Modern air conditioning systems have different ways of warming your house during cold weather. Gas heaters are one of the methods they use to heat air and deliver it a suitable temperature for your indoor space. When the gas heater malfunctions, the effects manifest in several ways, with the worst being the heater's inability to bring in the air at the right temperature. Thankfully, you can solve most of the problems here by using comprehensive do-it-yourself guides or consulting an HVAC specialist to examine your equipment. In the following discussion, you will learn the basics of malfunctioning gas heaters.

Bad Draft Motor

The draft motor is key to starting a gas heater. When it fails, the system cannot start. Motors often have a reasonable useful life with adequate protection to shield them from physical damage. When they fail, it is often a sign of their lives coming to an end. You need to replace them with a new draft motor to get the HVAC system going. 

Dirty and Clogged Filters

All heating and ventilation systems rely on the movement and exchange of air between two interfaces. The primary operating principle is to extract the unwanted air from the indoor space and introduce a fresh wave of air at the desired temperature. During the exchange, filters pick up dirt to ensure that the incoming air is clean and safe for inhalation. Clogged filters are a common cause of malfunctioning gas heaters. 

Clogging means that the gas furnace cannot 'inhale' enough air to heat distribute around the house. The lesser the air drawn in, the lower the amount of heat that will reach your living space. Secondly, clogging also makes your heater overwork, and it is only a matter of time before the equipment breaks down. You must have a regular cleaning schedule for your filters or replace them when they clog with dirt. 

The Gas Heater Starts Then Shuts Down

You can also run into a problem where the gas heater starts, runs for a few seconds before the furnace goes off. The interval is short, and the system shuts down before you can feel any warmth in the room. Often, this problem results from a bad flame sensor. Check the sensor for any corrosion or accumulation of dirt. If so, clean the sensor and it thoroughly for a quick fix. The long-term solution is to bring in a technician to replace the old sensor with a new one.

Contact a company like Canberra Boilers to learn more.