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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by on January 17, 2007, 1:20 pm
I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
on.
I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
precisely what they have tried.)
I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
could cause this intermittent problem.
Thanks.
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Posted by Andy & Carol on January 17, 2007, 2:53 pm
I had a similiar problem, the high voltage transformer might
be going especially if it is older. You can test it by yourself
if you have any electrical knowledge. Usually they swing out,
make sure the furnace, is off at the main switch. I like to take the
transformer out , and put is on the bench. after disconnecting the
two wires.
Get a lamp cord and connect it to to the wires of the transformer.
Get a large screwdriver, with a good plastic insulated handle, put the
screwdriver on one of the high voltage electrodes and move it slowly
toward the second electrode. The spark should jump at least 3/4 of an inch.
Nice and blue. If not your xformer is weak, easy to buy and replace, about
$80.00
Check your electrodes on the gun, they should be about 1/8" apart,and about
1/8"
in front of the nozzle. While you got it apart, get another good quality
nozzle,
and replace your old one, with the same specs. Usually .75 to 1.50 @ 80
degrees.
Also, check your Cadmium cell and make sure its clean. If it doesn't see a
good
flame, it will shut the the gun down. Did you change the oil filter? If the
air filter
is plugged, proper air flow will not flow through the furnace, and shut it
down on high limit temp. The oil pressure to the nozzle should be about 100
lbs.
Have a pro set up the draft and air over the flame!
My 2 cents worth..
>I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
> the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
> kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
> it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
> manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
> found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
> start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
> damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
> on.
>
> I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
> maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
> each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
> the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
> handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
> precisely what they have tried.)
>
> I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
> little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
> diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
> could cause this intermittent problem.
>
> Thanks.
>
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Posted by The Reverend Natural Light on January 17, 2007, 3:21 pm
In my case, the electrodes needed adjustment.
Twice it wouldn't come on with the thermostat. I hit the reset and it
fired right up with no problems. Third time it happened, I hit the
reset, the motor came on for a minute, and still no fire. I switched
it off and called the oil company.
Tech comes out, tries to bleed the oil lines, then adjusts the
electrodes. He switches it on, and BOOM!! It blew smoke and fire all
over the place. Tech picks himself up off the floor and asks how many
times I hit the reset. "Just once, like you people told me to do!".
I guess the old Chrysler Airtemp has an attitude... He admitted he'd
never worked on one that old before.
Anyways, there are many different things that could cause that.
Electrodes, bad/dirty photocell, air in the lines, etc..
You've got the right idea with the service contract. The oil furnace
is the ONLY thing I will not work on myself.
-rev
thecyclist@gmail.com wrote:
> I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
> the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
> kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
> it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
> manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
> found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
> start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
> damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
> on.
>
> I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
> maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
> each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
> the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
> handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
> precisely what they have tried.)
>
> I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
> little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
> diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
> could cause this intermittent problem.
>
> Thanks.
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Posted by shebaaa on January 17, 2007, 4:06 pm
thecyclist@gmail.com wrote:
> I have an oil-burning furnace, with an intermittent problem. Most of
> the time when the temperature drops below the thermostat level, it
> kicks in just fine. But every so often, with no particular regularity,
> it fails to start. I have to go down to the basement and press the
> manual restart button (which always works with just one push). I have
> found no factor that seems to explain when it fails to automatically
> start. (For example, it seems no worse on particularly cold days, or
> damp day, etc.) It is just that once every day or so, it fails to come
> on.
>
> I have a service contract, and the furnace is old but has been
> maintained. A couple service guys have been out to look at it, and
> each has done a little something, but nothing has definitively solved
> the problem. (I am embarrassed to admit here that I am NOT the
> handyman type. I do not watch over their shoulders, and I do not know
> precisely what they have tried.)
>
> I have a guy coming out again in a couple days, and I am hoping to be a
> little bit better armed with knowledge, and be more involved in the
> diagnosis. I was wondering if anyone has ideas on what sorts of things
> could cause this intermittent problem.
>
> Thanks.
>
When you do reset it, does it rumble, or is there a smell of oil or smoke?
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Posted by on January 17, 2007, 4:26 pm
shebaaa wrote:
> When you do reset it, does it rumble, or is there a smell of oil or smoke?
Well, the sound of the burner kicking in is always a sort of mild
rumble, but it does not sound any different from usual when I am doing
it via reset. No smell of oil or smoke that I have ever noticed.
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