(Edit: Repaired) Gas Furnace Went Out

[Oklahomabassin]

Thank you for all of the offers for heaters, warm food, places to stay etc. It really is heartwarming to receive pm, texts and posts on here offering help.

I have cleaned the flame sensor/thermocoupler many years early in the season with a green scotch brite pad and it has always resolved the issue. This year it wasn't enough. The heat and air tech was more aggressive and used some emory cloth. He checked everything else out as well. We are warming up nicely in the house. We still have a few days for the outside. Lol

 

[1911Sooner]

Are you sure its not the flame stick or whatever it's called . Mine has a metal stick that the flame hits at start up. Every couple years I have to hit it with scotch brite to clean it then it works. Symptoms are flame starts up, fan kicks on, and then everything stops.

 

[Mr.Glock]

Thermostat batteries need replaced? I hate that everything has batteries these days.

I thought the Thermostat in the home I am currently finishing up on a complete interior remodel was messed up, few days ago was taking it off the wall to get a new one and found it has batteries in it. Never have had one that took batteries. Two new Double As and walla it was not jacked up after all.

 

[Oklahomabassin]

Are you sure its not the flame stick or whatever it's called . Mine has a metal stick that the flame hits at start up. Every couple years I have to hit it with scotch brite to clean it then it works. Symptoms are flame starts up, fan kicks on, and then everything stops.

Flame sensor.

 

[Letfreedomring]

I thought the Thermostat in the home I am currently finishing up on a complete interior remodel was messed up, few days ago was taking it off the wall to get a new one and found it has batteries in it. Never have had one that took batteries. Two new Double As and walla it was not jacked up after all.

Might check to see if they just didn't bother hooking up common wire since our old manual thermostat didn't use it they left it tucked in wall.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

Check and see if it is the "vacuum sensor" that detects if your draft initiator is working. If it doesn't sense the lower pressure in the combustion chamber, it won't turn on the gas. Mine went out about two months ago. It has a rubber / fabric diaphragm in it that wears out or just deteriorates and leaks. The flame in my furnace would click on and off at first, then stay lit. Finally, it wouldn't come on at all. The draft initiator would start running but the defective sensor wouldn't allow the gas to turn on.

The sensor is a relatively inexpensive part, but it is essential. The draft initiator keeps the pressure inside the combustion chamber of the furnace lower than the air pressure in the rest of the furnace preventing any carbon monoxide from entering the air being heated and circulated. The pressure sensor detects the lower pressure and allows the flame to ignite.

The sensor also has a set of contacts in it that can get 'burnt' like the points in the old style car engine ignition distributors.

Woody

 

[Mr.Glock]

Might check to see if they just didn't bother hooking up common wire since our old manual thermostat didn't use it they left it tucked in wall.
View attachment 444963
View attachment 444964

I will! I did put new batteries and it works, but was confused on why not hard wired with no batteries?

 

[Thorgrim]

There is a microswitch in the thermostat, your batteries may have had enough power to start the furnace sequence of operation, but then it cuts out and your furnace shuts down. I had a similar experience.....yet the unit sends 24v to the thermostat, but the microswitch is open/closed via battery power....nuts.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I don't know how old your unit is but, this is something easy to check. This got one of my units once in the extreme cold. The newer units that are very efficient have condensation that collects in a drip pan under the unit. There is usually a float switch in the pan to kill the unit if the drain line plugs or freezes up. My drain on mine on the north end of my house froze up and the unit would start the purge fan running but wouldn't fire up and run. Something easy to check.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I must have jinxed myself by replying to this post. I just finished cutting my drain line because it froze up outside again. It felt cool in my mancave I set the thermostat up to 70 and it never kicked on. My thermometer read 59 degrees, so I knew what to check first. The drain line runs down my garage wall so, I cut it (PVC) and stuck a bucket under it. I'll empty buckets until it warms up enough to get outside and fix it right.