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Gas Furnace Problem--Trouble maintaining main burner flame

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Gas Furnace Problem--Trouble maintaining main burner flame Wayne Whitney 02-21-2008
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Posted by Wayne Whitney on February 21, 2008, 9:23 pm
Hi,

I have an old (1980s?) Carrier horizontal gas furnace in the
crawlspace next to my basement. It has an electrically lit pilot
light. Lately it has developed the following problem:

When the furnace is cold, and there is a demand for heat, the pilot
light is lit (with a click) and the little fan over the transformer
starts running. I'm not sure if there is an inducer fan; I don't
think I hear a second fan. After a short time the main burners light
(with a few clicks) and burn fine for a few seconds. Then they go out
for a few seconds and relight with a few clicks and a small bang.
This repeats several times over the course of a couple minutes.
Throughout this the pilot light continues to burn without
interruption. Finally the main burner stabilizes and burns fine.
Shortly thereafter the blower fan comes on and the furnace completes
the rest of its cycle OK. If the furnace has been run fairly
recently, there there is less or no problem with starting it up again.

What can cause this behavior? I'd like to keep the furnace working
for a year or two, then I'll be replacing it. It actually works OK
now, but all the bangs at the beginning are disconcerting. It sounds
a lot like a guttering flame, but the air is still in the vicinity of
the furnace. When the burners are lit, it looks like the draft is OK,
in that the jets of flame are blue and are pointed into the heat
exchanger as if something is sucking them in.

Thanks,
Wayne

PexSupply QuikTrak 468x60
Posted by on February 21, 2008, 9:33 pm
On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:23:35 GMT, Wayne Whitney

>Hi,
>
>I have an old (1980s?) Carrier horizontal gas furnace in the
>crawlspace next to my basement. It has an electrically lit pilot
>light. Lately it has developed the following problem:
>
>When the furnace is cold, and there is a demand for heat, the pilot
>light is lit (with a click) and the little fan over the transformer
>starts running. I'm not sure if there is an inducer fan; I don't
>think I hear a second fan. After a short time the main burners light
>(with a few clicks) and burn fine for a few seconds. Then they go out
>for a few seconds and relight with a few clicks and a small bang.
>This repeats several times over the course of a couple minutes.
>Throughout this the pilot light continues to burn without
>interruption. Finally the main burner stabilizes and burns fine.
>Shortly thereafter the blower fan comes on and the furnace completes
>the rest of its cycle OK. If the furnace has been run fairly
>recently, there there is less or no problem with starting it up again.
>
>What can cause this behavior? I'd like to keep the furnace working
>for a year or two, then I'll be replacing it. It actually works OK
>now, but all the bangs at the beginning are disconcerting. It sounds
>a lot like a guttering flame, but the air is still in the vicinity of
>the furnace. When the burners are lit, it looks like the draft is OK,
>in that the jets of flame are blue and are pointed into the heat
>exchanger as if something is sucking them in.
>
>Thanks,
>Wayne

Hire a competent licensed technician to look at it before you kill
yourself and your family dumbass.

Posted by hallerb@aol.com on February 21, 2008, 9:47 pm
On Feb 21, 9:33=EF=BF=BDpm, wi...@yahoo.com wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:23:35 GMT, Wayne Whitney
>
>
>
>
>
> >Hi,
>
> >I have an old (1980s?) Carrier horizontal gas furnace in the
> >crawlspace next to my basement. =EF=BF=BDIt has an electrically lit pilot=

> >light. =EF=BF=BDLately it has developed the following problem:
>
> >When the furnace is cold, and there is a demand for heat, the pilot
> >light is lit (with a click) and the little fan over the transformer
> >starts running. =EF=BF=BDI'm not sure if there is an inducer fan; I don't=

> >think I hear a second fan. =EF=BF=BDAfter a short time the main burners l=
ight
> >(with a few clicks) and burn fine for a few seconds. =EF=BF=BDThen they g=
o out
> >for a few seconds and relight with a few clicks and a small bang.
> >This repeats several times over the course of a couple minutes.
> >Throughout this the pilot light continues to burn without
> >interruption. =EF=BF=BDFinally the main burner stabilizes and burns fine.=

> >Shortly thereafter the blower fan comes on and the furnace completes
> >the rest of its cycle OK. =EF=BF=BDIf the furnace has been run fairly
> >recently, there there is less or no problem with starting it up again.
>
> >What can cause this behavior? =EF=BF=BDI'd like to keep the furnace worki=
ng
> >for a year or two, then I'll be replacing it. =EF=BF=BDIt actually works =
OK
> >now, but all the bangs at the beginning are disconcerting. =EF=BF=BDIt so=
unds
> >a lot like a guttering flame, but the air is still in the vicinity of
> >the furnace. =EF=BF=BDWhen the burners are lit, it looks like the draft i=
s OK,
> >in that the jets of flame are blue and are pointed into the heat
> >exchanger as if something is sucking them in.

flame sensor failure, the boom might be dirt in the burner. burner can
look great, but gas flow slightly restricted so it gets to the igniter
a little late. so the whole area fills with gas and boom.

whens the last time the furnace was cleaned and serviced? pro service,
not you changed filter...........
>

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