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5 Signs of a Bad Ignitor in Your Furnace in Arlington, TX

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5 Signs of a Bad Ignitor in Your Furnace in Arlington, TX

Although you may not rely on your furnace every day during winter in the Mid-Cities region of Texas, it must work when temperatures dip. When it fails to start because of a bad ignitor, you need furnace service experts in Arlington, TX, to fix the issue fast. Discover the five most common signs of a bad ignitor on a furnace and get the help you need.

1. Increased Utility Bills

One of the first signs of a bad ignitor is an increase in your energy costs. When the ignitor is not working properly, the heating system must use more fuel to reach and maintain the desired temperature.

When the ignitor isn’t working at all, the furnace won’t operate, meaning your energy costs won’t increase. However, if the ignitor is working poorly but still allows the furnace to operate, an increase in utility bills is a common symptom.

If your heating bill increases in a month when Arlington, TX, has an unexpected cold snap, the bad weather may explain the change. However, if temperatures and weather are normal, you may have a bad ignitor on the furnace.

2. Odd Sounds

If your furnace is not operating correctly, pay attention to any sounds it’s making. Unusual sounds could indicate a need for repair. Some noises that you may hear include:

  • Rumbling
  • Banging
  • Clicking
  • Buzzing
  • Popping

These may indicate a problem other than a bad ignitor on a furnace, too. If you hear these, contact a repair tech.

A clicking sound is common with a malfunctioning furnace that won’t start. When you hear a clicking sound, this could be a sign of a dirty ignitor. Other times, clicking noises can indicate a problem with the electrical relays or the blower in the furnace.

3. Delayed Ignition

When you have delayed starting or a delayed ignition, it can indicate a bad ignitor on a furnace. The furnace may blow cold air at first because it’s taking longer to ignite the fuel.

Slow heating is a problem that shows up with delayed ignition. Without a properly functioning ignitor, the furnace cannot generate heat as quickly as it should, and it may take a long time to reach the desired temperature that you set on the thermostat. You need a repair tech to inspect the system and figure out what’s going on.

4. Power Cycling Issues

When a furnace turns on and off repeatedly for no obvious reason, you’re having a power cycling issue. This problem could indicate a bad ignitor on a furnace.

Some power cycling issues can be similar to delayed ignition issues. When a furnace has power cycling problems, it cannot heat your home evenly. The furnace turns off so frequently that it often cannot reach the desired thermostat temperature setting during Arlington’s winter months. 

Power cycling issues can have multiple causes beyond a bad ignitor. For example, the sensors that control the ignitor could be faulty, causing the problem. Power cycling can require extensive furnace troubleshooting techniques to zero in on the problem. A professional heating repair technician can figure out the exact issue.

5. Frequently Tripped Circuit Breaker

When the furnace is not heating and turning on, you might check the electrical panel. When you have a bad ignitor in the furnace, the unit may try to draw extra electricity to force the ignitor to work. This surge of power could trip the circuit breaker in your electrical panel. 

If your furnace has not been working properly lately, and you find that the circuit breaker is turning off frequently, call for repair. Normal operation of the furnace should not cause the circuit breaker to trip very often. The technician can determine whether the ignitor is the problem.

Although you could reset the circuit breaker and try using the furnace again, it’s better to call for repair. Fixing a faulty ignitor as quickly as possible can return things to normal.

If You Suspect a Bad Furnace Ignitor, Contact Us Today

If your furnace isn’t working, reach out to Minuteman Heating & Air. We serve the entire Arlington, TX, area. When you set up an appointment, ask us how to prepare for heating and air conditioning repair. Any preparation steps you can take to help our repair techs will speed up the repair process. 

To learn more about what to do when you have a bad ignitor on a furnace or when you’re hearing a furnace clicking noise, contact us today.