and screeching sounds. A loud scraping noise or something like metal against metal sound means little rocks or loose parts are scratching against each other.

You need to call a professional technician to fix the problem immediately before hazardous debris enters your fan belt or motor.

A Malfunctioning Blower Motor or Motor

Possibly the most costly fix furnace noises will ever warrant involves your blower motor and fan belt. The blower motor facilitates airflow and is vital to the entire operation. If your blower fan and blower motor won’t work properly, it results in a compromised airflow, producing a whistling sound.

Debris caught in the fan belt, or blower wheel produces a louder rattling noise. If debris is caught between the fan blades and the blower wheel, it will sound more like screeching. You must contact experts immediately if you suspect debris or loose elements are knocking around your blower wheel.

It may cause a domino effect if these loose elements are blown into your home’s ductwork. Your air ducts lead to different heating vents and HVAC components which may negatively affect their components. Anything metal rattling around other components results in damage and scratching noises.

External elements infiltrating your blower motor are a different story. Your blower fan has metal fan blades, but the motor is an engine and houses electrical components. Debris fraying wires may result in a mini-explosion leading to different fire hazards.

Yes, it’s a possibility. A miniature explosion or flame can lead to a bigger one when there’s gas involved. It’s a long shot, but the worst-case scenario of a malfunctioning motor is causing a large explosion when it’s too close to your gas supply.

Be sure to call the experts to fix your furnace before something more drastic takes place. Something that might seem small now can lead to hazardous and potentially fatal problems.

Unusual Noises: Do’s & Don’ts

We know your furnace deals with a potentially volatile mix of different elements. It is best to enlist specialists to fix any problems. However, there are some remedies you can do at home if you don’t have the resources to hire a professional.

Note: A DIY remedy isn’t a quick fix that encompasses all your furnace noises. Do not attempt to eliminate a noise you aren’t familiar with or fix internal components without expert tools and techniques. You are posing a danger to yourself and the furnace.

Here’s what you can do instead:

What You Can Do Yourself?

Remember to turn your furnace off and unplug it from any electrical outlet. If a valve regulates the fuel supply, shut it off before removing the combustion chamber doors to access internal components.

  • Vacuum the surface of burners and blowers.
  • Gently wipe off debris from fan blades.
  • Dust or wipe off excess moisture on the pilot light with an emery cloth.
  • Dust or wipe off the opening of ducts and vents.
  • Inspect the interior for any pollution and possible obstructions.

Remember, rattling and whistling that isn’t loud may be harder to notice. However, they aren’t always harmless. A thorough vacuum should be enough to remedy a minor rattling noise.

If the noise persists and gets louder or worse, there might be more issues than debris or a loose screw rattling around your blower. Pick off all the loose elements around your blower, but if there aren’t any to produce the loud sound you heard, more comprehensive repairs may be in order.

Some homeowners can conduct minor repairs and tune-ups, such as replacing filters or cleaning the surface igniter. However, we cannot advise everyone to do these themselves. Some of us have sensitive skin and are more receptive to allergens.

What You Should Leave to the Experts?

You should contact a professional technician if you hear a different noise or notice unknown particles within your furnace. An unfamiliar noise may be hazardous to check out without proper know-how and equipment.

Don’t wait! Report the noise.

Furnace Maintenance & Tune-Ups

Remember, there is a way to avoid unwarranted breakdowns and nuances. Preventive maintenance and tune-up services ensure your furnace doesn’t stall in the middle of winter. Routine furnace maintenance also lengthens the lifespan of your heating system.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

We got just the guys for you if you need reliable furnace repair around Sandy, Utah. At One-Stop Heating, we prioritize your comfort and safety.

Leave your worries to us.

Call us anytime for emergency heating repair. Our top-rated team of honest and reliable experts will be there!

Call Us Now At (801) 355-9500

How to Prepare Your Furnace for Winter

How to Prepare Your Furnace for Winter?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

If it’s suddenly cold outside, that’s a sign to brace yourself because winter is coming.

While most of the year you can rely on steadily warm and humid weather, the incoming months starkly contrast with what you are used to all year. A Utahn winter season can be grueling for you and your heating system.

If your furnace has laid dormant during warmer months, get to dusting and tidying all that dust for seamless heating.

Here are some furnace maintenance tips to prepare it when the temperature drops.

Pre-Winter Furnace Maintenance Tips

Scheduling pre-season maintenance is always advisable. Enlisting a professional to clean and inspect your furnace after a long period of not being used can better ensure its reliability and efficiency throughout the winter months.

Tip #1: Hire a trained professional to conduct an annual maintenance service during autumn.

