Furnace filter

maintenace 11/19/2012 Comments: 5

There are a few different types of furnace filters; they all have different capacities to clean the air and last different durations. On the side I have a link that will connect you to a chart for MERV (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) ratings and what each will clean out of the air. Every house is different for durations filters last depend on house (rugs, animals, etc) and area (construction, dusty areas, etc)

  • First one is flat; the surface area is only that of the filter. These filters will last 1 month 1 – 4 MERV
  • The next type of filter is the one I have pictured here, how is works is the media bends back and forth so if you were to stretch it out you would have material 3 times as long. This means they will last 3 months instead of the typical once a month filter changes. The filter would fit in same filter rack as regular filters and clean house better 4 – 8 MERV. Check out this filter on my affiliate website Amazon.
  • Another type of filter is the box type they can be 4 – 5 inch thick and require professional installation. Best part about this filter is that it only needs to be changed once a year, and are MERV 10 – 16. This is my recommended filter and is the same one I use in my house, It makes everything easier because you only have to change filter every fall not 1 or 3 month
  • 20121122-212533.jpg<;a href=”http://Filtrete UA21DC-6 Ultimate Allergen Reduction Filters, 1900 MPR, 18 x 24 x 1, 6-Pack “>;affiliate amazon

Click here to see my Post on protecting your home “Alarm for Home”

Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R (Heating, Ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration).

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Alarm for home

Uncategorized 11/19/2012 Comments: 12

For holidays Especially in the winter time many people fly off to hot places to enjoy the warm weather not thinking about their house. One of the hardest part of the job I found was going to such a house when their furnace had broken down causing the house to get very cold breaking water lines and causing extension damage. I have seen houses where the furnace had stopped working due to minor problems, which could have been avoided if they had a low temperature alarm. Water lines would freeze then it warms up outside and the water lines break open spraying water all over house until they returned home.

Insurance company would not pay for damage because of a little clause they had for houses when they are unoccupied. Most insurance company’s clause say the house must be check every 72 house or insurance will not cover damage. I recommend talking to your insurance company about how often the house should be check when going on vacation. The grace time changes with each insurance company and each agreement.

One way freezing your house could be avoided is with this little thermostat, all you need to do is plug into a lamp and ask neighbor to watch for a light on. If they do see light they should call an emergency number you have setup with them. But of course light bulbs can burn out or electrics fail so be careful to still have someone check house as per insurance company requirements. Check out my affiliate Amazon for this alarm

<a href=”http://Filtrete UA01DC-6 Ultimate Allergen Reduction Filters, 1900 MPR, 16 x 25 x 1, 6-Pack “>Amazon

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Furnace flame rollout safety

safety switches 11/18/2012 Comments: 4

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This is a picture of a flame rollout safety switch it will trip at a set temperature. The temperature set point of the rollout is designed to open when the flame is coming out the front of the burners

  • Possible heat exchanger has a hole or big crack.
  • Another possible cause is a combustion air intake pipe getting a plugged screen, Which will cause the room to work in A negative air pressure. Then air will be pulled in through the exhaust vent pushing flames out of heat exchanger and tripping the switch.

Between the wires the switch has a resettable button, but the cause of the problem should be found before leaving furnace. Never jump safety switch as it could cause property damage.

Click here to see my post on protecting your home “Alarm for Home”

Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R (Heating, Ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration).

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How to test flame sensor

furnace heating repairs 11/16/2012 Comments: 14

<a href=”Lennox 28M97 Angled Flame Sensor For Mpga Cmpe Cmpb 20467102 ” title=”flame sensor amazon”>How to test flame sensor

In the picture you will see a 1/8 inch round rod in the flame, that is the flame sensor. You need a multi meter that measures micro amps which you will connect in series with the flame sensor. The sensor is usually located on left side but on some furnaces it may be on the right side.

How the flame sensor works is by a small AC electrical charge going through the sensor and it uses the flame to carry the electrical power to ground. Burner surface to flame sensor is 4:1 ratio thus causing the AC current to change to DC current. If no flame present, dirty flame sensor, bad flame characteristics similar to flame lifting off or carbonizing there will be low or no micro amp draw and the control board will shut the flames off. After 3 to 5 tries the control board will lock the furnace out for 3 hours, which can be reset by cycling power or thermostat.

All furnaces have different micro amp readings some good at .8 while others need 6 you will need to find out the right micro amp reading for your furnace. The flame sensor has a coating on it to make it last a long time and will get worn off by over cleaning, so it is best to only clean rod when it is needed. If flame sensor requires cleaning more often then once a year it should be replaced, or check for other problems like vent stack temperature, gas pressure, or primary air need to be adjusted.

