Furnace / thermostat is not working! UPDATED w/ SOLUTION

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Furnace / thermostat is not working! UPDATED w/ SOLUTION

Posted: 10/6/2004 12:58:11 AM EDT

The house was 60° yesterday when I got home frmo work. I Kicked the thermostat over to "HEAT". The furnace turned on, and the house heated up.

Just woke up @ 4:30 AM, and the house is FKING FREEZING!!! IT is 58°F in here!

#1 I need a new filter in my cold air return in my furnace.
#2 I took the cover off of the thermostat, and I can cycle the thermostat and see the mercury switch do it's thing.
#3 Pilot light is burning.
#4 Gas is on.
#5 No breakers are tripped.

WTF! Any furnace guys here?

<We don't have the F-word, or any variations, in thread titles. Thanks>

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:00:53 AM EDT

[#1]

Yeah, it's called a "blanket". Now do what your avatar says and go back to bed.

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:07:03 AM EDT

[#2]

Blower not working?

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:10:29 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Blower not working?

Nope, the blower DOES work, when I click it to ON. It is set on AUTO right now...

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:11:20 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
Blower not working?

Hard to get frozen pie to do that

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:19:18 AM EDT

[#5]

Can anyone else chime in with some troubleshooting stuff I can look at before I have to call the furnace guy?

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:34:42 AM EDT

[#6]

If the blower is working I don't know. Can you feel air coming out even if its cold?

Posted: 10/6/2004 2:44:23 AM EDT

[#7]

well back in HS i took two years of HVAC traning at the local trade school. Back then i thought that was the thing to be. Before i actualy got my hands dirty in the business anyway.

id take a guess since you said that mechanicaly everything is working
that your thermostat is screwy.

if your hard up for heat it is possible to hard wire the furnace to run continually.
But i dont recomend it unless your willing to babysit your machine.

Posted: 10/6/2004 2:54:07 AM EDT

[#8]

I think I have it troubleshot down to the relay that the thermostat kicks on/off. You can't make a mercury switch NOT open and close...

Thanks all!

Posted: 10/6/2004 2:56:45 AM EDT

[#9]

Hi limit control? Some are manual reset. Flame roll out switch? These are often a fuse like device. IF you have a VOM it should be easy.....

Posted: 10/6/2004 2:58:26 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
I think I have it troubleshot down to the relay that the thermostat kicks on/off. You can't make a mercury switch NOT open and close...

Thanks all!

i was right, that will be $75 dollars (luger355's heating&cooling standard service fee)

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:31:19 PM EDT

[#11]

First thing is replace the batteries in the t-stat.

GunLvr

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:36:29 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
First thing is replace the batteries in the t-stat.

GunLvr

Most thermostats that use mercury switches aren't running on batteries, in my experience at least.

Posted: 10/6/2004 1:39:16 PM EDT

[#13]

Is your chimney clogged with leaves?
If the furnace cannot vent it will kick off and need to be reset.
That one cost me $100!

Posted: 10/6/2004 3:19:40 PM EDT

[#14]

Gas valves do stick and go bad. Got power to it ? Cheap VOMs from electronics stores are ok for checking 24vac.

Rip

Posted: 10/6/2004 3:30:47 PM EDT

[#15]

When the batteries in my "new and improved"

thermostat go south, I leave home all warm and fuzzy. Then come home to a COLD house, I'm pissed! I have to install new batteries to get HEAT, WTF?

Hope you get yours straightened out.

Danny

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:11:55 PM EDT

[#16]

Thermo Coupler is a good start

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:21:55 PM EDT

[#17]

check for reset switch in the furnace.
if your thermastat is a two wire just short them at tthe furnace and see if the furnace lights. CAUTION USE AT OWN RISK

If the furnace has a blower on the chimny(typ. in chimny that goes out the side of the house) if it goes bad the furnace won't work. found out the hard way $160

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:23:00 PM EDT

[#18]

Bad thermocouple will cause pilot to go out.

I HATE battery "whiz bang" thermostats!! Just use the tried and true T-87 doorknob.

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:30:33 PM EDT

[#19]

Blow out the coil spring thing-e thats hooked to the mecury filled class bulb.

Does the heater kick on like it should when you manually move the mercury
back and forth ?

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:32:44 PM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
Hi limit control? Some are manual reset. Flame roll out switch? These are often a fuse like device. IF you have a VOM it should be easy.....

Duh...if it was a roll out switch the unit will not restart.

I need more info. Brand name, split system or self contained, how old is unit, is it vented with metal B vent or PVC, what type of T-stat ie digital or mercury type. How long since service or coil cleaning?

Hasn't been a job yet I was unable to fix.

Rick

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:37:32 PM EDT

[#21]

I had to replace the thermocouple in my family's heater also, I did it myself. I needed a flare nut wrench, a screw starter, and 5 minutes to remove and replace, $15 including tax. The big problem I had was to chase the part down, no body that I went to had the part in stock. I searched high & low for a replacement, and it took like 2 days to special order the unit.

Posted: 10/6/2004 4:58:47 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
check for reset switch in the furnace.
if your thermastat is a two wire just short them at tthe furnace and see if the furnace lights. CAUTION USE AT OWN RISK

If the furnace has a blower on the chimny(typ. in chimny that goes out the side of the house) if it goes bad the furnace won't work. found out the hard way $160

DING DING DING!!!

The filter was clogged, causing an overtemperature condition inside of the furnace. There was a little hidden reset butto ninside.

$70 for a big dude to push the reset button and a new filter.

Posted: 10/6/2004 5:06:16 PM EDT

[#23]

It's just October. What in the world are y'all turning the furnace on for? My AC just kicked on fer cry'n out loud!

Posted: 10/6/2004 5:15:55 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
It's just October. What in the world are y'all turning the furnace on for? My AC just kicked on fer cry'n out loud!

My same thought. As soon as I read that, I checked where Mugzilla's from. 58? It hasn't been 58 around here since when? Feburary?

Posted: 10/6/2004 5:17:03 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
Quoted:
It's just October. What in the world are y'all turning the furnace on for? My AC just kicked on fer cry'n out loud!

My same thought. As soon as I read that, I checked where Mugzilla's from. 58? It hasn't been 58 around here since when? Feburary?

Ahem, fuck you. It was 55 degrees here when I left for work this morning.

Posted: 10/6/2004 9:10:29 PM EDT

[#26]

Damn, I'm still in shorts out my way.

But it sure is nice in the morning,
shorts and coffee on the back porch.

Posted: 10/6/2004 9:21:31 PM EDT

[#27]

I am an HVAC guy,

$90.00 to knock on the door. It's is all about airflow.

But.... you said the pilot was on? So it's called a standing pilot which uses a thermocouple to maintain itself through the gas valve. But now the t-stat calls for heat, 24v goes to what? A control box? Relay board? Some of the different brands use different controls but basically the safety loop is a series circuit through the flame rollout, hi limit and, if equipped with forced draft, the pressure switch.
If there is an open circuit in this loop, the fan should run full time and furnace won't start.

Railgun.... @/C Eddie.....

Posted: 10/6/2004 9:43:57 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Blower not working?

Hard to get frozen pie to do that

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Furnace / thermostat is not working! UPDATED w/ SOLUTION

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