Here are other quick furnace maintenance tips you can do yourself. Remember, nothing beats regular maintenance. However, these are things you can do if you are already gasping for warm air.

Quick view of maintenance tips:

  1. Schedule yearly furnace maintenance before winter.
  2. Inspect and clean your filters.
  3. Check the state of your burners.
  4. Remove any obstructions near vents.
  5. Clean your pilot light assembly before primary re-ignition.
  6. Replace corroded or rusty fan blades.
  7. Check the manufacturer’s specifications in case of system failure.
  8. Report unusual noises. 
  9. Familiarize yourself with your thermostat.
  10. Keep up with routine professional maintenance.

Furnace Filter

Tip #2: Check your furnace filter system.

A dirty furnace filter can hinder your heating system, costing more energy while providing insufficient warmth. Many homeowners with natural gas furnaces think they save on energy costs, but that is only part of the truth. If you don’t maintain your gas furnace, distributing heating around air ducts can cost more energy.

Your furnace’s filter plays a major role in the entire operation. While filters cannot directly better air quality, your furnace’s air filters protect internal components from dust and debris. Any particle pollution and contamination pose different obstructions and hazards to internal components. A clogged air filter can restrict airflow, preventing sufficient input from making it where it needs to be.

Your furnace’s air filter can affect the one in your HVAC system or air ducts once dust and debris make it past the primary air filter into heating vents blowing air into your living spaces, directly affecting your indoor air quality.

If you see a dirty filter in your furnace after months of no usage, clean it to ensure only pristine air flow through your air ducts. However, only some dirty or clogged filters can be remedied by thoroughly cleaning. Change your furnace filter every few months.

Burners

Tip #3: Check your burners.

Furnace maintenance requires a thorough cleaning, and it isn’t just filters that get dirty. While filters help prevent pollution from contaminating your furnace, residual fuel and burner moisture can cause corrosion.

Burners and blowers may not be accessible from the outside, and you will have to open up your furnace to inspect them. Ensure all systems are off and any links to supply lines before opening furnace doors to check on internal components. A sophisticated configuration of internal components comprises your home furnace. The most vital parts lay in your burners:

  • heat exchangers
  • pilot light
  • flame sensor
  • ventilation

Each element plays a unique role that’s crucial to keep your furnace working properly.

Heat Exchangers

The heat exchanger facilitates airflow in and out of your furnace, letting usable air into the furnace and keeping breathable output separate from contaminated air. Heat exchangers dispel waste heat into chimney-type vents and direct breathable hot air into your air handlers.

Tip #4: Remove obstructions and use a vacuum cleaner around all openings; blocked vents may redirect carbon monoxide fumes into your AC system.

Pilot Light

A low, light yellow or flickering flame indicates dirty furnace burners. If the pilot light doesn’t turn on, don’t be too quick to blame it on a sensitive or faulty flame sensor. Delayed ignition may be due to internal contamination or residue and condensation.

Tip #5: Gently dust off debris with an emery cloth, and wipe off any residue on your pilot light assembly using light grit sandpaper. 

Blowers

Tip #6: Replace rusty fan blades, and wipe off or remove any dust and debris on your blower wheel.

Your burners let air flow through various vents to gather input and produce output. A blower system is responsible for allowing air in and out of your furnace. Natural gas furnaces also require air intake to generate any output. Insufficient air can result in an overheated furnace due to various pressure buildup, causing overcompensation and a possible surge in your utility bill.

Like burners, your blowers are more than just a one-person team. Various elements make up the entire furnace blower system. Keep an eye on these components and ensure they undergo routine maintenance, as any damage will warrant costly repairs.

Blower Motor

The heating season may throw your motor into overdrive. You must maintain the motor to keep everything else in working order. Always keep your furnace clean to secure your engines from dislodged parts and harmful particles. Anything that infiltrates them may get in the way of their wire connections. Your entire furnace may break down due to frayed wires. If you live in an area with rats, deploy extra precautions against rodents and pests.

Tip #7: Depending on manufacturer warranties, you might be able to replace a malfunctioning or damaged motor.

Blower Fan

The blower fan, the wheel it’s on, and its blades all directly affect one another. Solid debris, such as rocks, may be caught in your blower if your furnace produces unusual banging and rattling noises. Small stones and sharp objects may tear through the furnace filters into other components. The filter can only vet microparticles and soft larger ones. Winter requires more heating, causing fans to rotate much faster.

Tip #8: Remember that you may attribute a few unusual noises to more vigorous fan rotation, but the higher demand for heating shouldn’t warrant alarming noises.

