HVAC Help Needed - Specifically Heating

[2ADMNLOVER]

Help , my heat's out !!!!!

My pilot light keeps going out when I switch it back from pilot to the on position .

It will stay lit in the pilot and set positions but as soon as I move it back to " on " it goes right out .

About this time last year , I replaced the thermocouple and everything worked just fine until about two or so hours ago .

I've had spider webs clog up the valve before but I wouldn't think that would be the case this time , any ideas ?

 

[churchmouse]

You have probably lost the valve. This is an indication it is failing.

PM me and I will get you my cell number. I am west side and probably close.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

I just went looking through the old thread and I was wrong , it was two years ago with the very same symptoms .

 

[churchmouse]

You can try another T-couple but if it holds in the pilot position it should hold when you put it in the on position.
This is usually a strong indicator the valve is getting weak and or failing.
The T-couple generates around 30 Mv of current that powers the pilot side of the valve. This is not much and when that part of the valve gets weak any deviating in current generated by the T-couple will not reliably hold it open to maintain the pilot.
If it is a standing pilot furnace it has to have some age on it.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

The gas valve was replaced in about 06 , would it be going bad already ?

 

[Lee11b]

Dang Mexican assembled....with Chinese parts strikes again!!!!!! I would hope that an '06 gas valve would still be working, but it was probably assembled in Mexico.

 

[Lee11b]

We had 24 new blower motors come in 3 years ago.....made in INDIA!!! 12 right off the bat would just humn, not even turn, right out of the box.

 

[churchmouse]

Not sure who's valve is inn your furnace but you can put no expectations on how long these days. It totally sucks but I have had many parts that were bad right out of the box or fail in less than 30 days. I just put a new furnace in a good friends. House. Not a junk Goodman but a Carrier. Blower motor grumbles from the 1st run up. Does it every time it starts. Must be one of those motors made in India. I have seen them.

The steps you describe indicate a failing valve. With out actually seeing it I am diagnosing per hearsay over the interwebs....

I would try a new Thermocoupler. Those are built to fail these days as well.

 

[Lee11b]

wondering if a new Thermocouple fixed the problem?? Hey I replaced a blower motor on a 40+ year old furnace, which had more metal than most import cars, 3 years ago. The cord going to the blower motor looked to be the problem, but customer wanted new blower motor, so I installed new one. I gave the 40+ year old blower motor (GE actually made in Fort Wayne, Indiana) to an auto mechanic friend. We replaced the cord and low and behold.....it worked!!! It is still running and he hooked it up to a squirrel cage and uses it all summer long!!!! So roughly 43 year old blower motor still running.

 

[Lee11b]

Last winter was pretty hard on equipment in northern Indiana. Furnaces ran roughly twice as much do to the 50 degrees below freezing temps we seemed to have all winter.....and they call it global warming....oh wait....."climate change"

 

[churchmouse]

wondering if a new Thermocouple fixed the problem?? Hey I replaced a blower motor on a 40+ year old furnace, which had more metal than most import cars, 3 years ago. The cord going to the blower motor looked to be the problem, but customer wanted new blower motor, so I installed new one. I gave the 40+ year old blower motor (GE actually made in Fort Wayne, Indiana) to an auto mechanic friend. We replaced the cord and low and behold.....it worked!!! It is still running and he hooked it up to a squirrel cage and uses it all summer long!!!! So roughly 43 year old blower motor still running.

When my Grand father the Horder (depression age farmer) passed we had to clean out all the junk he had stashed. He called it his rainy day spare parts pile.
I found an old 1/4 HP blower motor attached to the entire blower assembly (belt drive) with a cord on it that had been used apparently for the same thing. I tried it out and the motor ran. I snatched it up and that motor is bolted to my grinder bench with a steel and a brass wire wheel on it. I put oil in the cups on occasion and we use the thing a lot. It has got to be 65 plus years old.

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

Not sure who's valve is inn your furnace but you can put no expectations on how long these days.l.

The unit is an old Intertherm and the valve is a Robertshaw ?

I went down to Ace hardware and got another TC for $ 11 woohoo !!!! and solved the problem . The last one I bought from the HVAC store at 465 & Mann cost me $ 20 . BOOOO!!!

Just as an FYI for those that don't know , Carrier makes the Bryant and 4-5 other brand units .

The units literally come off the same assembly lines and before they get shipped they put the other brand's labels / tags on them .

 

[Lectric102002]

Just as an FYI for those that don't know , Carrier makes the Bryant and 4-5 other brand units .

The units literally come off the same assembly lines and before they get shipped they put the other brand's labels / tags on them .

Right. Before they all were absorbed by United Technologies, it used to be BDP Corporation. Bryant, Day and Night, and Payne.

 

[churchmouse]

Right. Before they all were absorbed by United Technologies, it used to be BDP Corporation. Bryant, Day and Night, and Payne.

And I worked on the lines that made these units here in Indy right out of High School. It was Bryant Mfg.

Tag change was the call and the guys got handed a box of brand tags. Bryant/Payne/Day and Night. All were the exact same units.
Carrier is part of that group now but does maintain the high end units.

Glad you got it fixed.
Keep a spare T-couple on hand.

 

[Lee11b]

yes keep a spare TC on hand!!! We bought our house 9 years ago, bought all Maytag appliances. (KNOCKING ON WOOD) the only Maytag appliance still running is the fridge. The heavy duty Light Commercial series washer only lasted a year and 2 months. Now, we buy at Lowes (get that 10% veteran discount). We always buy the extended warranty (once again getting 10% off the warranty) Every extended warranty has paid for itself on every appliance since then.

 

[Lee11b]

Our second dryer, a Fisher Pykal, has lasted 5 years. Lowe's has sent out a repair service 9 times to fix or try to quiet it down. They just sent us a credit card for 600, minus the warranty costs, because they consider it a lemon now. We'll go buy a dryer when it pukes (which will be soon).

 

[DocIndy]

And united technologies bought out ICP. Now they own... Bryant, carrier, day and night, Payne, Heil, Grand Aire, Arcoaire, comfort maker, and a couple others. After the buyout, they cherry picked ICPs line of high efficiency furnaces and slapped carrier and Bryant's model numbers on them. ICP got carriers electric furnaces. I also started my HVAC days at the plant right out of high school. It was cool to see how they went together.

And I worked on the lines that made these units here in Indy right out of High School. It was Bryant Mfg.

Tag change was the call and the guys got handed a box of brand tags. Bryant/Payne/Day and Night. All were the exact same units.
Carrier is part of that group now but does maintain the high end units.

Glad you got it fixed.
Keep a spare T-couple on hand.

 

[churchmouse]

And united technologies bought out ICP. Now they own... Bryant, carrier, day and night, Payne, Heil, Grand Aire, Arcoaire, comfort maker, and a couple others. After the buyout, they cherry picked ICPs line of high efficiency furnaces and slapped carrier and Bryant's model numbers on them. ICP got carriers electric furnaces. I also started my HVAC days at the plant right out of high school. It was cool to see how they went together.

A lot of us came out of there.
I started on the gas line making those God awful Gas fired ammonia chillers that did not work.

I have seen a few ICP units that looked so much like Carrier/Bryants......now I know why.