How to clean flame sensor

  • First find the flame sensor.
    Most furnaces you will find a white wire located on the left side connecting the flame sensor to the circuit board.
    Watch the furnace ignite you will see spark or orange glow in front of one burner and the flame sensor should be on opposite side, but I have seen them on the next burner from the igniter.
  • Shut power off to the furnace while you are working, you will find a light switch high on wall or in the ceiling.
  • Most furnaces have 1/4 inch screw that holds the sensor in place; any multi screwdriver without the bit will be 1/4 inch. Remove the screw(s) and disconnect wire
  • Once removed you can clean the sensor with a scotch brite pad, if you do not have one then just use a clean rag for now. Do not use sand paper or wire brush, as it will remove the protective coating and scratch the rod causing it to fail more often. Some people like to clean every year but I advice not to, It is best to clean only when needed since the protective coating will be removed with over cleaning
  • Once the rod is cleaned reconnect the wire and screws making sure the rod sits in the flame. Some times the burner and any grounding surface will get dirty and need to be cleaned as well.

Click here to see my post “first check thermostat”
Click here to see my Post on protecting your home “Alarm for home”

Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R (Heating, Ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration).

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link in picture to amazon parts

pilot flame colour orange or soft blue

maintenace 11/11/2012 1 Comment

Best pilot flame will be one that makes little noise and has a sharp blue colour

  • Orange pilot flame is called a carbonizing flame, Means that it is running with low primary air
  • Low primary air is due to dirty pilot you will need shut gas off and remove pilot orifice and clean
  • Soft blue flame is caused by low gas pressure to the pilot, Which can be adjusted on the gas valve . If by adjusting pilot does not solve problem then gas valve is restricting gas too much and may need replacing.
  • Sharp blue flame that is too noisy will be opposite as soft blue flame the gas pressure is set too high, Pilot flame could lift off the pilot housing and go out .
  • Pilot flame should burn around the top 1/2 inch of the thermocouple in order to produce the proper dc voltage to hold the safety open for the gas valve to operate.check my links on side bar for thermocouple/thermopile charts where you will see a chart on how to test thermocouple/thermopiles

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Click here to see my post on protecting your home “Alarm for Home”

Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R(Heating, Ventilation ,air conditioning, refrigeration).

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Yellow burner flame

maintenace 11/10/2012 1 Comment

Yellow flame

The reason for burner flames to be burning yellow is because they are deprived of oxygen. With incomplete combustion there will be less CO2 Carbon Dioxide and more CO Carbon Monoxide.

  • High efficient furnace are two pipe system that have combustion air going into the furnace
    and exhaust air coming out. They both should be piped to an outside wall with the least amount of horizontal lines as possible . The reason for this is the furnace will produce water with vent temperature running warm and condensation will be produced. The water will be piped to a floor drain or pump.

  • The first thing you should check is outside intake pipe make sure it is not plugged with snow or frost blocking or restricting air flow. Exhaust air is warm and moist and the intake will suck this air in while mixing with cold air from outside and the moisture will frost up on the intake pipe. exhaust pipe should be extended 8 inches past the intake pipe to minimize this problem. As well be careful of fences or walls where the exhaust could bounce back to the intake pipe.
  • Next thing to check is the intake and exhaust pipe for places where water could collect due to wrong slope or sages in the pipe. If the pipe does not have enough hangers then it will sag and collect water in the valleys .
  • high efficient furnaces with only one exhaust pipe to the outside and combustion air inside building will bring air into the building similar to a mid efficient furnace . Both will bring in combustion air in through a combustion air pot usually 4 or 5 inch insulated pipe that comes from outside. It must be located as per code level to one foot above burners and within two feet horizontal. Outside will have a mesh screen that is designed to keep small animals and birds out, the screen could be plugged and needs to be cleaned, lots of times the backdraft safety switch will trip if there is not enough combustion air.
  • If cold air is noticed coming out of combustion air pot when furnace is not running this means the basement is in a neg pressure . The cold air can be stopped by a Hoyme combustion air damper that is connected to the furnace heat cycle and only opens on a call for heat.

    Click here to see my Post on protecting your home “Alarm for home”

    Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R(Heating, Ventilation ,air conditioning, refrigeration).

