Why Does Your Furnace Inducer Run but the Burners Never Ignite?
You hear the furnace start, and the inducer motor begins to hum. But the burners never light. The furnace then shuts down or makes another attempt to start. If your furnace is not working and follows this pattern, the startup sequence is stopping before heat production begins. The inducer motor helps move combustion gases through the exhaust system, but hearing it run doesn't confirm that the furnace is ready to ignite. The system also needs to verify that the required draft conditions are met. If that safety check fails, or another part of the ignition system develops a fault, the burners stay off. What Happens Between the Inducer Starting and the Burners Igniting? A gas furnace follows a controlled startup process. Each stage depends on signals from the thermostat, control board, and safety devices. If the furnace doesn't receive a required signal, it stops the sequence rather than proceeding to the next step. How the Furnace Ignition Sequence Works The sequence generally fo...