{"id":941,"date":"2024-01-01T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-01T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/?p=941"},"modified":"2025-01-03T15:08:01","modified_gmt":"2025-01-03T20:08:01","slug":"this-sensor-could-be-making-your-heater-appear-broken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/heating-service\/this-sensor-could-be-making-your-heater-appear-broken\/","title":{"rendered":"This Sensor Could Be Making Your Heater Appear Broken"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Your heater\u2019s running into a bit of a problem: it\u2019s not running at all, even though you can\u2019t find a single issue with it. It\u2019s totally fine on the outside, not making any noises, and generally seems okay. Yet obviously, something\u2019s going on that\u2019s preventing you from using it. It could be a little sensor in your gas-powered heater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether it\u2019s a furnace or a boiler, we can provide heater repair in Akron, OH<\/a> to get things back on track. But first, let\u2019s talk about what the problem is so you\u2019re a bit more knowledgeable about your home heater and can spot this problem more easily in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a Flame Sensor, and It\u2019s There for Safety<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your flame sensor, as you might expect, senses when there\u2019s a flame or not. The way your heater works is by opening a line of gas and allowing it to meet the spark that comes from your electronic ignition. When the flame is live, it stays that way, and the flame sensor acts as a gatekeeper, allowing the continued flow of gas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But when it\u2019s not able to detect it, the gas line is shut. It\u2019s frustrating, but it\u2019s a safety precaution that prevents gas leaks into the air that can turn your home into a tinderbox. Fortunately, it\u2019s a fixable problem, and it\u2019s one we\u2019ve seen plenty of times before. Here\u2019s why it\u2019s acting funny in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why It\u2019s Malfunctioning in the First Place<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your flame sensor is right there by the live flame, and as that flame burns, gas, soot, and debris coat the flame sensor. This buildup can cause problems similar to other common furnace issues, like uneven heating or difficulty starting. Learn more about signs that your furnace might be failing<\/a>. It blocks the sensor completely, so even if there is a flame from attempted ignition, it can\u2019t detect it. It\u2019s akin to shutting the blackout curtains and wondering why you can\u2019t see sunlight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to Do (Spoiler: It\u2019s Not DIY-Friendly)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The process is pretty involved, even just for a little sensor like this. You have to turn off your gas, power down the heater\u2019s electrical supply, remove the flame sensor, disassemble it, clean it piece by piece, reassemble it, and you can figure out the rest from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may think that sounds simple, but there\u2019s one big problem: it\u2019s a safety device, so if it\u2019s not handled by someone who\u2019s trained to work on these, you can\u2019t guarantee the safety of your family. Ignoring this could lead to more significant issues, like major furnace problems related to safety<\/a>, that require immediate attention. It has to be carried out by someone who\u2019s trained to do this on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of that, if you work on your furnace, you can void your warranty. Instead, we recommend reaching out to a certified technician who can handle the job safely and efficiently. If your heater is also showing other strange behaviors, such as staying on too long, this guide on why your heater may overheat<\/a> could provide additional insights. That\u2019s right\u2013even on a one-year-old furnace, you could void the five- or ten-year warranty simply by working on it DIY style. Certified technicians have to, well, certify their work, and while manufacturers understand your furnace will require service throughout its life, they want to lower their liability by only allowing technicians to work on it. It makes sense, but it can be a frustrating part of this whole process even if you\u2019re fairly savvy with HVAC equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We Sense a Solution in Store<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We can handle whatever problem your flame sensor has. Whether it needs to be cleaned, fixed, or just outright replaced, it\u2019s a task designed for professional HVAC technicians like us to handle. With a quick tap of the submission form or a fast phone call, we\u2019ll get you set up with a technician and an appointment before you know it. It\u2019s time to turn the heat back on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact Crown Group Ohio today<\/strong><\/a> to schedule your heater repair or replacement as soon as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your heater may not actually be broken. Instead, it could be a single component that just needs a cleaning. Here’s what you need to know.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76],"tags":[90,50],"class_list":["post-941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-heating-service","tag-akron","tag-heating-system-repair"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1171,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941\/revisions\/1171"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}