HVAC guys, furnace issue (1 Viewer)

[ghostguy123]

So I wake up this morning, felt a little chilly, and went to check the thermostat. Said it was 65. I have my gas furnace set at 70.

The furnace and thermostat are new, put in by HVAC company a couple months ago (and I changed the batteries this morning when I thought that could have been the issue). It's a bi-level home, furnace in the attic with the vents in the ceilings. The air filters in the ceiling are like a month old and look fine.

I messed around with it a bit. I turned it from "heat" to "off", and then back. The furnace kicked on for like a minute or two, then shut off again. Thermostat read 66 at that point. It kicked on again a few minutes later, but only for a minute or two again.

I actually noticed maybe a few days go that the furnace would kick off before it reached the desired temp, then kick on and off again. It was a little warmer outside at that time so the temp in the house was within a couple degrees of where I set it.

But now since it is a bit colder it will obviously have to work more, but why the hell is it kicking off way before it reaches the temp I have it set at? When the temp was 66 and it was set at 70, I moved it up to 75 and waited a little while, and nothing happened even when I did that. Obviously this will be tremendously terrible if this happens when it is freezing outside.

Thoughts?

 

[ChiefD]

Have you checked your filter? If it's clogged, your furnace limit switch will kick in and shut it off to protect the furnace and you from burning up.

 

[ghostguy123]

Have you checked your filter? If it's clogged, your furnace limit switch will kick in and shut it off to protect the furnace and you from burning up.

I edited the original post. I put two new filters in like a month ago. Yes the arrow is facing up.

 

[ghostguy123]

And the filters are in the ceiling separate from the furnace, and the furnace is in a fairly large attic, so I really can't see air flow being a problem.

If air flow IS a problem somehow, then how? What else could cause that?

 

[ghostguy123]

And actually after the most recent time it shut off, it hasn't kicked back on for a while (at least a half hour that I have noticed). It's 68, thermostat set at 75 for the past little while.

But of course, again when I flip the switch from "off" to "heat" on the thermostat, it kicks on again. Let's see for how long.

 

[captain_amazing]

We had this issue last year with our damper. It can either stay open or be controlled automatically. I can't recall what we did, but fixing the damper fixed our issue.

Also, do you have only one thermostat? If you have two, could the second be reaching the set temps and sending a shutoff singal? Just tossing out ideas.

 

[JHuber77]

Pressure switch or flame sensor might be bad

 

[ghostguy123]

It kicked on for 4 minutes just now after I flipped the switch, then shut off. It was set at 74. It took the temp up from 68 to 69.

 

[ghostguy123]

We had this issue last year with our damper. It can either stay open or be controlled automatically. I can't recall what we did, but fixing the damper fixed our issue.

Also, do you have only one thermostat? If you have two, could the second be reaching the set temps and sending a shutoff singal? Just tossing out ideas.

Just one thermostat.

I have no idea about the damper or how I would even do anything with it. The furnace is up in the attic and I would have to take all the crap out of the closet to get up there to look at it. Not that I would even know what I am looking at anyway.

 

[ghostguy123]

Pressure switch or flame sensor might be bad

How uncommon would this be for a 2 month old furnace?

 

[JHuber77]

It happened to mine. House was only a couple months old.

 

[ChiefD]

Pressure switch or flame sensor might be bad

How uncommon would this be for a 2 month old furnace?

If it's only two months old call the HVAC tech who installed it. It's under warranty.

 

[Craig_MiamiFL]

Just call back whomever installed it.

 

[ghostguy123]

Just call back whomever installed it.

Oh I will. It's saturday and not likely get the guy to come here right now or anything. If it was the dead of winter I actually have baseboard heat throughout the house that I can use as a backup.

I would assume there is a warranty even though I didn't pay a dime for it. Got a new system through home warranty.

 

[dschuler]

If the HVAC is getting too hot it will shutdown to protect itself. Since its a new system, there is a good possibility this is the issue. There could be an installation problem or something around the HVAC preventing it from working properly.

 

[belljr]

Does your thermostat have a temperature offset? For example mine has a setting of 0 to 4 degrees

 

[ghostguy123]

Does your thermostat have a temperature offset? For example mine has a setting of 0 to 4 degrees

I set it to 90 and it didnt kick on

 

[gianmarco]

Just spitballing here, but can you just turn the heater on? There's usually a setting for on that works apart from the thermostat. If you do, does it stay on? If so, then something wrong with the thermostat or the communication with the furnace. If not, then probably the furnace itself.

 

[ghostguy123]

Just spitballing here, but can you just turn the heater on? There's usually a setting for on that works apart from the thermostat. If you do, does it stay on? If so, then something wrong with the thermostat or the communication with the furnace. If not, then probably the furnace itself.

Do you mean on the furnace itself? I don't know The furnace is up in the attic and it not easily accessible. The only way up is through the bedroom closet opening, and I have to take everything out of there to do it, which I have not done yet.