Thermostat

Tip #9: Always familiarize yourself with manufacturer specifications before setting your thermostat.

A cooling or heating system comes with a separate thermostat. Thermal controls allow quick temperature alterations. However, a thermostat may not quickly shift from cooling to heating at a moment’s notice. There are also possible issues with compatibility with your thermostat and HVAC system. You might need to replace the unit or fix its internal wiring if your HVAC equipment stops responding to thermostat controls. No predictable or universal lifespan guarantees your thermostat. However, with its systems included in your yearly maintenance, it should last a decade.

The Importance of Maintaining Your Heating System

The most important tip of all our furnace maintenance and tune-up tips, especially before winter months, is to ensure regular inspection and comprehensive maintenance. Things that start with your filter that isn’t dealt with in time may keep you from your dreams of a cozy winter. Comfort isn’t the only thing a dirty furnace can negatively impact. Your faulty furnace can also put your health and safety at risk.

How Your HVAC System Can Affect Your Health?

Something as simple as bird nests resting on exit pipes and heating vents can threaten your health. Nests blocking intake pipes may contaminate the resources going into your furnace. However, anything blocking your exhaust pipes traps contamination within your furnace, impacting your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

Indoor Air Quality

A lot of us know about IAQ but continue to neglect the different dangers it poses to our health. Your home’s IAQ is determined by the presence of Carbon Dioxide in your indoor environment. A buildup of CO2 can lead to chronic and acute respiratory illnesses. However, it isn’t your home’s most dangerous chemical gaseous compound. Carbon monoxide exposure is more harmful and potentially fatal compared to CO2 buildup.

While you can still let carbon dioxide out through natural and mechanical ventilation systems, carbon monoxide poisoning happens much more quickly. Even more problematic is carbon dioxide smells like rotten eggs, allowing homeowners to pick up on it faster than its more hazardous counterpart.

Carbon monoxide doesn’t smell like anything and stagnates anywhere with static pressure. You won’t be able to get rid of it as fast as it can build up. Call for emergency heating repair immediately.

Furnace Maintenance & Repair

Tip #10: Don’t hesitate to call professionals for help. 

A furnace is a sophisticated system. It requires professional tools and techniques. Using amateur tools and techniques, you might cause more damage by conducting haphazard repairs. If you have been duped by unreliable services before, remember that there are transparent and honest HVAC technicians you can entrust with your heating system.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

Problems with your cooling and heating system? Don’t worry! One-Stop Heating & Air Conditioning does more than just winter furnace maintenance.

Not only can our top-rated team of specialists clean and replace your air filter, we can also maintain all your vital furnace components at a moment’s notice, just in time for the heating season! Catch problems early before they need costly repairs.

Are you looking for a furnace tune-up or furnace repair service in Sandy, Utah? We’re there! Contact us day or night, and we will get your heating and the rest of your HVAC equipment up and at them for winter and all year long.

Call anytime anywhere (801) 355-9500

Why is my furnace making a clicking noise

Why is my Furnace making a Clicking Noise?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Is your furnace clicking? No. We don’t mean clicking with your cozy winter vibe. We mean, is your furnace making a clicking noise?

Furnace clicks shouldn’t keep you from having a silent night during cold winter months. You can have the happy and peaceful holiday you deserve.

Here’s everything you need to know about that pesky clicking sound that won’t go away!

What to Do When Furnace Is Making Clicking Noise?

Your furnace giving up in the middle of winter can be a significant hassle, and it sounding like a time bomb is more than a suitable metaphor. With hindrances and malfunction in your furnace, you can expect erratic “explosions” in your utility and energy bills.

Something seemingly trivial as a clicking noise coming from your furnace, may be detrimental. Call an HVAC technician to look into your furnace immediately. Please get to the root of the problem before it worsens.

What Causes Clicking Noises?

Your furnace making a few noises is excusable. If you have an old-fashioned coal or gas furnace, you can expect sounds of blistering that are mistakable for clicking. Vibrations and burning can result in minor, hardly audible dins.

However, you should investigate a loud or lingering sound. If the clicking noise is chronic and disruptive, there are plenty of possible underlying causes.

Ask yourself these questions before we jump to conclusions based solely on that annoying clicking noise.

Are You Getting Enough from your Heating System?

Cross-check your thermostat with your home’s ambient temperature. Does it check out? Or are you distracted by all the repeated clicking to notice the rest of your furnace performance?

Does the temperature written on your thermostat match your indoor environment? If the temperature set on your thermostat is different than the room temperature, there’s a misalignment somewhere in your furnace.

Are There Any Strange Odors?

