I need help with my furnace

swanee

New member
A friend of ours mentioned last night that she had this same problem with hers and they replaced the batteries on their programmable thermostat. So, I checked ours and there were no batteries where there was supposed to be batteries. So I put in a couple batteries and it seems to be working normal at this time. What doesn't make sense to me is that it worked normal for almost 3 years without batteries.

So...I will wait and see what happens.

In case your wondering, I was not the one that installed it and didn't put batteries in it. An electrician friend did.

Also, I have always used the 3M Filtrete Filters. It was pretty bad when I pulled it out to change it, its probably been 4 months since I changed it. Now I have put reminders on my calendar on my computer to remind me to change it every 6 weeks. I did try one of those cheap $.97 filters once and after a month it still looked the same as when I bought it. Never again.

Thanks again for everyones help. I think my wife now realizes that there is a good reason why I spend so much time on this board.
 

chadlyt

Member
probably the best solution you could have had.

those programmable thermostats add one more degree of troubleshooting.
 

whitefawn

New member
Furnace easy fix.

You might have a Bad ignition sensor or heating rod sensor, It gets clogged with carbon and you need to sand paper it once in a while, It is hard to get at and will need a pro unless you are handy with stuff like this, But if I were to bet it is going to end up being your Flame sensing Rod. good luck with it. For furhter reference most furnaces have Led Lights that will blink a trouble shooting pattern That has a guide in your manuel. Good luck
 

doospunk

Active member
Got any kids that goof around by the furnace? I woke up to 61 degrees in the house today with no hot water. Furnace had same symptoms your describing, and the pilot light was out on the water heater. WTH? Tried and tried, but couldn't get the damn pilot lit in the water heater. Furnace was kicking in and out every few minutes, so decided to call Center Pointe Energy who we've got our appliances covered with. Guy came out and was trouble shooting for 20 or 30 minutes before asking if our kid had ever played in there. (Just so happened that he learned to open the child proof gate the other night, and I caught him in there holding a mop next to the water heater, which I thought nothing of - he's 20 months, and was in there himself for about 30-45 seconds) Apparently, the bugger found the "bright yellow" gas shut off valve and closed it enough to kill all our pilot lights with the exception of the furnace, though the amount of gas coming in wasn't enough to sustain the temp we had set in the house which explains why we were at 61 degrees this a.m. Quick turn of the valve and all was back to normal. (Though I do feel quite dumb for not having checked that myself and having the repair guy find it!)
 

doomsman

New member
We had a kid that was every where he shouldn't be and the same thing.

But I always start trouble shooting with, is it turned on, is it plugged in is the fuse(breaker) blown?
 

peter

Member
I also think it may have been going off on high limit with diry filter, as doomsman had mentioned.
Those 3m filtrete filters restrick to much airflow as well. Get the filters with lesser pleats save some money.
 

samc

New member
Kids get into everything.* We have a 3 yr old that is into everything and you have to watch him like a hawk.........*
 

yamahauler

Active member
I have a light switch that you can cut power to the furnance electronics and my daughter flipped it off on me once....had to tape that shut as well as the hot water set point dial. Somehow, that was set to really fricken hot. I think that was the dog as the bottom of the dial is about her back height and she may of rubbed against it. Needless to say, when you turned on the hot water, it was steaming coming out, lol.
 

catdog

Member
Your furnace is equipped with safety devices, pressure switch, roll out sensor, flame sensor and high temp switch. When your t-stat calls for heat your vent blower is started, closing the pressure switch this lets your fan control board know that the vent blower is actually on (fan control board needs to see this switch open than close) this opens your gas valve and actuates your igniter. Once your burner is fired the flame sensor (the little steel rod) becomes grounded (continuity through gas flame to ground) and your gas valve will remain open, if no continuity gas valve will close. High temp limit switch will open during high temp conditions but your main blower will remain running. Roll out switch is down on the burner and is used to indicate if you heat exchange is bad. Flame will roll out do to pressure greater from the main blower than that of the vent blower, this can be reset little red botton on switch.
 
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snow_monkey

New member
I think I have that one beat. No phones in my house would work just static. Called out the repair guys and they spent a good 2 hrs looking for the problem. Just when they were ready to give up they found a phone jack in the kids room with a raisin shoved in it!
 

doospunk

Active member
I think I have that one beat. No phones in my house would work just static. Called out the repair guys and they spent a good 2 hrs looking for the problem. Just when they were ready to give up they found a phone jack in the kids room with a raisin shoved in it!

haha. That's a good one!
 
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