my furnacce is not working.. we turn it on with the thermostat and it doesnt kick on at all. none of it, the fan. is it completely dead? or is there a simpliar (cheaper) reason?
2006-12-16 00:46:11 · 7 answers · asked by erika c 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
the furnace is at least 10 years old
2006-12-16 01:11:36 · update #1
It could be many things. Fisrt check your circuit breaker and/or fuses. Make sure the breaker is on, if tripped reset it. If it trips again don't reset and call an hvac repairman. Same thing with the fuse. It should be on the furnace behind one of the doors. If fuse is blowed, replace it. if it blows again call repairman for help. A door may be off the furnace. There is a door switch or switches that will open and prevent the furnace from working if the door is off. The thermostat may also be faulty and wont close the contacts to start the furnace. You can jump across the contacts with a jumper for troubleshooting purposes only, to see if the furnace starts. If none of these works you should call a repairman or someone close to you that knows furnaces. If its a newer furnace, the fan should blow cold air if the burner doesn't light. You can check the igniter but I don't think that's the prob.
From your posting it sounds like the electricity coming in to feed the furnace is dead. That is why I suggested the breaker(s), fuse(s) and thermostat. Good Luck.
2006-12-16 01:15:36 · answer #1 · answered by jackrabbit 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You first have to make sure that electricity is going to the furnace. Try plugging something else into the outlet near your furnace to see if it works. If you have electricity, check to see that the panel covering the motor compartment (where the air filter is typically located) is seated properly. There may be a cutoff switch for this panel that is not engaged.
If you still have a problem, your approach to troubleshooting depends whether you have an older furnace with a pilot light, or a newer furnace with an igniter. You say your furnace is at least 10 years old, but it still may have an igniter.
If your furnace has a pilot light, check to see if it is lit. Also check the knob on the gas valve to see if it is in the ON position. If the pilot won't stay lit, replace the thermocouple. If the pilot is lit but the main gas burners don't come on, the thermostat may be your problem. This is not a common failure, however. There is a safety switch inside the furnace that maybe is preventing the burners from coming on. If the main burners come on but the fan does not come on, the thermostatic switch inside the furnace that controls the fan may be defective.
However, if your system has an igniter, momentarily unplug the furnace to reset the control circuitry. When you plug the furnace back in, does it try to come on but stop after several attempts? It may be your igniter, also called a hot surface igniter (HSI), is the problem. Remove it carefully and look for cracks. Take care not to touch the element.
If these steps have not solved your problem, and unless you are mechanically inclined, you'd be better off to call a service technician. They've got the knowledge and the tools, and probably the replacement parts you'd need right on their truck.
2006-12-16 03:18:13 · answer #2 · answered by Tech Dude 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you have power coming into the unit, I would say your transformer is bad. If it is, most likely you have a wire or (wires) going either to the thermostat or the fan and if you have a heat pump, wires outside to that unit, that is or are grounded to each other or to a piece of metal.
Usually, if you open the cover to the air handler (inside fan unit) you will see where all of the wires are jummbled together, If the transformer is burned out you will smell a burnt smell in there.
This sounds funny but if you have used an old heating pad before, it kind of smells like that.
You will probably have to call a tech in to help you.
Good luck. Hope this helps.
2006-12-16 02:24:18 · answer #3 · answered by launrider 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you checked the fuses, are all of the panels on it (some have cutoff switches if the furnace covers are not on), if gas is the pilot light lit? Any of these can be a quick fix.
2006-12-16 00:58:43 · answer #4 · answered by sthrnduff 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How old is the furnace? If it is older, can you see the pilot light, if you see it then it may be your thermal coupling that is bad. If you have a newer furnace that doesn't use a pilot light, I would change the ignitor first.
2006-12-16 00:57:12 · answer #5 · answered by Rancher 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
some of the panels if opened and not shut correctly (like changing a filter) wont let the system turn on happened to me and mine is like ten yrs old too!
2006-12-16 04:55:55 · answer #6 · answered by worm 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have you paid your gas bill lately?
2006-12-16 08:41:05 · answer #7 · answered by HowFuzzyWuzee 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