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    • Picture of fresh air intake under deck

    maintenace 11/10/2012 Comments: 10

    Dirty fresh or combustion air intake screen similar to the one in this picture will cause the furnace to not get the proper air it needs to run, Because of a negative pressure in the room. This negative pressure will cause air to be brought into the room through the only duct to the outside which is the furnace exhaust vent. The furnace will have a back draft safety switch to protect the home owner from carbon monoxide poisoning and when the safety switch trips it can be easily reset, But once reset the reason for it triping in the first place must be addressed .

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    Click here to see my Post on protecting your home “Alarm for home”

    Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R(Heating, Ventilation ,air conditioning, refrigeration).

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    80 MGF & G 24 intermittent issue

    furnace heating repairs 11/06/2012 Leave a comment

    Lennox furnaces with these two model numbers have a intermittent problem with them in the way that they will run fine for a long time, Then all sudden stop working and give you an error code of pressure switch open . But when a professional shows up to repair the furnace they find nothing wrong . The issue I have found many times is when they manufactured the venter motor assembly they painted it black, Paint chips would flake off make their way to the pressure switch and block off air flow . To fix this problem you would need to replace the motor assembly, pressure switch, and vacuum lines .

    Click here to see my Post “first check furnace”
    Click here to see my Post on protecting your home ” Alarm for Home”

    Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R(Heating, Ventilation ,air conditioning, refrigeration).

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    Next step after t-stat

    furnace heating repairs 11/05/2012 1 Comment

    NEXT STEP AFTER YOU CONFIRM THERMOSTAT IS OPERATING PROPERLY

    All newer furnaces are self diagnosing and will flash an led light in a sequence to give you a one or two digit trouble code . The code is usually published on the door of the furnace, service manual, or can be found online. Try to note the problem code on the furnace before any attempt to reset is made as it will help a professional if you can’t get it fixed yourself. It could be a number code or short and long flashes ie. 3 short 1 long would mean code 31

    If the power is off on the furnace check that the power switch is turned on. The switch is located high on the wall or ceiling, It looks like a light switch and can be shut off by accident. Still no power then check the house breaker for the furnace as it sometimes will not fully flip instead just move a little. If breaking has tripped then the problem is short to ground in the furnace, Most times the problem will be in the motor.

    One of the most common problems is a dirty filter so start by remove the furnace filter clean or replace as needed. Flat filters should be replaced every month, Pleated filters should be changed every 3 months. Pleated filters will last longer due to the larger surface area since if it was stretched out the filter would be three times as long. The type of filter I use needs the main box professionally installed but yearly changes can be done by home owner, just make sure you can buy the filters without dealer. the filter is about 5 inch wide and it only needs to be changed once a year.

    Not every filter will last the specified time since every house is different and get dirty at different rates due to outside dust, inside rugs, animals.

    Click here to see my Post “First Check Thermostat”

    Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R(Heating, Ventilation ,air conditioning, refrigeration).

    Thanks for reading my blog

    when furnace fails first start with thermostat

    furnace heating repairs 11/04/2012 Comments: 9

    When a furnace stops heating there are many things a home owner can do to fix the problem before calling in a professional and paying lots of money

    first thing you should check is your thermostat and make sure it is set properly

    heating

    • heat/cool/heat/off switch is set to heat
    • auto/on does not affect heat call -on fan will run all the time and change speeds with heat or cooling call -auto fan only runs on heat or cooling calls
    • temperature call must be higher then the room temperature where the thermostat is located (when house is cold, by adding heat near the thermostat it may cause the furnace not to come on due to that heat. the rest of the house will be cold
    • digital thermostats will use battery’s make sure they are above 1.5 volts. Do not use rechargeable battery’s, as they are designed for cameras and are only 1.2 volts.some digital thermostats do not require battery to run, because they are getting power from furnace on “C” terminal . Some any time “C” terminal is connected the battery’s are only good if you remove thermostat from wall for programming . Battery’s will leak if left for long time it is still recommended to replace battery’s every couple years. Battery’s should be tested yearly

    Cooling

    • similar to heating except heat/cool/off must be set to cool
    • temperature must be set below room temperature

    Click here to see my Post “Next step after Thermostat”
    Click here to see my Post “Cracked Heat Exchanger”
    Click here to see my Post on protecting your home when on vacation “Alarm for Home”

    Thank you for visiting my blog I would appreciate any feedback I can get, Please leave a comment on whether my information has helped you. I am always interested in more topic to write about, so feel free to leave a comment asking about anything related to HVAC-R(Heating, Ventilation ,air conditioning, refrigeration).

    Thanks for reading my blog
    Gary