How To Clean Furnace Sensor

Shut off the power.

How to clean furnace sensor. Remove this using the screwdriver. To clean a furnace start by turning off the furnace then removing the access panel on the outside of the furnace and inspecting the filter for dirt or damage every 3 4 months. If the flame sensor can t sense the flame because it s too dirty the furnace may shut itself off. The sensor might have dirt and soot deposits on its body and it might have turned greenish.

You may need to replace the sensor in which case you can follow these same instructions with the exception that no sanding is involved. Get a small piece of sandpaper emery cloth or even steel wool as well as several pieces of clean paper towels. When the sensor becomes blocked with debris the heater will not work properly. The furnace door can be opened easily and once opened you can access the internal part of the furnace.

First you will need a 1 4 inch hex screwdriver or even a wrench. If your furnace flame sensor has become dirty with build up the furnace won t function properly. If the filter is dirty replace it or clean it with soap and water if it s not disposable. A burner with no flame may release gas into the air.

This is a safety mechanism. I tried both cleaning my furnace s flame sensor and later installing a new flame sensor. Just remove one sensor and replace it with a new sensor. The flame sensor is a thin metallic rod attached with a single screw below the burner.

Lennox gas furnaces contain an important safety component known as a flame sensor. Step 2 clean the sensor. As long as the component senses the flame it sends a message to the main furnace control board telling it to keep the main burner on and the gas valve open. How to clean a furnace flame sensor.

Step 1 turn off the power. If cleaning your flame sensor did not work it s possible that the sensor is broken and that the furnace is operating as it should. A flame sensor detects heat coming from the burners. The rheem manufacturing company produces a line of water heaters air conditioners and furnaces for both homes and businesses.

Before you start working on the furnace you need to cut the power.