My Gas Furnace Won’t Ignite

Here at John Nugent & Sons, we routinely receive phone calls from residents of Fairfax, Arlington, Reston, and throughout Northern VA who say something to the extent of “my gas furnace won’t ignite.” We’re in the middle of the cold season, which makes your gas furnace the most important appliance in your home. If your gas furnace is not working, keep reading to find your solution.

We would love to help you in the moments when your furnace doesn’t turn on. Call John Nugent & Sons now at 703-291-1926 or contact us online to speak to a member of our team.

5 Reasons Your Gas Furnace Won’t Ignite

• A circuit breaker has tripped: If the blower motor in the furnace causes a power overload that trips the circuit breaker, not only will the motor fail to come on, the burners won’t fire either.
• The electronic ignition system has broken: This is one of the most common malfunctions in gas furnaces. This is an easy and fast job for an experienced HVAC technician.
• Dirty or rusty burners: Grime across the burners can cut off the supply of oxygen necessary for the burners to light.
• An open safety switch: If the safety switch is open, the burners won’t turn on. An HVAC technician can run tests to find out where the problem is so the furnace can be restored to running safely.
• Dirty air filter: One of the easiest solutions to fix a broken furnace is changing the air filter.

If you experience any issues when turning on your furnace, don’t hesitate to contact our trusted HVAC experts. Call us at 703-291-1926, and we’ll send a technician out to check your furnace!

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DIY Gas Furnace Fixes for Your Fairfax, VA Furnace

A DIY project shouldn’t be confusing, so the heating and cooling experts at John Nugent & Sons have created simple directions to fix the furnace issue yourself. Follow these steps to fix a gas furnace that won’t ignite:

• Ensure the furnace filter is clean — if not, replace the dirty filter with a clean filter. Also, check that the power to the furnace is on. Finally, make sure the gas supply to the furnace is open.
• If your gas furnace initiates the start cycle but does not fire up, it’s likely because of a faulty, damaged, or dirty ignitor/sensor. This is a very common furnace problem — you can try to clean the sensor and replace the ignitor. It is possible for a flame sensor to go bad; but more often than not, it is not broken, just dirty from carbon buildup.
• A flame sensor is an important component of a furnace that’s responsible for igniting and maintaining the flame within the surface. A flame sensor failure is pretty common due to buildup of materials and particles in the confined area of the furnace. To clean the flame sensor, start by making sure your furnace is off — it can be turned off using the switch on the unit or by cutting the power source at the breaker box. Next, locate the flame sensor. It’s the metal rod located in the direct path of the burner with a wire attached to it. If possible, remove the sensor by removing the screws and pulling the wire off. Clean the surface of the sensor by wiping it with either sandpaper or steel wool. Once clean, reinstall the flame sensor directly back into the location from which it was removed.
• A gas furnace ignitor is used to start up the furnace. It uses an electric current and filament to ignite. Make sure your furnace is once again turned off before you attempt to replace the ignitor. Now, locate the ignitor — it’s usually found near the center of the burners. Once you’ve located the ignitor, you’ll have to unscrew it from its place. It’s important that you take note of the location of the ignitor so you won’t have any trouble fitting in the new ignitor. You’ll now have to position a new ignitor and screw it in place.

If you have any questions about the steps outlined above, call the professionals at John Nugent & Sons. You’ve got questions, we’ve got answers. When it comes to tackling common furnace problems, we’re the experts.

Stop Googling “furnace doesn’t turn on” and start getting the help you need! Call John Nugent & Sons today at 703-291-1926 or contact us online for furnace help today!

Furnace Repair Services in Northern Virginia

If you’ve followed these steps and your gas furnace still won’t ignite, it’s more than likely you’ll need a furnace repair or replacement. And, if needed, John Nugent & Sons offers additional furnace maintenance through our service contracts. Worst-case scenario, we can also help you with furnace replacement in Fairfax, VA. Take preventative measures this winter and give John Nugent & Sons a call to help you when your gas furnace is not working properly.

Call us at 703-291-1926 to schedule a service appointment for furnace replacement or other services!