It may be harder to notice any strange odors while you have been inside for a long period. The surrounding aroma may have already desensitized you to the odor. Try stepping out and wait at least ten minutes before walking back indoors.

If you pick up on a certain smell, there may be clogs, obstructions, corrosion, or contamination in your furnace. While a slight burning smell after ignition is acceptable, foul odors accompanied by an obnoxious noise are not.

Are You Keeping Up with Routine Maintenance?

If you hear clicking, it might be due to a poorly maintained furnace. A furnace clicks for various reasons.

A clicking furnace indicates the need for maintenance service, whether due to particle buildup settling on your burners and other inner workings or worn motor bearings.

If you have missed a few of your yearly routine inspections and tune-ups, your furnace’s ignition system may already be clicking for one!

It’s best to listen to your furnace when clicking for help. You will be glad you did. A clicking noise is only the beginning. It isn’t an S.O.S. yet, but the clicking noise can quickly snowball into worse problems.

Gas Valve

Issues with your gas valves may produce a clicking sound. The furnace clicking may indicate problems with the power supply linked to your gas valve. An automated system relying on specific voltage distribution may need to conduct more electricity to facilitate the gas valve properly.

An uncontrollable gas valve may botch the rest of your ignition system, storing high volumes of gas. If your gas valve fails to secure the supply line from inducing resources into your burners without your pilot light burning leads to a surplus of unburned gas.

All that gas has to go somewhere. The next thing you know, your home doesn’t only have insufficient heating but is now a dangerous environment thanks to a gas leak.

Flame Sensor

Thankfully, there are fail-safes for all furnaces. If your furnace’s spark igniter doesn’t trigger the pilot light, an automatic override should shut down your furnace’s resource chambers, including intake and gas pipes. You have the furnace flame sensor or thermocouple to thank for that comprehensive security measure.

However, a lack of tune-ups and cleaning may disrupt transmission vessels in your furnace and result in a faulty flame sensor. Your flame sensor may shut down the rest of your furnace with your spark igniter still trying to light an ignitor flame or other components on your burner assembly.

Thankfully, if you have a gas furnace with a hot surface ignitor, it shuts down along with the rest of your burners. However, if you have a spark igniter, it can protest against the flame sensor. That clicking sound is your spark igniter, not heeding the commands of your flame sensor and still trying to kick-start the ignition system.

Your pilot light and the rest of the furnace ignition system won’t ignite without a corresponding fuel supply. It’s like trying to light a Zippo without sufficient butane in the tank.

Blower Motor

Your flame sensor isn’t alone in its protective plight. Your inducer motor also has its own safety protocols. While it cannot control the gas valve, as transmissions from the flame sensor near your pilot light can, the blower motor can withhold air distribution.

The motor can effectively withhold resources just as much as the gas valve can. There’s no way a pilot light will ignite with motors shutting down the inducer fan, suffocating the flame, and trapping gas flow.

The clicking sound may come from either your igniter still trying to start up ignition or loose parts in your burners and blowers.

Fan Blades

If there is a broken fan blade, your furnace will be unable to pull air into the furnace or push air and gas flow out of the flue pipe. A draft inducer fan can cause a furnace clicking sound when it isn’t powered by motors and encounters slight air exchange.

If it is loose enough, it is more prone to being pushed by stagnant air and dirt particles trapped within the blower wheel. That furnace click caused by the minimal rotation of the fan may echo around chambers and air ducts.

However, loose fan blades hitting against the duct seam may produce screeching, like metal scratching against metal. Ensure you remedy the clicking sound before it turns into worse blusters.

Motor Bearings

Motor bearings typically keep the sound of vibrations to a minimum. If you don’t smell any strange odors and your heating checks out, your furnace clicking might be due to worn motor bearings.

Vibrating motors, furnace clicking, fan blowing, and fire burning make operational dins. If you can hear them while they seemingly function smoothly, blame your worn-out bearings.

Worn-out bearings won’t be able to contain clangors, and you will hear the smallest dins your furnace operations make.

It’s a common wear and tears all furnaces go through over time. A routine tune-up and replacement should do the trick if you can no longer bear the noise.

Hearing Any Unusual Sounds from the Furnace?

As you have read, there is a myriad of underlying possibilities just waiting to be exposed. Your furnaces will help expose various issues through distinguishable noises.

If your furnace starts clicking, there may be minor issues you can resolve right away. However, you should call a reliable HVAC technician before it turns into a buzzing, rattling, whistling, screeching, popping, or banging noise.

