Top-rated independent heating and cooling across Orange County and Southern California
Ignitor & Flame Sensor Repair
We repair and replace furnace ignitors and flame sensors for homeowners across Arizona, California and Nevada. If your furnace clicks on, runs for a few seconds, then shuts off and tries again, a dirty flame sensor or a cracked hot surface ignitor is usually behind it. You may also get no heat at all with the blower still running. Turn the thermostat to off so the furnace stops short-cycling, check that the breaker is on and the filter is clean, then call us to look at the burner assembly.
Call (888) 414-3292- Real people on the phone
- 7 days a week
- Quote in writing before any work
Taking calls until 5:00 PM PT
What the job involves
We shut off power and gas at the furnace before anything else, then open the burner compartment and inspect the ignition sequence. A hot surface ignitor is a fragile ceramic part that fails from age, cracks, or a hairline break you can only see up close. A flame sensor is a thin rod that must read the flame within a couple of seconds or the control board closes the gas valve. We test the sensor's signal, clean or replace it, reassemble, and watch several full heat cycles before we leave.
What we check and install
We check the ignitor for continuity and visible damage, the flame sensor rod and its wire, the ground path back to the control board, and the burners themselves for rust or lint that spoils the flame. Gas pressure and the pressure switch get a look too, since a weak flame reads like a bad sensor. Replacement ignitors and sensors are matched to your furnace model. If the control board is dropping the signal instead, we tell you that rather than swapping parts and hoping.
How we decide it is the right call
Short-cycling on a three to five second pattern points at flame sensing. No glow and no ignition at all points at the ignitor or its circuit. We confirm with a meter instead of guessing, because both symptoms overlap with a plugged filter, a blocked flue, or a failing draft inducer. If the furnace is old and the heat exchanger is suspect, we say so before you spend on small parts. Homeowners across the region get the reading and the options, then decide.
Other furnace repair work
The same on every visit
Written quote before any work
Covering 148 cities across Arizona, California, Nevada.A real person answers
Open 7 days, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM PT.Independent of every manufacturer
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 down after a few seconds?
That is the classic dirty or failed flame sensor pattern. The control board never confirms flame, so it closes the gas valve as a safety measure. Cleaning or replacing the sensor usually restores normal heating.
Can I clean the flame sensor myself?
We do not recommend it. The sensor sits inside the burner compartment next to gas and high-voltage wiring, so opening that area is not a homeowner task. Safe checks stop at the thermostat, breaker, filter and vents.
How long do ignitors last?
Hot surface ignitors are consumable and often fail after years of cycling, sometimes sooner in furnaces that short-cycle from a restricted filter or an undersized return. We replace the part and look for the cause behind the early failure.
How it works
- Step 1
Tell us the symptom
Call or fill in the quote form with what you notice. Warm air, no air, short cycling, a smell, a noise. Details like when it started help us bring the right parts on the first visit.
- Step 2
We diagnose on site
A technician checks the thermostat, the electrical side, refrigerant performance, airflow and the return sizing. We test rather than guess, then explain what failed and why in plain language before any work starts.
- Step 3
Repair and verify
We make the repair, then measure temperatures and airflow at the vents to confirm the system holds. If a duct or return is starving the equipment, we tell you what it would take to fix it.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quote before work starts
Why homeowners call us
- We know stucco tract homesMuch of the housing we service was built fast with returns too small for the tonnage installed. That single duct in the hallway explains a lot of weak airflow complaints, and we look at it before we sell you equipment.
- Marine mornings, inland afternoonsCoastal condos fight humidity and salt air, while inland homes run long afternoon cycles in triple digits. Same system, different failure patterns. We set expectations for the climate your house actually sits in.
- Diagnosis you can followYou get told which part failed, what it does and what happens if it waits. No hurry, no scare talk. If the honest answer is that the system has a few seasons left, we say that.
- Repair before replacementMost calls end in a repair, not a new system. We quote replacement only when a repair will not hold or the cost stops making sense, and we explain the reasoning either way.
- All major brands, gas & electricFrom Carrier and Trane to Lennox, Goodman, Rheem and Bryant, serviced independently.
- 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 →