3 QUESTIONS TO HELP ANSWER WHY THE FURNACE TURNS ON AND OFF
ONE OF THE MORE COMMON SERVICE PROBLEMS WE GET CALLED ABOUT IS THAT THE FURNACE TURNS ON AND OFF.
NOW THIS CAN MEAN DIFFERENT THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE. HERE IS ARE A FEW QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND IF ITS DUE TO SOMETHING SIMPLE OR A PROBLEM MORE SERIOUS IN NATURE.
Question #1– Do the burners light? By describing “The furnace turns on and off” we like to know if you mean that ignition and flame actually take place.
If not then you may have an igniter issue.
Question #2– Once lit, do the flames stay on for longer than a few seconds? Or do they light, extinguish and then re light several times?
The most common cause of this is maintenance related. Majority of modern furnaces have a part called the “flame sensor.” I want to stress that a professional should look to ensure safe and proper operation of the burners and manifold but cleaning the probe itself usually clears up the issue here. Use something gentle like a very very fine steel wool or a brass brush. Coarse sandpaper or certain cleaners may get the job done but cause the probe to fail more frequently and in some cases permanently.
Question #3– Does the furnace produce heat from the supply vents for a few minutes and then shut off? And then does it repeat this cycle of a few minutes of heat and then off again?
Unless this is a chronic issue caused by having the wrong size furnace or an improperly set gas control valve, you probably just need to replace your filter. Other more serious issue may be at work, but again the majority of service calls like this are due to a dirty filter. My general rule of thumb is if light can’t get through then neither can air. So simply hold your filter towards a light source and make a judgement call.
CALL HARMONIC TODAY AT 630-999-9008 OR USE OUR WEBSITE TO “SCHEDULE SERVICE”.