The Most Common Reasons Behind Strange Noises

You probably guessed it. Strange noises come from faulty or dirty components and could easily be avoided by cleaning your furnace quarterly or yearly. You don’t have to clean air filters every few months, but going a whole year without expert inspection is a recipe for disaster.

An HVAC professional should access the internal components of your furnace at least once a year to ensure its stability and efficiency. Neglecting to do so can result in more than just obnoxious rackets.

Preventive Furnace Maintenance, Tune-Up, & Repairs

Are you tired of your furnace sounding like a ticking time bomb? Well, it might not be right now. However, anything wrong with your furnace left untreated for too long may result in total system failure…and baby, it’s cold outside.

It’s best to make sure you have an abundance of heat indoors. Otherwise, you might get heat from the rest of the family for not taking better care of your furnace system.

HVAC Professional Services You Can Trust in Sandy, Utah

Remember, your furnace may not have been used since last winter, resulting in various pollutants lingering in your burner, blower, or motor. If you want toasty heat this winter, hire a professional furnace tune-up service as early as autumn.

Luckily, reliable furnace repair, maintenance, and tune-ups are accessible in Utah!

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

You don’t have to figure it out yourself. Only try and repair things you are familiar with on your furnace, or you may end up causing more damage. Leave your worries to our team of Utah’s top-rated HVAC technicians.

Please don’t hesitate to call us for any furnace repair you need, even during the holidays! Our experts are at your beck and call!

Call our hotline now for emergency heating repair!

Call Now at (801) 355-9500

Heat Sensor - Why is it important

Why Heat Sensor of a Furnace Is Important?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

With winter just around the corner, you should check your heating system. A mid-season breakdown of a heating and cooling system is one of the most significant inconveniences no one should face.

However, furnace failure is pretty common in homes across America.

Scared of Your Furnace Stalling?

Routine maintenance and tune-ups can ensure the reliability of your heating and cooling system all season long. While you can clean some components, there are other elements you can’t reach.

Professional services are always best. It’s advisable to schedule your yearly furnace tune-up in autumn, just in time for winter.

Why do you need a professional’s touch? There may be other elements you need to familiarize yourself with before conducting any DIY efforts.

One sophisticated element that needs gentle handling is your flame sensor. Need to know what it is and what to do with it?

Here’s everything you need to know about a furnace flame sensor.

What is the Furnace Flame Sensor?

You might have a bad flame sensor if your furnace issues are often related to ignition components. An extinguishing flame, delayed ignition, or a pilot light that won’t turn on may stem from a dirty flame sensor.

A flame sensor is a sleek metal rod in your burner assembly. It is inserted through a burner chamber into the pilot light.

What Does the Furnace Heat Sensor Do?

The flame sensor or metal rod near your pilot fire is connected to an electrical box through a single wire that transmits signals to a separate control panel. 

If you have an oil or natural gas furnace, they are more sophisticated than you think. Even an older model comes with a safety feature or two.

An oil, electric, and gas furnace each has a gas valve that facilitates the release and withholding of fuel supply. Transmission from the flame sensor and control board automatically facilitates fuel supply for efficiency and safety.

Sounds complicated? Don’t worry. We are here to help.

How Does The Furnace Flame Sensor Control My Heating System?

The flame sensor is just a sensor and cannot control your heating system alone. The flame sensor sends an electric current through the ignition surface toward the control boards.

Together, the flame sensor and controls close off the gas or oil supply, preventing burners from igniting the flame.

What Does the Flame Sensor Sense?

The name sums it up. Your flame sensor senses whether there is a flame or not.

A flame sensor is sensitive to temperatures. Most furnace flame sensors are directly within an open fire chamber of a burner assembly.

They determine whether or not the pilot light is burning in only a few seconds. If there is a fire, the temperature of the metal rod is higher than when there is none.

What happens if my flame sensor stops working?

If a flame sensor is bad, it cannot determine whether the flame burns or not. You can expect either one of these two effects:

  1. Your furnace won’t fire up.
  2. It results in a surplus of wasted fuel.

Your flame sensor is likely hindering your furnace from powering on unless it isn’t plugged into a power source but needs electricity to function.

Newer furnaces have various safety precautions in case of a faulty flame sensor:

  • Screw shut the gas valve (remove any avenues for supply to flow through)
  • Cut the power source (for intermittent pilot flames)
  • Shut down burners (for standing pilot flames)
  • Initiate a flame sensor restart

However, not every furnace has that safety process. Your furnace may not have that security measure in its process against a broken flame sensor.

Dangers of a faulty flame sensor

An older furnace flame sensor may not be able to stop a gas furnace from releasing gas, leading to a potentially hazardous amount of unburned gas.

