When the Heat Will Not Come On

Avondale furnaces sit idle for most of the year, and that is exactly why they fail on the first cold morning. Dust settles on the flame sensor, a blower capacitor dries out over a hot summer in the attic, and a part that worked fine in February will not start in December. Most furnace repair calls in Avondale come in the same few weeks when the weather turns, so it pays to know what you are looking at.

What Usually Fails After a Long Summer

  • Flame sensor. A coated sensor cannot prove the flame, so the burners light and shut off within seconds.
  • Hot surface igniter. These crack with age. The inducer runs, but the burners never light.
  • Inducer motor. A noisy or seized inducer stops the furnace before ignition, and the board flashes a fault code.
  • Limit switch. A clogged filter or a blocked return lets the furnace overheat and trip on limit, so it runs in short bursts.
  • Blower capacitor. Summer attic heat weakens it, and the blower hums without turning.

Check This Before You Call

Make sure the thermostat is set to heat and has fresh batteries, the furnace switch is on, the breaker has not tripped and the filter is not packed with dust. If the system still will not run, leave it off and call. Do not keep resetting a furnace that keeps locking out.

Safety Comes First

If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas utility from outside. If a carbon monoxide alarm sounds, get everyone out and call 911. On every furnace repair we check the burners, the flue and the heat exchanger area, and we tell you if anything we see is unsafe to run.

How the Visit Goes

We read the fault code, test the ignition sequence and the safeties, and give you the diagnosis and the price before we replace anything. Igniters, sensors and capacitors ride on the truck, so most calls finish on the first visit. If the furnace is old enough that a major part does not make sense, we say so and give you both numbers.

Common Questions

Is it normal for a furnace to smell the first time it runs?

A short burning-dust smell on the first cold day is normal and clears in minutes. A smell that lasts, or any smell of gas, is not.

Do you repair heat pumps and packaged units too?

Yes. We repair gas furnaces, heat pumps and rooftop packaged units across Avondale.

Book a Repair

Adams Refrigeration has repaired heating and cooling in the West Valley since 1947, under Arizona ROC 245268. Call (602) 269-6447 any hour or schedule an appointment.

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