From the hallway, a furnace that will not heat looks the same no matter what broke. Inside the cabinet, though, everything happens in a strict order: inducer on, pressure switch closed, igniter glowing, gas valve open, burners lit, flame proven, and finally the blower moving heat through the ducts. Diagnosis is mostly a matter of finding where that chain breaks. In Sanford homes, it tends to be the same handful of culprits: a flame sensor coated in oxide, a hot surface igniter cracked by thermal cycling, a pressure switch held open by a tired inducer or a plugged condensate trap, or a control board with a burned relay.
When the AC quits in summer, see AC Repair.
Warning Signs for Furnace Repair
The sooner you notice these red flags, the easier and cheaper the fix. These are the signals our technicians see most often:
- A fan that keeps running while the registers blow cool air
- Clicking and a glowing igniter with no burner flame
- Squealing or grinding from the blower compartment
- Rust streaks, soot, or water around the cabinet or flue
- A furnace that shuts off every few minutes before the house warms up
- Flames that start, last a few seconds, and go out again and again
- A pilot or burner flame that is lazy yellow instead of crisp blue
- Booming or banging at light-off from delayed ignition
Early Action Saves Money
What seems like a minor issue today can take out a compressor or heat exchanger tomorrow. At the first hint of a problem, call (689) 334-4845 for a fast inspection.
