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What Causes An HVAC Control Board To Fail?

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Your heating and cooling systems are composed of many parts that are necessary to be in good working condition to ensure your system is operating correctly. One of those main parts is the control board, sometimes called the circuit board, which works to help both your indoor heating and outdoor cooling unit function. The control board is like the brains of the HVAC system’s operation, ensuring the proper function of each part. 

Read on as we tell you all about those control boards, what can cause them to fail, and the solution to those causes.

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What Can Cause A Control Board To Fail?

There are many reasons a control board may fail. Some of those reasons include the following:

  • power outage or surge
  • moisture in the system
  • high voltage
  • a loose wire connection that creates heat and burns through the wire
  • dirt in the terminals or relays in the control board

No matter the reason, a failing control board can cause serious issues with the operation of your system. 

When Is The HVAC Circuit Board More Likely To Fail?

While the control board functions by running the furnace and the air conditioner, our team sees more failures in the winter than the summertime. This is because, in the summertime, the control board only tells the blower to run and turn on the air conditioner. In the wintertime, the control board does a lot more: it controls the ignitergas valve, inducer vent motor, and blower, so there is more demand and strain put on the part. If a control board fails in the summertime, it’s usually due to moisture leaking on the indoor coil into the furnace

How To Know If There Is A Problem With The Control Board?

If your HVAC system is intermittently running or stops running completely, it could be due to an issue with the control board. One way to check whether there is an issue is to turn off all power to the heating/cooling system. After you have had it off for a few minutes and power is restored, your equipment may start operating properly; if this happens, it could be that the board was stuck due to a potential error that has reset itself. If turning the power off and on doesn’t work, then you will want to call a professional

Should Control Boards Be Repaired or Replaced?

Control boards can be hard to diagnose, but the professionals at Logan Services will test specific things to see if there is an issue. We will conduct voltage, amps, and ohms tests to determine if the board is functioning correctly. Typically control boards can’t be repaired, and replacement is the only option. If the control board were repaired, the cost to the customer would be more than the replacement of a new control board. To test that the new control board is working correctly, we will run the equipment in all modes to ensure that the problem is no longer happening. 

How To Maintain The HVAC Control Board?

Getting regular maintenance on your HVAC system by a certified technician is the best thing you can do to ensure the control board is working properly. Maintenance from a professional will ensure that any loose wire connections and signs of discoloration or moisture can be taken care of before they get worse. 

Is The Control Board Covered By A Warranty?

parts warranty will cover many components within the HVAC equipment. However, the warranty length of certain parts depends on the manufacturer. Parts warranties are usually only for covering manufacturing defects, but sometimes it depends on the installation company’s policies. 

Call our friendly team if you are experiencing a control board issue or your HVAC system isn’t working properly. We have knowledgeable technicians that can help diagnose your system issue and find a solution. Our team serves the DaytonColumbus, and Cincinnati neighborhoods. 

About the author: 

Kelsey C., the author of this blog is the Marketing Specialist at Logan A/C and Heat Services. At Logan Services she writes blogs for the website, creates posts for social media networks, and optimizes the Youtube channel. When not working in the office, Kelsey enjoys traveling to many different places, reading, and hanging out with her husband and dog. 

Information provided by: Bret F., who is a Service Manager. He helps ensure that our customers have a great service experience when we come out to the home for HVAC maintenance and repairs.  

Information provided by: Chris C. , who is a Service Manager. He helps our team by training new service technicians that are coming in our service technician apprenticeship program. Chris ensures that these technicians are ready to be certified and will graduate from the program.  When Chris isn’t working with our trainees he likes to camp, hunt and fish with his family.

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