Furnace Repair in Austin, TX

Gas Furnace Repair in Austin

A gas furnace has a chain of parts that each must check out before the burners light. The thermostat calls for heat, the inducer motor starts, the pressure switch proves the vent is clear, the igniter glows, the gas valve opens and the flame sensor confirms the flame. A failure anywhere in that chain stops the heat. Meritt HVAC Repair repairs every link, plus the blower and control board.

Austin furnaces see fewer heating hours than most, but many of them sit in hot attics for months at a time. Heat dries out wiring, cracks rubber hoses on pressure switches and hardens the seals on inducer motors. A furnace that worked fine last winter can fail on its first start of the new season.

Furnace Parts and Common Failures

• Hot surface igniters that crack or burn out
• Flame sensors coated with residue
• Inducer motors with worn bearings
• Pressure switches and their hoses
• High limit and rollout switches
• Gas valves and control boards
• Blower motors, capacitors and blower wheels
• Condensate traps and drains on high efficiency furnaces

Attic and Closet Furnaces in Austin Houses

Many Austin furnaces lie on their side in the attic with the evaporator coil attached, so the same cabinet heats in winter and cools in summer. Gas furnaces are common in the ranch houses of Allandale and Windsor Park, where they are often tucked into hall closets or onto tight attic platforms with the AC coil on top.

Electric furnaces are common in apartments and newer homes. They use heat strips instead of a burner, and the usual failures are burned elements, stuck sequencers and tripped limit switches. Call (737) 295-1994 for furnace repair in Austin.

Furnace Repair Questions

Why does my furnace click when it turns on?

A few clicks at startup are normal, as relays on the control board switch the inducer and igniter on. Clicking that repeats over and over without the burners lighting usually means the igniter is not lighting the gas, or the pressure switch is opening and closing. On an electric furnace, clicking comes from the sequencers that bring the heat strips on in stages. Steady clicking with no heat needs a repair.

Why does my furnace drip water?

High efficiency furnaces make water as part of normal operation, and it drains through a trap and a line. If the trap clogs or the line is kinked, water backs up and drips from the cabinet. In an Austin attic, the furnace also shares a cabinet with the AC coil, so a drain clog on the coil can look like a furnace leak.

Why does my furnace come on in the summer?

The part that comes on in summer is almost always the furnace blower, which also moves cold air from the AC coil. If it runs constantly with the thermostat set to auto, a stuck relay on the control board may be holding it on. If the burners actually light in summer, the thermostat may be set to heat or auto changeover, or it may be miswired.

Why does my furnace blower keep running?

Check that the thermostat fan is on auto and not on. If it is set correctly, the blower may be running because the high limit switch tripped, which keeps the fan going to cool the heat exchanger. A stuck relay on the control board or a shorted thermostat wire can also keep the blower on. A blower that runs nonstop needs a look at the board and limit switch.

Is my furnace gas or electric?

Look for a flue pipe. A gas furnace has a metal vent or white plastic pipes leaving the cabinet, along with a gas line and shutoff valve. An electric furnace has neither, just a thick electrical cable and often a label listing heat strip size in kilowatts. The model label inside the panel door also names the type.

Why did my furnace stop working?

A furnace that stops all at once usually has a failed igniter, a dirty flame sensor, a tripped limit switch from a clogged filter, or a blown fuse on the control board. Many furnaces have a status light that blinks a code, and the code chart inside the door points to the cause. Check the filter, the thermostat and the switch at the furnace before calling.

Furnace Repair Resources

• Air Conditioning Contractors of America
• Allandale on Wikipedia
• AHRI heating and cooling manufacturers
• Windsor Park on Wikipedia