Project Overview
No-heat emergencies in the middle of a Massachusetts winter night are exactly the situations our 24/7 emergency service was built for. When temperatures are in single digits and a family with young children has no heat, every minute counts. The difference between a 45-minute response and a next-morning appointment can be the difference between an inconvenience and frozen pipes or a hospital visit.
Hot surface ignitors are one of the most common failure points in gas furnaces. They are made of silicon carbide or silicon nitride and become brittle over time due to repeated thermal cycling. When they crack, the furnace goes through its startup sequence but fails to ignite the gas burner, eventually locking out to prevent unsafe gas accumulation. The fix is straightforward — a direct replacement takes about 20 minutes — but it requires having the correct ignitor on hand.
Our service vehicles carry ignitors, flame sensors, pressure switches, control boards, capacitors, and other commonly needed parts so that most emergency repairs can be completed in a single visit. This family was back to sleeping in a warm house within 90 minutes of our arrival.
The Challenge
The furnace in this Hopkinton home stopped producing heat at 11 PM on a night when outdoor temperatures had dropped to 5°F. The homeowner — a father of two young children — noticed the house getting cold and found the thermostat reading 52°F and falling. The furnace was attempting to ignite but shutting down after a few seconds with a flashing error code. With wind chill making it feel like -10°F outside and temperatures inside dropping approximately 3°F per hour, the family was facing the prospect of a dangerously cold house by morning. Pipes were also at risk of freezing.
Our Solution
Our on-call emergency technician was dispatched immediately and arrived at the home within 45 minutes. The furnace diagnostic revealed the hot surface ignitor had cracked — a common failure point in furnaces over 10 years old. The ignitor was heating enough to glow but fracturing before reaching the temperature needed to ignite the gas, causing the control board to lock out after three failed attempts. Our technician replaced the ignitor with a direct OEM replacement from the service truck's parts inventory. After verifying proper ignition, flame sensing, and gas pressure, the furnace was restored to full operation. Heat was flowing again by 12:30 AM. The technician waited until the house temperature recovered to 65°F before leaving, and a follow-up inspection the next day confirmed the system was operating safely with no additional issues.
Results & Outcomes
- Emergency response in 45 minutes despite late-night call
- Heat fully restored by 12:30 AM — under 2 hours total
- No pipe freezing despite 5°F outdoor temperature
- Follow-up inspection next day confirmed safe operation
Project Details
Service
Heating Repair
Location
Hopkinton, MA
Duration
Same Night
Equipment
Goodman
Scope
Residential
Result
Completed Successfully
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