Help! My Natural Gas Furnace is not working. When should it be replaced?

Question

I have a Ruud Natural Gas Furnace Model UGAA-080C from what I can see on the label. Honestly, I didnt think to ask how old it was when I bought the house last month. Yes first time homebuyer and young. What a combination! Everything was fine until yesterday which was a beautiful day and since we were painting I decided to cut it off - rather than down - and opened the sliding glass doors and windows. I'll say it was shut down for 8 hours then as night approached I set it to like 75 but I never heard the usual rumble. Didnt really think anything of it until 12am when I woke up freezing. I can see the blue flame but no matter how I set it, it wont come on. Is there anything else I can try before shelling out money for a tech to come and possibly replace it so soon after Christmas :(

When painting, I simply turned switch to Off rather than Heat or Cool. Didnt touch anything else. I was painting another room.

Answer 1

It could be a few things.

Double check your t-stat to insure it is all the way on heat and the fan is on auto. Try moving the fan switch to "On" and see if that kicks on. If it does, then you know you have power to the heater. If it doesn't, try plugging in a light to the outlet the heater is using and see if that is working. If not, check your breaker at the panel.

Next, turn the stat off and then back on. An older stat can sometimes lock up and not work.

Next, take the cover off the stat. You should see several wires secured by very small Phillips head screws. Find the two that are marked "W" and "R". Find a small piece of and touch it to these. BE VERY CAREFUL. Don't touch anything else. If the heater comes on, replace your stat. If it doesn't, replace your step down transformer.

If you are not confident in trying this, call a repair man.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

I agree w/ everyone else, prob. a t-stat issue, but to answer the second part of your question about "when to replace", it depends on how old the unit is. As each year passes by, your furnace becomes less and less efficient. Try to determine the age of your unit. I wouldn't put a whole lot of money into an old unit. I installed two 95% efficient furnaces in my home and wow, what a difference on my heating bills. I just typed in your model number in my Prestons Guide software and that unit was built in the late 70's. That is really old and is prob. operating at about 50-60% efficiency. Probably time to start thinking about replacing.

Answer 3

I agree with micheal b that it sounds like a thermostat issue and not the furnace itself. If you have a digital thermostat you might look for a reset button. Possibly just turning it off and on again could reset it. Maybe ask a neighbor to take a look at it, most men in thier 40s would probably know what to do.*

*the above statement in no way suggests that women of any age could not be helpful. ;)

Answer 4

you can buy a gas furnace with a direct vent to the outside,requires a whole through the basement wall,pellet stoves are not made to heat a whole home like a furnace,a pellet stove is a separate heating component,it requires filling every 24 hours,and only heats a limited space,go with the gas direct vented.its cheaper,in the long run.

Answer 5

I think your pilot went off too.
That should never happen!
Try to find and follow gas burner lighting instructions.
Generally, you need a means of burning to warm up the controls before gas can flow again.
You may have to replace your pilot burber.($10-$20)

Answer 6

Although this wont sound like the problem try this before calling anyone or taking things apart...Furnaces these days will not allow the burners to fully light if the filter is dirty...Either take out the filter and clean it or better yet replace it and this will likely cure your problem

Answer 7

Try the t-stat. Take the cover off and jump a wire from red to white. If your furnace comes on replace the stat.

Answer 8

check the pilot lite if working check the fuse change it out to a new one check to see if that's the problem then if it works great if not change out the thermostat this is all about would cost about $30 if you have a service man come out it would be about $60 to $70 the fuse should be on the furnace

Answer 9

If you have a programmable t-stat make sure you have fresh batteries in it. Did you take the cover off the furnace? If you did make sure you replaced it correctly.

Answer 10

You better get carbon monoxide alarms for your bedrooms! There making it a law now.Because a good number of people have been dropping like flies because of its colorless odorless gas that can cause tiredness loss of cognitive thinking and then death.! Be care full and get good ventilation if you think it could be functioning poorly!