SOB my furnace has quit working again

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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I've lived here for three years and this is the third winter in a row it has died on me. Luckily its only 50 out and the kerosene heater from my garage is enough to keep most of the house warm and the living room real warm.

This furnace is one of those all in one a/c and furnace deals so its all outside and of coarse its raining so even if I wanted to look at it right now and I don't :) I couldn't. The first year it was the regulator and the second year it was the fan blades on the exhaust fan rusting apart and come to think of it when I looked at the house I don't think it was working and they had to replace the electric igniter so thats 4 years in a row. Rightnow if I turn it on it just sits there for a minute and doesn't do anything untill the blower motor kicks on and then it just blows cold air. The burner and exhaust fan should kick on before the blower but they don't.

I am hoping its just the damn igniter again.
 

samgau

Platinum Member
Oct 11, 1999
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Our air went out this summer.... its easier to deal with the summer heat though....
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
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Natural gas but no fireplace. We had those wall mounted heaters at one of my parents old houses and they worked pretty well but I would rather just fix the furnace.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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:Q

You're running a kerosene heater inside the house?

I have a feeling we may never hear from you again, after tonight......
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
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www.slatebrookfarm.com
Where else would you use a kerosene heater? To heat the outdoors? :)
Actually, though, for kerosene heaters and for the vent free fireplaces, the safeness of either depends on the age of the house... older houses have enough air exchange with the outside... newer houses are built so air tight that you aren't replacing oxygen quickly enough... You need to have some sort of air exchange in newer homes.
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: DrPizza
Where else would you use a kerosene heater? To heat the outdoors? :)
Actually, though, for kerosene heaters and for the vent free fireplaces, the safeness of either depends on the age of the house... older houses have enough air exchange with the outside... newer houses are built so air tight that you aren't replacing oxygen quickly enough... You need to have some sort of air exchange in newer homes.
Hmmmm.....

Good point. :p

But uh, I thought burning hydrocarbons in the middle of your living room was a common sense no-no.. Hmm.. :p
 

Ornery

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
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"I would rather just fix the furnace. "

Sounds like you might want a different system, if this one has had the same problem several times before. i'd just want the unvented heaters as a backup, or secondary source. It is the cheapest way to stay warm! It's great if your electricity goes out too, because you'll still have plenty of heat, and be able to cook with agas stove, and have hot water with a gas hot water tank... I prefer gas, can you tell? :p
 

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
50,419
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Originally posted by: Ornery
"I would rather just fix the furnace. "

Sounds like you might want a different system, if this one has had the same problem several times before. i'd just want the unvented heaters as a backup, or secondary source. It is the cheapest way to stay warm! It's great if your electricity goes out too, because you'll still have plenty of heat, and be able to cook with agas stove, and have hot water with a gas hot water tank... I prefer gas, can you tell? :p

I have a 5500W generator and am going to be building another 10,000W unit soon..

I like gas too. ;) :p
 

Evadman

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Feb 18, 2001
30,990
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IT sounds like you have a heat pump, not a furnace.
 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,034
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Hmmm just tried turning it back on again and now its working :D.

Still bet the igniter is going out but for now I am not going to worry about it.
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
21,204
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Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Hmmm just tried turning it back on again and now its working :D.

Still bet the igniter is going out but for now I am not going to worry about it.

Might not be a good idea with the cold weather just around the corner.



 

thedarkwolf

Diamond Member
Oct 13, 1999
9,034
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Well I meant today :). Today is lazy day so I will look at it sometime during the week depending on if it keeps working.