The guy is coming monday.

 

[ChiefD]

Have you just started recently using a different type filter? Like maybe a pleated filter instead of regular? If so, sometimes they filter too much and block air flow, which can trigger the limit switch.

 

[BowieMercs]

Pressure switch or flame sensor might be bad

Polish the flame sensor with 00 steel wool (800 sandpaper will do in a pinch), Surface corrosion will prevent it from functioning. In most furnaces, 3 failures will put it in lockout mode & you have to reset it (turn it off & on) to get it to run again.

 

[belljr]

I'm going clogged condensation pump.

My energy efficient unit won't run if that's clogged

 

[ghostguy123]

Have you just started recently using a different type filter? Like maybe a pleated filter instead of regular? If so, sometimes they filter too much and block air flow, which can trigger the limit switch.

It doesnt run even when I remove the filter completely

 

[ghostguy123]

Pressure switch or flame sensor might be bad

Polish the flame sensor with 00 steel wool (800 sandpaper will do in a pinch), Surface corrosion will prevent it from functioning. In most furnaces, 3 failures will put it in lockout mode & you have to reset it (turn it off & on) to get it to run again.

Corrosion on a brand new furnace from a couple months ago that I just started using a week ago or so? How normal would that be?

 

[brun]

It could be the exhaust or condensate drain was improperly installed or plugged somehow. That would cause the furnace to run for a few minutes and then shut off.

When my furnace was first installed the condensate drain went to the outside and would end up freezing and shutting off the furnace once the drain was sufficiently blocked. It would melt enough during the day that the furnace would come back on. This cycle would repeat until the installer finally sent a guy who figured out that it would be best for the condensate to drain into my sewer line.

When I had new siding installed. It was cold so the furnace was running and exhausting the steam/mist while one of the siding guys was working nearby. He stuffed a rag in the pipe and forgot about it. In this case I think once the furnace stopped it didn't turn back on. This was on a Friday and luckily I was home on the weekend so it got rectified before the house got cold enough for pipes to freeze.

 

[ChiefD]

I'm going clogged condensation pump.

My energy efficient unit won't run if that's clogged

Good call.

 

[parasaurolophus]

Manufacturer and model number?

When it fires do the flames look good or do they flutter a lot?

 

[BowieMercs]

Pressure switch or flame sensor might be bad

Polish the flame sensor with 00 steel wool (800 sandpaper will do in a pinch), Surface corrosion will prevent it from functioning. In most furnaces, 3 failures will put it in lockout mode & you have to reset it (turn it off & on) to get it to run again.

Corrosion on a brand new furnace from a couple months ago that I just started using a week ago or so? How normal would that be?

Highly abnormal. If this is a new furnace, is there not a warranty you can fall back on or did you buy this at an abandoned gas station from a guy selling cheap tools & velvet Elvis paintings ?

 

[ghostguy123]

Is anyone reading the previous posts?

 

[ghostguy123]

It could be the exhaust or condensate drain was improperly installed or plugged somehow. That would cause the furnace to run for a few minutes and then shut off.

When my furnace was first installed the condensate drain went to the outside and would end up freezing and shutting off the furnace once the drain was sufficiently blocked. It would melt enough during the day that the furnace would come back on. This cycle would repeat until the installer finally sent a guy who figured out that it would be best for the condensate to drain into my sewer line.

When I had new siding installed. It was cold so the furnace was running and exhausting the steam/mist while one of the siding guys was working nearby. He stuffed a rag in the pipe and forgot about it. In this case I think once the furnace stopped it didn't turn back on. This was on a Friday and luckily I was home on the weekend so it got rectified before the house got cold enough for pipes to freeze.

DING DING DING we have a winner. Condensate plug issue. The guys came and fixed it in about 10-15 minutes. Apparently all they did was secure the condensate plug, whatever that is. Was messing with a sensor because it wasn't secure. No new parts.

I guess he said on occasion the new units he installed have had that issue.

Better not happen again.

 

[belljr]

Wait I don't get credit?

 

[ClownCausedChaos2]

Wait I don't get credit?

"We give you this laurel...and hearty handshake."

 

[belljr]

Damn it

 

[ghostguy123]

Wait I don't get credit?

It wasnt clogged.

You get partial credit. Plus the other guy who was more accurate posted first.

You do get a door prize though. A cookie. Its a plastic decorative cookie, but hey, its a cookie.

 

[belljr]

I actually posted first sir. 3 posts before him



Glad it's fixed

 

[ghostguy123]

I actually posted first sir. 3 posts before him



Glad it's fixed

Damn you did.

He had it EXACTLY right though. You sir, sir, you were just on the right track. He already reached the station.

Maybe you gave him the idea though.

 

[belljr]

The condensate plug is usually attached to the condensation pump if you have one dammit