Gas may leak out of other elements on your burner assembly and stagnate in your air. Gas may seep into your ductwork if your furnace is linked to a central air conditioning system.

Your air conditioner may distribute the gas around your home, causing a dangerous amount of carbon buildup indoors.

How a bad flame sensor can impact your health?

It can lead to various health and safety risks. Too much carbon monoxide in your home can lead to an explosion when ignited.

That much carbon monoxide in your home, distributed through your air conditioning, can cause fatal carbon monoxide poisoning.

Common Causes for a Dirty Furnace Flame Sensor

Exploding and poisoning are significantly dangerous risks for a lesser-known element in your furnace to cause. What’s more troubling is a buildup of such seemingly harmless or unavoidable debris in your furnace may be the root cause.

Inevitable elements such as dirt and soot settling on or within your furnace can clog chambers and filters, indirectly impacting your flame sensor.

Always inspect the state of all the burning components of your heater. 

Clean whatever needs cleaning, fix whatever needs repairs, and replace whatever needs to be replaced to avoid known and unknown dangers from occurring in your home.

Is My Furnace Flame Sensor Broken?

Are you tired of suffering from a furnace malfunction? Familiarize yourself with your heater at home before inspecting the unit.

You should know what irregularities to look for and which warrant immediate attention. Problems with your flame sensor affect the rest of the heating process.

Call a professional to clean, fix, or replace the unit if you notice something wrong with your furnace flame sensor. However, you should know how to tell if there’s something wrong with it or not before calling anyone else for help.

There are many ways you can tell if your flame sensor is bad. Some methods have you reaching too far into your furnace than you are comfortable doing.

Your best bet is to check the flame itself. Inspect your pilot flame for any of these symptoms:

  • Flickering
  • Burning low
  • Burning yellow
  • Delayed or won’t ignite

If you notice one or more of these symptoms, your furnace may have a faulty or dirty burner assembly. Your flame sensor cannot work properly with even just one compromised element in its lineup.

Fortunately, it is easy to clean a furnace flame sensor.

How to Clean Your Furnace Flame Sensor?

Not every heating and cooling system is built the same. Getting to your furnace flame sensor may differ. However, you can still clean your flame sensor, as stated below.

Always ensure all power sources and supply lines are shut or closed. Gather these materials rubber gloves, clean cloth, oxalic acid, emery cloth or light grit sandpaper, warm water, and misting spray bottle.

  1. Follow the single wire attached from the power controls (integrated thermostat or furnace control panel) to the flame sensor to locate it.
  2. Carefully remove the furnace access cover once you reach the burner assembly.
  3. Remove any screws holding the rod in place.
  4. Separate the flame sensor from the mounting screw or protective vessel.
  5. You may notice discoloration on the porcelain insulation.
  6. Gently rub it with a diluted mixture of oxalic acid and warm water using a clean cloth.
  7. Only use emery cloth or sandpaper to scrub off residue and contamination on the rod. (Steel wool is a viable alternative if you scrub lightly. The best option is still an emery cloth to lessen risks for damage.)
  8. Wipe off debris with a damp cloth before placing the flame sensor back.
  9. Inspect the remaining adjoining elements, such as screws, for residual gas and soot.
  10. Clean other elements with a damp cloth gently and replace corroded screws saturated with soot.

Remember to place everything back where you found them before you power your furnace back up.

When it comes to your flame sensor, it’s best to clean it once a month. Depending on your usage, it may develop contamination more rapidly.

When Should I Replace the Furnace Flame Sensor?

However, you can only clean corrosion and rust partially from your furnace. While it may look “clean enough” to you, your furnace flame sensor may not be as responsive as it should be.

Replace a corroded or faulty furnace flame sensor before it worsens.

You can clean and replace a mounting screw, but don’t attempt to change out wires on your own. If more crucial components need to be replaced, you should leave them to the experts.

How Much do New Furnace flame sensors cost?

A new sensor won’t cost you much. Assuming furnace flame sensors cost anywhere between $10 and $20 is a safe assumption.

It is technically just a piece of metal—however, the quality, compatibility, and installation matter more than finding an affordable one.

Before buying a new sensor, remember to find one that fits. Your furnace access cover may not shut if it’s too large or long to fit in the chamber.

If your furnace flame sensor needs to be replaced, call heating and cooling system specialists for its management.

The Importance of Furnace Maintenance

Upon cleaning your furnace flame sensor and other components, don’t risk the rest of your unit on “clean enough.”

Rust tends to infect surrounding elements, which can spread quickly, especially if you have a metal furnace frame. Internal corrosion in your furnace may creep to external elements and impact the entire furnace beginning with your flame sensors.

