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I have to "Fonzie" my oil furnace!

smiller
smiller Member Posts: 4
edited May 2017 in Oil Heating
I have a Williamson oil furnace about 15 years old. From the website, it looks like a Centennial High Boy. When called for heat, it's not firing. The Nest thermostats are working, and the control panel is functioning as well.

When this issue occurs - which is intermittent - there is no smell, heat or other indicator. It just doesn't turn on. Initially, I would remedy the situation simply by turning the power off and on - it would immediately fire. This is the power switch on the furnace, itself - not the emergency shut off at the top of the stairs.

The other day, instead of cycling the power, I went to open the unit up to press the reset button or see if I could tell if anything else was amiss. I never got to that point - the act of removing the cover caused the furnace to fire.

This morning, I went downstairs, and all I did was "Fonzie" it - I hit the side of the furnace with my fist and the furnace fired immediately.

I should also note that once the furnace fires, it does not turn off unexpectedly.

Any suggestions on what might be causing this issue?

Thanks!

Comments

  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Sounds like a simple wiring/connection issue. Simple to repair, once found. I wouldn't let this go on for too long
    steve
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,796
    smiller said:

    ..... all I did was "Fonzie" it - I hit the side of the furnace with my fist and the furnace fired immediately.

    I was wondering which of Fonzie's methods you were referring to...... >:)

    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
    ChrisJ
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,506
    Steamhead said:


    I was wondering which of Fonzie's methods you were referring to...... >:)

    I'm guessing the banging on the jukebox method
    steve
  • Big Ed_4
    Big Ed_4 Member Posts: 2,761
    as Steve had mentioned it could be a loose wire or maybe an control ..The way it is acting I would lean to one of two controls .. Yes go over the connections , ...Thinking your unit has the helix type fan and limit with the button or lever that turns on the fan ? With the switch on and off to get it running , I am thinking primary control with the reset ... But only an voltage meter will give us the correct answer
    I have enough experience to know , that I dont know it all
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    Inside the furnace cabinet, on the right side, is there a fan center control relay? It's where the thermostat wires connect. If so, on top of that there should be a little black relay with 2 wires going to TT on the burner primary. That black relay, if its there is one, is a common spot for failure of N.O. contacts. The "Fonzie effect" usually closes the contacts.
    Have Pinkie Tuscidero come over and take a look.
  • newagedawn
    newagedawn Member Posts: 586
    if its oil fired, its the burner motor, happens alot with burner motors, stumps the inexperienced, got me,..lol, especially if you had to fonzi it, i had 2 this winter same thing, actually fonzied it right in front of the customer,lol
    "The bitter taste of a poor install lasts far longer than the JOY of the lowest price"
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    Sounds like the furnace may have jumped the shark.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    > @newagedawn said:
    > if its oil fired, its the burner motor, happens alot with burner motors, stumps the inexperienced, got me,..lol, especially if you had to fonzi it, i had 2 this winter same thing, actually fonzied it right in front of the customer,lol

    >>he said he just turned off and on the service switch before he Fonzied it. He didn't hit the reset which would trip if the OB motor was bad.
  • smiller
    smiller Member Posts: 4
    You guys are cracking me up. I'm going to check it out this weekend, and I'll report back. Thanks all!
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    The Fonzi move is quite impressive. Chicks dig it!
    Had a chance to pull one off last summer on a commercial switch gear that would not turn on.
    I bet in your case it is a loose connection or a contactor going bad.
    The motor is likely as well.

    Aaay!
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
    newagedawn
  • smiller
    smiller Member Posts: 4
    UPDATE: Had the contractor over and he suggested it was a bad relay. Sounds about right to me. Tested, and so far no problems. Now I need to find something else to "Fonzie" to demonstrate my masculinity.
    MilanD
  • smiller
    smiller Member Posts: 4
    ANOTHER UPDATE: It wasn't the relay. There was a loose wire in the gray Honeywell box (the one with the red reset button). It's "great" that we still need the heat in late May here in the northeast.
  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,476
    The old loose wire trick will get you every time.

    I live a block away from the bay just south of Boston and that NE breeze was making my tomato plants shiver!

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • Zman
    Zman Member Posts: 7,561
    smiller said:

    UPDATE: Had the contractor over and he suggested it was a bad relay. Sounds about right to me. Tested, and so far no problems. Now I need to find something else to "Fonzie" to demonstrate my masculinity.

    Electric Motors are often good candidates for the "Fonzie" move.
    A loose car battery terminal is an easy one as well....
    "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"
    Albert Einstein
  • flat_twin
    flat_twin Member Posts: 350
    Correctomundo!
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,583
    Zman said:

    smiller said:

    UPDATE: Had the contractor over and he suggested it was a bad relay. Sounds about right to me. Tested, and so far no problems. Now I need to find something else to "Fonzie" to demonstrate my masculinity.

    Electric Motors are often good candidates for the "Fonzie" move.
    A loose car battery terminal is an easy one as well....
    Often you can get a bad starter or fuel pump to run by "fonzying" it with a mallet.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment