Posted: 12/30/2015 9:54:17 AM EDT
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Here are the details. I have a Rheem all in one outdoor unit on my house. It stopped working a few days ago so I went out and checked it. The problem is basically that it doesn't end up lighting. I cleaned the igniter and the flame sensor just to see if that did anything and while he didn't do anything on the first cleaning, after cleaning the second time I got it to work. However it stopped working about 36 hours later. HVAC guy comes out and can't seem to figure out what's wrong. Eventually he realizes that the igniter sounds like it has weak spark when it kicks on that gets even worse(down to almost nothing) as the 2 to 3 second igniting cycle goes on. Replacing the igniter didn't help. He tried unplugging the gas valve and when he does that, the igniter fires very strongly. So he tried swapping in a new gas valve thinking that the gas valve might have a short in it but the new gas valve has the same symptoms as before. Basically when the gas valve is unpluged the igniter sounds like a taser type of sound, consistent continuous high frequency electrical zaps. I'm not sure what the igniter supposed to sound like but it "sounds right". When the gas valve is plugged in it makes one initial zap sound and then it basically tapers off in a split-second down to almost no zaps with some very light zaps maybe at a two zaps per second frequency.
Now he seems to think that it might be a board problem. Anyone have any other ideas? |
| I forgot to mention that it appears that the gas valve is working correctly. If you put a flame from a kitchen lighter right where the igniter sits and try to kick on the system, it will light and stay lit and run with no issues until it has to kick off again( due to the indoor thermostat temperature been reached) but then it will not relight and have the exact same issues as before when the thermostat tells it to kick on again. He also tried hotwiring the ground from the board to the gas valve just in case it was a bad ground in the system but that didn't do anything. |
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Any LED's flashing? If so count the flashes/squence and either google or look on the furnace panel for the code.
Also if it is a solid surface ignitor, does it glow when it should be lighting the furnace? I know you said if you light the furnace with a lighter it runs but not otherwise? Sure sounds like the ignitor. Many solid surface ignitors can have a crack in them that you will not be able to see. The ignitors prob look like this? https://www.theignitorstore.com/catalog/rheem_igniters J- |
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I had a similar problem with a Rheem furnace in a rental unit that I manage and I had to replace the board. My problem was the I was not getting any spark. I cleaned it, and replaced it both of which did not work. I could light the gas manually and it would run until the temperature on the thermostat was reached, my hvac guy said get a new board and don't mess around with trying to troubleshoot other parts of it. cost me 300$ ish. The board I got was new and one wire did not hook up in the same spot but we did get it working after messing around with it.
I have 12 units with Rheems that are about 15 years old, every year I need to service about 3 of them because they will spark, the gas will start for a min then shut off. I do what you said you did, take the sparker and the other single probe that is in the burning gas off, sand them and re attach, works like a charm. I am not an HVAC guy but I deal with a lot of issues around heating/ cooling and boilers/ water heaters. What worked for me might not work for you but the 2 problems sound very similar. Hope that helps. |