What Do I Do If There are Signs of Corrosion?

Immediately check the gas valve if you notice rust anywhere in your unit.

If you see any corrosion on the gas valve, remove as much of it as possible with an emery cloth. You can then add some baking soda and lime. Let the mixture sit before scrubbing it off with an old toothbrush.

The corrosion may infiltrate the internal connection and make it harder to manage your gas supply, especially in an emergency.

Heating and Cooling System Maintenance, Tune-Ups, & Repairs in Sandy, Utah

You don’t have to let it get as far as corrosion. You can prevent anything from going wrong with your furnace.

Whether to prevent the flame sensor from getting dirty or the thermostat from malfunctioning, routine maintenance is always helpful.

Regular cleaning and inspection can lengthen their lifespan and increase the overall reliability of your furnace.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

Troubles with your furnace flame sensor? Is your furnace acting up? Is your furnace down for the count? Say no more. Our top-rated team of experts is just a call away.

Entrust us with your furnace repair and tune-ups. We even provide emergency heating repair round the clock for more urgent furnace issues.

If you are tired of your old furnace, it might be time for a newer, safer, and more efficient unit! Call us for furnace replacement and installation services today!

Call us for Emergency Heating Repair at (801) 355-9500

Boiler vs Furnace

Boiler vs. Furnace: What’s the Difference?

Written by onestoput on . Posted in Heating, HVAC, Maintenance.

Are you having trouble deciding between a furnace or boiler for your new home? If the boiler VS furnace debacle keeps you up at night, you came to the right place.

We’re here to put the entire Boiler VS Furnace debate to bed. We are breaking down all the details you need to know about both heating systems.

Hopefully, by the end of the article, you will pick up a few things, such as:

  1. Their differences and similarities.
  2. Their pros & cons.
  3. The most reliable HVAC professionals for their installation, maintenance, and repairs.

Here’s everything you need to know about a furnace or boiler.

The Full Boiler VS Furnace Rundown

Nearly all homes in the United States have home heating systems. We need furnaces and boilers for hot water and warmth, especially when winter rolls around.

Heating equipment is our only defense against the cool air. Closed doors and windows can only keep so much cold air outdoors, but your home’s insulation won’t hold for long.

Boilers, furnaces, and other heating installations alter and supply air temperature according to your preferences.

Quick View: Boiler VS Furnace

  • Natural gas furnaces blow hot air into your home’s duct system. Forced air systems are interlinked, facilitating airflow and temperatures.
  • Hot water boilers heat water and distribute them throughout your home. Heat distribution is directed into radiant flooring systems and water heaters.

A furnace or boiler can effectively heat your home and water supply. Their utility and function are similar, but the main frame and inner workings vastly differ. Heat exchangers, distribution channels, and energy efficiency are some of their greatest differences.

Older furnaces and boilers are neither sustainable nor energy-efficient, ranking amongst low-efficiency heating systems. Newer furnaces and boilers are more efficient and come at higher upfront costs. If you have an older furnace or boiler, it’s best to replace them with newer systems to increase reliability and efficiency. Still, it is a tough choice between a furnace VS boiler.

Here’s how your furnace provides your home with heated air.

Furnace Heating System

A natural gas furnace is the most traditional installation across America. Gas furnaces are linked to central air conditioning systems for whole-home and multi-zone building distribution.

Millions of Americans depend on gas furnaces for faster heating using little to no electricity. A heat exchanger generating heat by burning a direct natural gas supply provides cleaner and faster output. While gas furnaces might transfer heat cleaner and faster, that only sometimes translates. Depending on your HVAC unit, environment, and upkeep, a gas furnace may be an unsustainable installation.

Pros & Cons: Furnace System

A furnace system benefits smaller structures with more limited access to electricity. Unlike electric furnaces, natural gas options are a dependable system to have around during power outages. However, its rudimentary systems raise questions about energy efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

Natural gas Furnaces Heat Air to Produce: Warm Air

A furnace heats air by gathering various resources through pipes and supply lines. An intake pipe collects air to facilitate natural gas flow in and out of a heat exchanger. The burner assembly includes a standing pilot light that ignites the fuel supply in the combustion chamber.

Energy efficiency & Safety

Older furnaces are less energy-efficient, producing insufficient heating, using more resources, and having higher fuel costs. High-efficiency heating systems have a second heat exchanger to process residual resources and waste heat produced by the primary exchanger. Recycling resources allow your furnace to use less fuel and power to produce your home with more hot air. While more efficient systems can lessen carbon dioxide emissions, they do not eradicate them.

