A few things can affect how well your gas furnace ignites the burners, and one of those is the gas manifold. You may never have trouble with this part, especially if you keep up with annual furnace maintenance. If your gas burners have difficulty working properly, the furnace repair technician may check the manifold along with other parts to see which part is responsible. Here's a look at what the manifold does, what can go wrong with it, and how it can be replaced if necessary.

The Purpose Of A Gas Manifold

The gas manifold in your furnace is a pipe that attaches the gas valve to the burners. A pipe from your gas supply line enters the furnace and connects on one side of the gas valve. The gas manifold pipe hooks into the other side of the valve and then connects to the burners. The manifold is an important part since it's what delivers the gas that allows the burners to ignite.

Problems That Might Develop With The Manifold

One problem that can develop with the pipe is when insects crawl in the manifold and cause an obstruction. If something is inside the pipe, the amount of gas delivered to the burners and the pressure of the gas change, and that affects how easily the burners ignite and burn.

Another problem that could potentially happen is when the pipe is old and corroded. If the pipe has rust in it or has holes eaten in it, the gas might leak or get blocked.

The Gas Manifold Can Be Cleaned Or Replaced

If something is inside the pipe when the furnace repair technician checks it, they can pull the pipe out and clean it thoroughly inside and out. This should allow the flow and pressure to return to normal. The repair technician can adjust the pressure if necessary so it is in the proper range for optimal operation of the burners.

If the pipe is bad because it has holes eaten in it, the furnace repair technician has to replace it. This can be done by unscrewing the pipe that connects the gas line to the gas valve so the valve can be pulled out of the furnace. Then the manifold can be unscrewed and replaced with a new one. Once the new gas manifold is in place, you'll want to start getting the annual furnace tune-ups on schedule so the manifold can be checked annually to keep it clean and ready for another winter of use.

Contact an HVAC technician for more information about furnace repair. 

Share