Orange Furnace Flame? How An HVAC Contractor Can Handle It

13 February 2023
 Categories: , Blog

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When you're down in your basement or in the area where your furnace is located, it's a good idea to take a look at the flame inside. As you do so, note the color of the flame. It should be blue, or perhaps white and blue. If the flame is orange or yellow, that is not something to ignore. An orange flame can point to any one of a number of problems that a furnace repair contractor will need to address.

Impurities in the Gas Supply

If there are impurities in the gas that your furnace is burning, they may cause the flame to burn cooler than it should, resulting in a yellow or orange flame. Sometimes this may be a temporary issue with the gas supply, in which case, the flame will probably start burning hotter within a day or two once the gas company corrects the problem. Other times, it may be an issue with your gas lines. Water might be seeping into them at some point. 

Your HVAC contractor can look over the lines to see if there is an issue. If needed, they can replace or repair the damaged gas lines. If they do not find an issue with your lines, then they can work with you to contact the gas company and alert them to the problem.

A Dirty Burner

It's also possible that your furnace burner is just dirty. Grime may have worked its way into the tiny holes that gas is supposed to emerge from, blocking them. A furnace contractor can clean out these holes and the burner in general. In the worst case, they may have to replace the burner. This is a fairly simple repair for most HVAC contractors to do, but it may take a day or two for the materials to come in.

Broken Valve

There is a valve that controls the flow of gas into the furnace. If this valve breaks, it may not allow enough gas into the furnace, which may cause it to burn with a lower-temperature, yellow flame. A furnace contractor can test this valve. If the valve is stuck or sticky, they can replace it.

Furnaces should have white or blue flames. If your furnace flame is yellow or orange, that's a reason to call your furnace repair team. Luckily, the furnace and gas problems that cause discolored flames are usually pretty routine for an HVAC professional to fix.

For more information, contact a local company, like Superior Plumbing & HVAC Services.