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Why Won’t My Furnace’s Burners Stay Lit?

Amanda Brown • March 7, 2022

Gas furnaces are the most common heating system found around the country because of their capacity to generate heat, their reliability, and the lower cost of natural gas compared to electricity. But no gas furnace can be 100% dependable, and you may come across a problem where your furnace’s burners don’t remain lit long enough for you to get enough heat for your house.

What’s causing this? There are several possibilities, and in most situations, you’ll need to call professionals for furnace repair in Ashland City, TN. You don’t want to tinker with a gas furnace yourself: there’s a reason most furnaces have a warning on their front panel not to open it! Let our licensed experts handle the work so we can resolve the issue effectively and safely.

Common Causes for Burners Going Out

In some cases, the burners turning off early is because of a safety mechanism in the furnace shutting them down. A faulty flame sensor is an example of one of these safety features malfunctioning and forcing the burners go out unnecessarily. The flame sensor is designed to shut off gas flow to the burners in case they fail to ignite; this prevents unburned gas from flooding the combustion chamber. If the flame sensor is dirty or faulty, it may not sense the burner flames and will shut off the gas. Professionals can clean or replace the flame sensor to get the furnace working again.

Other safety features that may cause the burners to go out include the air pressure switch , the flame rollout switch , and the limit switch . If any of these switches trip and turn off the burners, do not keep running the furnace. These switches probably went off for a reason, and you’ll want professionals to investigate the furnace to see what needs repairs.

In order for the burners to light and continue burning, they need the proper amount of airflow into the combustion chamber. Lack of airflow can cause the burners to rapidly go out. There are several causes of a drop in airflow, but the most common is a clogged air filter. This is one furnace problem you can address yourself. If the filter for the furnace has been in place for longer than three months, it’s probably excessively clogged and preventing sufficient airflow. Put in a clean filter to see if this allows the burners to stay lit.

Poor airflow can also be the fault of the blower fan and motor . You will need professionals to handle repairs to this component.

The burners may go out because they aren’t receiving enough natural gas through the gas lines. This can be due to a stuck gas valve or gas leaks . You never want to tamper with anything connected to the gas lines, so we recommend you shut off the gas to the furnace and call for repair technicians.

Dirty burners can also cause the flames to quickly die because the gas jets won’t have enough oxygen. Dirt, grime, and carbon buildup can all cause this. Let professionals detach the burner assembly and clean it so it will work again.