Furnace Not Igniting? Discover the Causes

It looks like your furnace won’t turn on. If your furnace is not igniting, then your home won’t be warm enough to combat the cold weather.

Read this short blog to know why your furnace fails to ignite.

Gas Supply Issues

It won’t be challenging to determine if your furnace is getting gas if you’re using liquid propane. You need to locate your gas storage tank first. In the top center of it, you’ll find the fill valve in a domed area. You’ll also see the gas pressure gauge. If your gas pressure gauge reads 25 or above, then you’re fine. If not, call your gas company for a fill-up.

If you are on a city gas line, don’t try to troubleshoot the problem yourself as it can pose a dangerous risk. Contact a professional from GO Heating, Air & Plumbing to handle the job for you. If you smell gas near your furnace when you turn it on, it means the gas supply is not the problem.

Dirty Air Filters

Many gas furnace users do not do this step when their heater does not start. A gas furnace burns a mixture of Air and natural or LP gas. If the Air is not flowing in your system, it won’t produce the required air mixture. Your home’s heating system will not ignite because of it.

The Air does not get to your furnace to ignite because it’s insufficient. Dirty air filters are usually the main reason for this. You need to check if your gas furnace does not ignite when you turn the system on. We highly recommend replacing your air filters at least once a year.

Ignition Source

There are two ways for a furnace to ignite the gas-air mixture. One is through a pilot light, and the other is through electronic ignition systems. Once they fail to do their functions, your furnace won’t turn on.

• Pilot Light
  The pilot light is a small flame that’s continuously burning inside your heating system. It’s small, so it does not consume much gas. At the bottom of your furnace, you’ll see a tray where the burners are. Your pilot light is at one side of this tray slightly above it. Look under your furnace to check if it’s lit. If not, you can use a long match to light it again carefully. If it’s not working, it means you have a larger problem
  
• Electronic Ignition System
  With an electronic furnace igniter switch, your furnace is much safer and does not use a small amount of gas, unlike the pilot light. These types of igniters are in about the same position as the pilot light. They are lightweight and made up of metal alloy that can get super hot when electricity runs through it. Then it ignites the gas coming into your furnace.

Look under your furnace and see if your igniter glows when your furnace turns on. You should hear a clicking noise, meaning your heating system is trying to turn on. If it’s repeating in small intervals, then your igniter isn’t working.

Thermostat Issues

 When you turn on your heater and move the thermostat to a higher setting, several things usually happen first. You’ll hear the system’s fan that brings the air into it to start the burning process. You’ll then hear the sound of gas igniting. Hot air will flow out of the vents in your home’s rooms.

Of course, none of these will happen if your thermostat is not correctly working because it’s communicating with your furnace. Otherwise, everything will be silent near your gas furnace. Fortunately, all you need to do is contact a professional HVAC technician from GO Heating, Air & Plumbing to get a replacement for your thermostat. Contact us today!