A natural gas furnace with a continuous pilot light isn’t the safest installation. A clogged furnace filter can lead to various buildup and contamination, such as particles, debris, and pressure. Air pressure in your combustion chamber can crack the heat exchanger and lead to carbon monoxide leaks. Your furnace emitting nearly all the fuel in its storage can generate enough carbon buildup and lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Gas furnaces are dependable and independent from the rest of your systems. They are seldom affected by external factors. However, installation and maintenance are costly, and extensive damage warrants higher repair costs.

How do steam boilers sound?

Boiler Heating System

Air heating using boiler systems sounds complex. We assure you, it is. Boiler installations are hot water systems connected to baseboard radiators, cast iron radiators, or steam systems. A boiler heats water by injecting heat particles into a stored water supply before distributing them to different fixtures. Water is a better thermal conductor than air, retaining temperatures for longer periods.

However, boilers require a constant power supply to function. Even high-efficiency boilers use electricity to generate, store and distribute heat.

Pros & Cons: Boiler System

Steam boilers operate better in moderate climates and function slower than a furnace. Hot water heat allows fewer risks of heat or energy loss during travel and poses no threat to your air quality. Without channels for air distribution, boilers also don’t have air filters that need routine maintenance.

Boilers heat water to Produce Heat

A natural gas boiler works a lot like a gas furnace. A natural gas furnace or boiler has a burner assembly that uses gas to ignite a flame and generate heat. Hot water is transferred to the necessary fixtures to produce output, such as hot water storage for showers and baseboard radiators. Thanks to hydrogen particles, steam boiler heat are more easily distributed, effectively providing even heating throughout structures.

Boiler systems may be more efficient with fewer risks for heat loss, using radiant floor systems instead of air handlers. The channels of distribution are better than those of a forced air system. However, you may have more erratic heating and cooling without a reliable energy source.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Boiler heat is quicker to distribute, and its retention is more dependable than air handling alternatives. Without an air filter, there are fewer contamination risks due to negligent maintenance. However, you might burn wood pellets for warmth during winter without a backup generator.

Which Heating System Reigns Supreme?

Each heating system comes with its unique risks and benefits. The furnace VS boiler debate all boils (no pun intended) down to your needs and environment. Your furnace or boiler depends on two types of fuel supply. The resources they burn directly to generate heat and the fossil fuels the electricity consumes to power their mechanisms. Due to the erratic inflation of fuel prices, you should opt for heating that relies on less fuel consumption.

Choosing between a furnace or boiler is complicated. Before committing to one that suits your needs best, check their Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency Rating (AFUE). A furnace or boiler with an 80% AFUE rating is standard; anything below guarantees less efficiency, and anything above is considered more efficient.

If you are looking for energy efficiency, neither heater stands head and shoulders above the other. Still, other options are on the market for more efficient and reliable heating.

What are Heat Pumps?

Other heating installations, such as heat pumps, are also forced air installations. However, a heat pump is arguably the most innovative forced air system geared toward energy efficiency. Still, they have yet to become a household name in America. While these integrations have gained prominence in Asia and Europe, they only recently gained popularity in the West.

A heat pump is an HVAC system that distributes heat through airflow. However, unlike a furnace or boiler, a heat pump doesn’t generate heat through ignition. Pumps gather surrounding air and alter temperatures using coils and refrigerant. They also don’t produce the same hazardous fumes or waste gases as combustion heating methods. They have higher upfront costs but are easier to install without any ductwork. These versatile installations can also alter air temperatures to fit your needs through colder or warmer months.

Like furnaces and boilers, these HVAC equipment require routine maintenance and tune-ups. Any mechanism benefits from regular tune-ups, such as cleaning a vent connection pipe or replacing an air filter.

Routine Maintenance & Tune-Ups

Anything that works with volatile compounds and fire isn’t best left alone. Systems with combustion components require routine inspection by reliable professionals. There are more risks with things that produce hazardous emissions harmful to your health and the environment.

Dust, dirt, soot, and residue may all result in corrosion and clogs. If your heating equipment doesn’t undergo routine inspections, you risk its stability along with your health and safety.

REMEMBER: Yearly boiler or furnace tune-ups is the key to long-lasting stability and efficiency for all heating systems.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning

Call Utah’s finest if you hear, smell, or observe any irregularities in your HVAC systems! Our team of top-rated experts will help maintain your systems or help you upgrade your current ones.

One Stop Heating & Air Conditioning offers furnace repair, maintenance, and installation. Please don’t hesitate to call us anytime.

Call (801) 355-9500 For Emergency Heating Repair

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