Furnace Repair in Round Rock, TX
Gas furnaces in attics, closets and garages
Furnace repair in Round Rock for gas furnaces in attics, closets and garages. About half of Round Rock homes heat with natural gas, and most of that gas comes from Atmos Energy.
A furnace in a Central Texas attic sits idle most of the year in a hot attic. Dust settles on the burners and flame sensor, mud daubers build nests in the vent, and the first cold morning of the year is when it all shows up.
Furnace Parts We Repair and Replace
- Hot surface igniters and flame sensors
- Gas valves and pressure switches
- Inducer (draft) motors and blower motors
- Limit switches and rollout switches
- Control boards and 24-volt control wiring
- Flue and vent connections, and condensate lines on high-efficiency furnaces
- Thermostats and wiring
Igniters and flame sensors fail first on most furnaces. A dirty flame sensor causes the classic pattern of burners that light, run a few seconds and shut off, then try again.
Gas Smell and Carbon Monoxide
Natural gas carries an added odor that smells like rotten eggs. If you smell it, do not flip switches or use anything that can spark. Leave the house and call Atmos Energy or 911 from outside.
Carbon monoxide has no smell at all. The CDC lists furnaces among the household sources and describes the symptoms as flu-like: dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, chest pain and confusion (CDC carbon monoxide basics). Every home with a gas furnace needs working CO alarms.
Furnace Types in Round Rock Homes
Two kinds of gas furnace show up in local homes. The standard 80 percent furnace sits in the attic or a closet under the cooling coil and vents through the roof. A 90 percent or higher condensing furnace vents through PVC pipe and needs its own condensate drain. ENERGY STAR explains the difference on its ENERGY STAR furnace page.
Furnace repair is offered in Round Rock and nearby Cedar Park, Leander and Pflugerville, where gas heat is the majority, and across the service area. Electric heat and heat pumps are covered on the heating repair page.
Sources and local offices: ENERGY STAR furnaces, Atmos Energy, CDC carbon monoxide.
Furnace Repair Questions
Why is my furnace blowing cold air but not heating my house?
The blower is running but the burners are not lighting or staying lit. Common causes are a failed igniter, a dirty flame sensor, a closed gas valve, a clogged filter tripping the limit switch, or a thermostat set to fan on.
Why does my furnace run for 30 seconds and then shut off?
That pattern is the classic sign of a dirty flame sensor. The burners light, the control board does not sense the flame, and it shuts the gas off for safety. A blocked vent or a failing pressure switch can do the same thing.
What fails first on a furnace?
The hot surface igniter and the flame sensor. Inducer motors and pressure switches come next.
Why does my furnace smell like burning?
A dusty smell on the first cold day of the year is dust burning off the heat exchanger and usually fades after a short run. A hot plastic or electrical smell is different: turn the furnace off and have it checked.
what does furnace gas smell like
Rotten eggs or sulfur. Gas utilities add that odor so leaks can be noticed. Leave the house and call the gas utility from outside.
How to tell if your furnace is giving off carbon monoxide?
You cannot smell it, so a CO alarm is the only reliable warning. Other signs are flu-like symptoms that ease when you leave the house, soot around the furnace or vent, and a yellow burner flame instead of blue.
Where is the reset button located on a furnace?
Many gas furnaces do not have one. A rollout switch near the burners may have a small red reset button. Turning power off at the furnace switch for a minute resets the control board. A furnace that keeps needing resets has a problem behind it.
What are signs of a dying furnace?
Frequent igniter and sensor failures, burners that will not stay lit, rust or cracks near the burners, a yellow flame, rooms that never warm up and a furnace that runs but cannot keep the set temperature.
Should a 25 year old furnace be replaced?
Not on age alone. Furnaces in Central Texas run fewer hours than northern ones. The deciding points are the condition of the heat exchanger, how often parts are failing and whether the cooling coil above it is being replaced anyway.
What is the most expensive thing to fix on a furnace?
The heat exchanger. A cracked heat exchanger can let combustion gases into the airstream, and replacing it on an older furnace often leads to replacing the furnace.