Forced Hot Air Gas problem

ed wallace

call service co back or call another co hopefully next tech will have tools with him and can spend time recycling the burner

JM_2

explosive start up

My sister had her Forced Hot air (Gas Fired)funace cleaned for the first time since she bought the house 5yrs ago. the unit is about 20 yrs old. It was working fine but someone told her (not me) she should have it serviced. since servicing, the pilot has gone out several times. she often hears a loud bang from the basement. I went over and watched while she turned it off then on. Most of the time it seemed normal, but one time i noticed a loud bang at start up with flames briefly rolling out of the unit. we called the sewrvice co. back and of course when they sowed up it ran fine. the only equipment this tech had with him was a flashlight. He said he cant fix what he cant see.

What next.

John Conway

bang, bang... you know the rest...

I'm no pro, but loud bangs & flame-rollout? That's dangerous, man! Shut off the gas. Flag the furnace. Move out of the house. Can you spell CO? Never mind fire....

If a flashlight makes a technician, then I must be a surgeon, 'cause I've got rubber gloves.

I don't mean to be rude. Is anyone complaining of headaches, etc? Bangs and flames are indicators of serious problems. Call a genuine pro.

Peace

Tom_35

Furnace tune-up

There could be several things causing the delayed igntion on the furnace. Ask your sister how long the technician was there on the initial call. If he was there for over an hour, there's a good chance that he pulled the burners and cleaned the pilot. If the tech did not get the burner back in place properly, the lighter bar that runs across the burners may not be letting the gas cross over properly, with delayed ignition the result.

It's also possible that the pilot is not in position correctly, which could also cause the burner not to light.

You mentioned that the pilot sometimes goes out. This is probably because the small "explosion" knocks the pilot out when the burners are trying to ignite.

The tech that came back sounds like he made the top 90% of his graduating class possible. I would definitely have a reputable company come out and check the furnace out. Not only should he make sure the burners are in place correctly, he should check the gas pressure through the valve, temperature rise through the heat exchanger, CO test, check the flue, make sure the fan-limit switch is working correctly, etc. A true furnace tune-up should take 1.5 hours to perform.

Tom A

JM_2

Its only been three days since the tech did the cleaning. The unit has been off most of the time. the house is odd in that it has a forced air furnace for the first floor and a baseboard boiler for the second. so the second floor at least is warm.
The first work sheet says he "adjusted air to flame". did he srew it up?

JM

JM_2

My sister told me the guy spent less than an hour total, and this was for two systems (see above). the call back man was the same tech who did the original job.

JM

Tom_35

By the way,

Tom_35

By the way,

If the furnace is 20 years old, it has surpassed the heat exchanger warranty by 10 years. I would not recommend putting a lot of money in a unit that old. The efficiency level is probably in the range of 65% at best, and the minimum in now 80%.

Tom A

rich pickering

No offense Tom, but while you may be right, you could be wrong. My furnace is from 1985, and is 80+. (or it would be if it was sized right) And some hx had 20yr or a lifetime warranty.

jeff_51

picking on tom

I was putting in 90% condensing furnaces in 20 yrs ago, and they are still running just fine

Unknown

John you sure have

your problems. Is your sister here in Rhode Island? I have someone who can look at the furnace for her. He is a real pro, give me a call at 401-437-0557.

Tom_35

I've got thick skin---

so go ahead and pick :-)

I figured the furnace was a standing pilot furnace since he said that the pilot had gone out several times, and I assumed they were having to re-light it. If it was spark ignition or glow coil, more than likely it would be a more efficient furnace--in the 80% range. Furnaces with a thermocouple or pilot safety set-up would tend to be a standard efficiency furnace.

I agree that a good portion of the 80% furnaces have (had) 20-year heat exchanger warranties, but most all standard efficiency furnaces were 10-year warranty.

Now, back to the lady's problem. There is no way that 2 furnaces could even have more than a "walk-by" in less than an hour. I would still have another company come look at the furnace since more than likely, the furnaces are in no better shape now than what they were originally.

Tom A

michael bonk

unit ventalators

I was asked to disconect the phaze by-pass damper on each of our 8 unit ventalator in our building. This leaves us with just the out side air damper working on each unit. I was told to put the phaze by-pass damper in the off position. This will limit us to just outside air to each one of our units. WHAT PROMBLEMS WILL THIS ACTION CAUSE TO HAPPEN TO THE BUILDING??????? AND EACH UNIT???????????
The units are supplied by water cooled coil, and hot water heating coil. IS THERE ANY HEALTH RISK TO OUR STUDENTS AND OR STAFF????????????????????????????????????????

EBEBRATT-Ed

If the outside air is cold and the heat fail you will freez itup

EBEBRATT-Ed

My sides are splitting over "I can't fix what I can't see"

Hopefully the "Technician" will get out of the business before he hurts someone!

JM_2

Update

The system has been off since the last call back. My sister has been out of town. She has a second system (FHW) for the second floor so she is comfortable at night with the first floor hot air off. she has not goten a new co in yet because she is a little miffed about paying one Co only to have then screw it up. But ultimatly she wants it corrected.

Anyway, I went over tonight just to watch the system. It worked normally on initial start up and through a few cycles all on its own. And then I saw it.... It had cycled off and on the next start up only one off the three burners lit and even then not fully. this went on for several seconds and just before I yelled up for her to shut it down it lit with a whoomph, a big whoomph, flames came out about 2 feet. It still did not sound normal. Then I noticed that one of the burner tubes was filled with flames. I took a picture but cant post it yet.

How could a tune up go so wrong?

Tom_35

The cross over tube

is probably not line up correctly John, which is what I mentioned in an earlier post.

She needs to bite the bullet and get a reputable company to make the repair.

If she is just adamant about not getting someone else, she could call the original company and ask to speak with the owner. Tell the story to him and ask if there is another more competent tech available, or better yet, the owner himself. I would certainly want to see something like this if one of my techs left a furnace in that shape.

Let us know how this pans out.

Tom A

Weezbo

Thank God you dont have propane.

to me the caviler attitude of that tech would be his walking ticket to the door. first of all your safety is of # 1 importance . yah heats good buh Boom aint a normal operating parameter in my books.i certainly would not call the guy back.i might place a call to his boss and ask him if in his opinion loud booms on start up after a tune up on his home would be acceptable. ah no...uh uh. no way hose. that dont go. i am fairly certain saying that you wont find anyone here recommending you crank the thing up again.Period . full stop.

rich pickering

And don't forget to tell him you were just about blinded by the flames. That should get a response.

rich pickering

My bad, I missed the standing pilot. I did a clean and check today in about 1 1/2 hours, including washing the fan at the carwash. The gas company had shut it down until it was cleaned. Mind you, I was in a hurry, the pile of cat dung in the corner ruined my afternoon

Unknown

John, please give me a call

I am right here in RI. I will come out no charge (FREE) and at least tell you what is wrong and maybe I can make a simple correction to fix the problem. I am getting to old to get into parts replacement but lets see what we can do to solve this problem.

I am concerned for personal safety of you sister and her family.

Call 401-437-0557

ed wallace

gas problem

had to correct a problem on a gas boiler where the gas oriface was left out on a repair talk about roll out

Unknown

I will be going out

Saturday AM to look at this job I will let you all know what I find.

Plumdog

He can't fix what he can't see? And he has a flashlight?
Perhaps an eye examination and/or new batteries?
Are the tops of the burners all level and affixed both to the front and back of the combustion chamber? Is the pilot flame close to the burner that it is attatched to? Get someone else to look at it soon!