Carrier Furnace Ignitor Troubleshooting
If it’s freezing outside and you keep upping the thermostat, but nothing’s happening. The outside is coming in with no heating system to stave off the cold. Carrier furnace ignitor troubleshooting often needs a trained professional, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a couple free solutions you should try before making the call. In this guide, we’ll walk you through some basic DIY fixes that can help fire up your furnace and get the heat back on before your pipes – and your fingers – freeze.
Symptoms of a Bad Ignitor on a Furnace
Before we get into the specifics of Carrier furnace ignitor troubleshooting, learn about the telltale signs to ensure it's a problem with the ignitor and not something else. Keep in mind that multiple issues can have the same symptom, so when in doubt, it’s best to call a trusted service technician.
Furnace not Heating
No matter how high you set your thermostat, if the ignitor is not working, the furnace will not heat your home or building. A simple check involves putting your hand to the air vents or registers to feel for hot air or looking at the unit itself for a blue flame, which should always be lit while the furnace is on.
Furnace not Glowing
The flame should always be on, steady and consistent while your furnace is running. So, if you cannot see the blue flame of the pilot light, the ignition system might have failed. When this happens, you’ll need an authorized service technician to make the repair.
Furnace Starts Then Stops
Furnaces can short cycle when they receive the heating signal from the thermostat but can't ignite the gas due to a malfunction. After several failed attempts, the furnace will go into a lockout mode. You can see if a simple reset fixes it, but if the problem is with the ignition system, the furnace will continue to lock out.
Clicking Sounds
When the ignitor goes out, you might prick up your ear for any clicking, rumbling or banging noises. This is the sound of the furnace trying to initiate its start-up sequence but failing when safety features kick in to prevent it from releasing gas without a flame.
Blowing Cold Air
Another way you might tell that the ignitor on your furnace is not working is if you put your hand up to the air vent or register and feel only cold air coming out. Obviously, if you have your thermostat set to heat, hot air should be blowing. However, this might not be the case if the pilot light that ignites the gas and heats up the air is not working.
Carrier Furnace Ignitor Troubleshooting
Check the Thermostat
Sometimes, issues with the thermostat can masquerade as ignitor problems, as they have many of the same symptoms. As a reminder, a faulty, misset or underpowered thermostat can cause heating problems in your home or building.
- Thermostat does not have power – Check that your furnace thermostat has fresh batteries or that no loose wires are disconnected from the power supply.
- Turn the thermostat to heat – Is your thermostat set to heat? This might seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes other people in your household or place of work will adjust it without your knowledge. At any rate, it’s worth double-checking.
- Increase the temperature – It might not feel like the heat is working, even if you have the thermostat set to your comfortable 72℉. Lower temperatures outside or drafty windows can make the inside feel colder than it actually is, especially if you’ve just come in. Waiting a few minutes for your body temperature to rise or raising the thermostat might be the remedy you’ve been looking for.
- Switch the fan to “on” – The thermostat has two fan settings: “on” and “auto.” Make sure it’s switched to “on” and wait to see if you hear the fan running. If it doesn’t come on, this could indicate a problem with your Carrier furnace ignitor.
- Faulty thermostat – If none of these above tricks work, the problem may lie with the thermostat not sending the proper signals to the furnace. In this case, it’s best to put in a service call so they can accurately diagnose the problem.
Tripped Circuit Breaker
Another trusty Carrier furnace ignitor troubleshooting trick is to check for tripped circuit breakers. Although this isn’t a problem with the ignitor itself, it will cause all the symptoms of one. It’s also easy enough to fix. Just open your breaker box and ensure the switches haven't been flipped. If it turns out it was an issue with the circuit breaker, but it keeps tripping, you’ll need to call a certified professional.
No Gas Supply
If you’re wondering “Why won’t my carrier furnace ignite?” It could be that the gas has been turned off without your knowledge. For example, maintenance work or unpaid utility bills. You can quickly check its status by trying to turn on other gas-powered appliances. If none of those work, too, you know the culprit. Call your gas provider to confirm the issue.
Damaged or Faulty Ignitor
After trying all these Carrier furnace ignitor troubleshooting tricks, and you still can’t get the hot air to turn on, it’s time to leave it to the professionals. Overtime, cracks or deformations can appear in the ignitor, causing it no longer work. When this happens, it will need to be replaced entirely.
How Long Do Furnace Ignitors Last?
Furnace ignitors are notorious for not lasting as long as the unit itself due to the continual heating and cooling they undergo daily. This means, more than likely, you’ll have to replace the furnace ignitor several times during its lifespan, as they only last 3-7 years. Luckily, they’re relatively inexpensive, starting at $30 for a new ignitor and about $200-300 for a new ignition module.
Additional Resources
Aren’t done caring for your Carrier furnace? Parts Town has Carrier parts manuals and diagram resources for whatever replacement or repair you have in store.