What a Flame Sensor Is and Why It Matters
Scheduling your routine furnace maintenance helps keep your heating equipment operating up to 30 percent more efficient and helps extend the life of the equipment. But things can still go wrong, and when they do, you may feel like there is always something else.
This time it’s your blower, next time it’s your control valve. Now you need to replace your flame sensor.
Also, what is a flame sensor?
A flame sensor is a critical safety feature on your gas furnace. During the ignition sequence, your gas furnace enters a process where a spark or a hot surface ignitor will ignite the gas. When the gas is ignited, the flame sensor produces a current of electricity. This is calculated in micro amps. If the furnace’s control board fails to read the proper level of micro amps, the furnace will quit giving the system fuel to avoid an explosion.
Over time, if the flame sensor is not cleaned properly, 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 a soiled flame sensor is the reason 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 heating 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 proceed with the heating system repair diagnostic process.
If you aren’t sure your heating system is going to outlast these last few weeks of winter, give Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning a call and we’ll come out and perform a full furnace maintenance or a free in-home estimate on a new furnace.
