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Do I need a new Gas Valve?

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Cascade
Cascade Member Posts: 4
edited April 2020 in Gas Heating
My furnace is a Goodman GSU060-3

I had a local HVAC company out March 6th and they told me I needed a new gas valve ($500 installed) because mine had an intermittent short. On March 10th, I reset the breaker & gave the valve a light whack with a piece of wood and the furnace has worked fine until today. I tried the wood again 5 or 6 times this morning but no luck. I can see at least one igniter glowing but don’t get ignition. We had to reset the circuit breaker to the furnace each time and I tried it several times with the gas flow Knob on and off since I wasn’t sure which position was on. Now the breaker won’t stay in the on position, it defaults to a tripped position. I unplugged the molex type connector to the gas valve and the breaker still wouldn’t reset. I found a replacement valve for about $115 that I can get here by tomorrow if I order soon but it doesn’t look exactly or even very similar to mine. Should that be a concern? It isn’t returnable after I install and try it.

I have a Multimeter and I can do a continuity test on my existing valve but I need to know what terminals to check. I assume 2 of the 3 where the plug connects ?

I attached a picture of mine and here are a couple links to replacements: I couldn't save a picture from the Links.

https://www.repairclinic.com/PartDetail/Gas-Valve-Assembly/0151F00000PS/3320750

https://www.searspartsdirect.com/product/jbxfulhm0v-0064-709/id-b12826-17

Comments

  • HomerJSmith
    HomerJSmith Member Posts: 2,441
    edited April 2020
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    A whack with a 2 X 4 works pretty good on wives, but it isn't a very good diagnostic tool for gas valves.

    The questions that you should have asked the HVAC guy is why he thinks the gas valve is bad and how he tested it. He should be able to answer in a clear and concise way.

    There are many things that could prevent the gas from getting to the HS igniter of which the gas valve is one.

    The gas valve runs on 24V and the fact that the breaker in the panel won't reset indicates a 110V problem. Unplug the furnace and see if the breaker resets. You realize that a breaker that trips has to be turned to the off position and than switched to the on position. If you move the switch from the mid trip position to the on position, the breaker won't reset.

    The gas valve part #0151F00000P HSI 2 STAGE GAS VALVE. The new valve should be a replacement in the cross reference chart. Which it is. But why wouldn't you think it might not be the control board? Are there any LEDs on the control board that are lit up and what color?
    EdTheHeaterMan
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,062
    edited April 2020
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    IMO, it seems unlikely that a bad gas valve would trip your 120 volt ckt bkr. The gas valve gets it's power thru a transformer and a control board, it seems like a shorted valve would smoke the transformer/board first.
    But things stranger have happened.

    Now a bad blower motor would trip the ckt bkr.

    Is there a switch on the furnace you could shut off and then try to reset the blower?

    I mean ckt bkr.........
    mattmia2
  • Cascade
    Cascade Member Posts: 4
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    The furnace has a safety feature. If it tries and fails to light 3 times in a row it trips the breaker. When I wasn't sure if the gas was on or off we tried lighting the furnace several times and had to reset the breaker per above. Now the breaker only will stay in a tripped position. It seems that resetting the Main breaker will reset the 15 or 20 amp furnace breaker.

    Anyways, the new gas valve came yesterday and I put it in. Viola, it fixed the problem.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,062
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    3 tries and trip the 15/20 amp CB?
    That is a new one.

    Anyone ever hear of this?
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,628
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    No, it doesn't trip the breaker after three failed attempts to light. If the line-voltage circuit breaker trips, you have a (possibly intermittent) line-voltage fault—the kind that causes fires. That's what the line-voltage breaker protects against.

    It isn't entirely clear if the 'breaker' isn't a low voltage breaker on the furnace itself, in which case things make a little more sense (although it still doesn't 'fails to light 3 times in a row it trips the breaker') because those are cheap little things and if they got hot by being tripped three or four times in a row, they'd take a while to reset.

    It really sounds like it's time for a pro to come & find the problem, in particular if it is indeed tripping the line voltage circuit breaker in the panel. That's a dangerous condition!

  • unclejohn
    unclejohn Member Posts: 1,833
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    That gas valve is 24 years old. Get a new furnace. And no, after three times it will not trip the circuit breaker.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,062
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    Your statement that if you reset the main you then reset the furnace CB is disturbing.
    At least you probably need a new furnace CB.
    Upon opening the panel you could find loose connect on the CB and/or neutral (white) wire.
    Also your bus bar could be toast for that CB inside the panel.

    I have done electrical for 50+ years and I believe your panel may need some pro eyes before the smoke escapes.
    Seriously......I don't have a dog in this fight.....you are not in my fire district.
    SuperTech
  • HomerJSmith
    HomerJSmith Member Posts: 2,441
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    Believe it or not, breaker do go bad. Either they constantly trip or they don't trip in an over current condition. Been there, seen it.
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,628
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    HomerJSmith said:

    Believe it or not, breaker do go bad. Either they constantly trip or they don't trip in an over current condition. Been there, seen it.

    Oh, I've caused that, once. Turned on a breaker with the (stripped) wire laying along the steel. The breaker welded on—wouldn't turn off. I was …unhappy.

    The low voltage breakers are even more fragile, I think they figure their life expectancy in 10s of operational cycles. Never had one of those stick on, however. Only fail to reset.

  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,845
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    ratio said:

    >Oh, I've caused that, once. Turned on a breaker with the (stripped) wire laying along the steel. The breaker welded on—wouldn't turn off. I was …unhappy.

    Federal Pacific?
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,628
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    Steamhead said:

    Federal Pacific?

    GE, of all things, whatever commercial bolt-in was common 15-20 years ago. I was quite surprised. Kinda pissed too, you know how I found out it was still hot.

    it was just laying on a piece of steel, never got terminated when it got cut off the fish tape. Must have been a mfgr'ing flaw in the breaker, there's no way it was a low impedance fault. The breaker shoulda opened no problem.

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