A flame sensor is a crucial safety element in your furnace. Read on to learn how it keeps your home safe and what you can do to keep it working properly to prevent a furnace malfunction.
What Is a Flame Sensor?
A flame sensor is a short, thin metallic rod found inside your heating system’s burner assembly. It senses and verifies if a flame is burning within your furnace. It shuts off the furnace if there’s no flame detected to prevent gas from running without a properly lit flame. This prevents dangerous gases from building up and leaking into your home, which increases the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and explosions.
How Does a Flame Sensor Work?
As the gas ignites, the sensor creates a current of electricity to confirm fire is burning inside the furnace. The sensor sends out the current as the furnace gas valve opens to start the combustion process. Heating continues if the sensor detects a properly lit flame.
If the sensor doesn’t detect a flame in 10 seconds, it will shut down the furnace. It will try the cycle two more times, then shut the control board down and lock out the heating system. If you’re unable to reset the furnace on your own, it’s best to contact an HVAC technician.
Flame-Sensor Issues
A flame sensor can crack, causing your furnace to work inefficiently. It can also become dirty and fail to work correctly. You can tell that your flame sensor has an issue if your system cycles and shuts down repeatedly or tries to start many times but eventually doesn’t run.
A flame sensor that’s working properly is crucial to the safety of your home and family. Therefore, you shouldn’t skip your yearly furnace maintenance. If you need professional furnace repair or maintenance in the Dayton area, contact the heating experts at Ace Hardware Home Services.
