With the approach of winter, there will be cooler days, making it necessary to start firing up your gas furnace. However, you may have found that it is no longer working correctly. After checking it over, you may have found an issue that appears to have a simple fix.

Because a problem seems easy enough to fix, you may be considering making the repairs yourself. However, there are a couple of repairs on a gas furnace that require an HVAC professional instead of attempting to do it yourself. 

1. Attempt to Clean or Replace the Gas Burner Ignitor

When you try to start up your furnace, you may have found that the gas burner's ignitor is clogged, rusted, or even cracked. After looking up solutions online, you may have found directions telling you to use sandpaper to clean off the surface. Or, you may have seen a video showing how easy it is to replace the ignitor.

However, anything to do with the ignitor should be left to a professional with the proper tools, knowledge, and certifications. This part inside the furnace contains a valve that only releases natural gas when it is time to ignite the flame. If you disrupt this valve or incorrectly install the new ignitor, you could either create a gas leak or release carbon monoxide into the air. 

2. Replace or Adjust the Tightness of Any of the Gas Lines

Another repair that is best left to a professional is the replacement or adjustment of any of the gas lines inside the furnace. If you find that a line has a crack or just needs to be tightened, the job may look easy enough to do yourself.

However, if the connections are not made correctly, gas will leak out of the lines. You may also inadvertently damage another part of the furnace by moving the lines. An HVAC repair professional will have the experience necessary to check for any residual damage and to ensure the connections are done correctly.

You could run into serious issues if you attempt to perform certain repair jobs on your home's gas furnace, such as cleaning the ignitor or doing anything with the gas lines. You could cause a gas leak or create a problem that releases large amounts of carbon monoxide into your home's air. If you are ever in doubt about fixing a problem with a gas furnace yourself, it would be better to call in a professional. Make an appointment with an HVAC contractor who offers furnace repair services to have them fix the issues for you. 

Contact a local company like McQuade Heating & Cooling Plumbing & Refrigeration for more info. 

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