The independent heating and cooling company across Hampton Roads and coastal Virginia
Ignitor & Flame Sensor Repair
We repair and replace furnace ignitors and flame sensors for homeowners across Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, North Carolina, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Washington DC. If your furnace tries to start, runs for a few seconds, then shuts down and tries again, a cracked hot surface ignitor or a dirty flame sensor is one of the most common causes. Give us a call and we will come test the ignition sequence. If you ever smell gas, leave the building first, call 911 or your gas utility, then call us.
Call (888) 381-2953- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quote before work starts
Taking calls until 5:00 PM ET
What ignitor and flame sensor work actually involves
A furnace lights in a set order: the inducer runs, the pressure switch closes, the ignitor heats or sparks, gas opens, and the flame sensor confirms a flame is really burning. If the sensor cannot prove flame within a few seconds, the control board shuts the gas off on purpose. That is a safety feature doing its job. Our work is finding which link in that chain failed, then repairing or replacing that part rather than guessing. This is gas and high-voltage work, so leave it to us.short a flame sensor reads in microamps, and that takes a meter.
What we check and what we install
We watch a full start cycle first, because the failure point usually shows itself. From there we check the ignitor for cracks and correct resistance, clean or replace the flame sensor, inspect the sensor wire and ground, read the control board fault codes, and confirm gas valve operation. We also look at burners and the heat exchanger area, since soot and rust change how a flame behaves. Replacement ignitors and sensors are matched to your furnace model. Before we leave, we run several cycles to be sure it lights every time.
How we decide this is the right repair
Repeated short cycles with a lockout after three or four tries point at ignition or flame proving, and the fault code usually narrows it further. A no-glow ignitor with an open circuit gets replaced. A sensor reading low microamps often cleans up fine, though a pitted one gets swapped. If the real problem is a cracked heat exchanger, a failing gas valve or a blocked flue, we tell you that instead of selling parts that will not fix it. In damp crawlspace areas across the region, corrosion on the sensor ground is common.
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions we hear most about ignitor and flame sensor repair.
Other furnace repair work
What every visit includes
The quote comes first, in writing
Covering 147 cities across Washington DC, Delaware, Maryland and 5 more.Phones answered by people
Open 7 days, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM ET.All major brands serviced
Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman and more. We are not an authorized dealer for any of them.Ignitor & Flame Sensor Repair — quick answers
Why does my furnace light and then shut off after a few seconds?
That pattern usually means the flame sensor is not proving flame, so the control board closes the gas valve as a safety step. A dirty or failed sensor, a bad ground or weak burner flame are the usual causes.
Can I clean the flame sensor myself?
We do not recommend it. Reaching the sensor means opening the burner compartment on a gas heating system. Safe homeowner checks are limited to thermostat settings and batteries, the breaker, the filter and open vents.
How long does an ignitor replacement take?
Most ignitor or flame sensor jobs are done in a single visit once we have confirmed the fault and have the matching part on the truck. We then run several full heating cycles to verify reliable ignition.
How it works
- Step 1
Tell us the symptom
Call or fill in the quote form. We ask what changed, when it started, and what the thermostat reads against the actual room temperature. That short conversation tells us what parts to load on the truck.
- Step 2
We diagnose on site
A technician checks the thermostat, the electrical side, airflow through the filter and coil, refrigerant behaviour and the outdoor unit. You get a plain explanation of what failed and why, before any work starts.
- Step 3
Repair and verify
We make the repair, then run the system through a full cycle and measure temperatures at the supply and return. If something upstream caused the failure, we tell you so it does not repeat.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quote before work starts
Why homeowners call us
- We know salt airCoastal homes lose condenser coils to salt corrosion years before inland systems do. We look for fin damage and pitted line sets on every visit, because a clean-looking unit can still be shedding capacity from the outside in.
- Humidity is part of the jobHurricane-season air loads a system in ways a temperature reading will not show. If your house feels clammy at 74 degrees, we look at run times, airflow and drainage rather than just adding refrigerant and leaving.
- Crawlspace realitiesHigh water tables mean wet ground under ductwork, rusted plenums and condensate lines with nowhere good to drain. We check what is happening under the floor, since that is often where comfort problems actually begin.
- Straight answersWe tell you what failed, what it will take to fix, and whether a repair makes sense on an older system. No pressure to replace something that has honest years left in it, and no vague diagnosis.
- All major brands, gas & electricIndependent service on Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, York and the rest.
- Straight answersWhen a replacement beats a repair, we tell you, sometimes before we roll a truck.
Ignitor & Flame Sensor Repair
Ready to book ignitor & flame sensor repair?
Describe the system and your ZIP. The written quote comes before any work.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quotes
- All major brands
- Gas & electric
Rather not call? Get a free quote →