There are many components that work in harmony to ensure your furnace is operational. When one part suffers, it can hinder the overall effectiveness of the heating system as well as cause a domino effect to other parts. Keeping your furnace healthy and operational is best done through routine maintenance, both individually and through a homeowner. Though there are many elements to the furnace, today, we at New York Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing would like to elaborate on thermocouples and their common issues.
What is a Thermocouple on a Furnace?
The safety component placed near the ignition or pilot light in your heater is the thermocouple. The purpose is to regulate the flow of gas into the system. The thermocouple releases the gas when the heat from the pilot light is detected. To keep your household safe, it cuts off the flow of gas in the event the heat isn’t detected. Also, the entire system usually won’t start if the thermocouple is broken. Since it keeps your home from being flooded with gas, this is a beneficial safety mechanism, however, it also indicates you won’t have access to your heat until it’s fixed.
What Kinds of Problems Can Be Encountered in Thermocouple Use?
1) Flow of the gas. The gas is prevented from reaching the thermocouple if the thermocouple is hampered by a clog in the gas line or some other issue. Even if every other aspect of the heating unit is functioning as it should, this means it will not work.
2) Sudden heat loss. Suggesting that it misinterprets the pilot light’s temperature and shuts off the gas, a faulty thermocouple will often “cut out” when it’s experiencing problems. Even though there’s nothing wrong otherwise, this can lead to your heater turning off unexpectedly. To more accurately measure the pilot light’s heat, the issue can usually be solved by recalibrating the thermocouple.
3) Wires becoming loose. In order to accurately read the pilot light’s temperature, the thermocouple wires need to be screwed into their terminals. The unit will not turn on otherwise. To allow it to do the job, the wires also need to be placed in the proper screws, make sure they are not reversed, a common error among laymen attempting to fix the problem themselves.
Emergency Furnace Repair, Replacement & More in Bedford Hills, Manhattan, Flushing, Queens, Brooklyn & The Bronx, New York
To ensure any of the problems involving the thermocouple is repaired correctly, you want to ensure you have a dependable professional assisting you, otherwise, you may make the problem far worse. For your central heating repairs in the Greater New York area, call in the professionals of New York Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing and let our certified experts help you with your repair needs. Additionally, we can help prevent many issues from taking root through maintenance and inspection services. New York Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing is also readily available for your installation and replacement needs. Call us today to schedule your central heating services and our experienced, certified professionals will use advanced equipment and premium products to deliver superior quality workmanship.
