Weird furnace issue

Serious Business 50 replies 1,780 views
justincredible's avatar
justincredible
Posts: 32,056
Oct 8, 2012 8:14pm
My wife turned on our heat tonight and it would kick on, then kick off. Then kick on, then kick off. Over and over and over with no heat. Any idea what it might be? Anything common that I can check myself before calling a repair person?
S
superman
Posts: 3,582
Oct 8, 2012 8:16pm
What kind of furnace? (electric, gas, etc.)
justincredible's avatar
justincredible
Posts: 32,056
Oct 8, 2012 8:17pm
Gas furnace.
Devils Advocate's avatar
Devils Advocate
Posts: 4,539
Oct 8, 2012 8:21pm
justincredible;1290669 wrote:Gas furnace.
Ignitor. The furnace not your wife
Belly35's avatar
Belly35
Posts: 9,716
Oct 8, 2012 8:23pm
pilot light is out
mcburg93's avatar
mcburg93
Posts: 3,167
Oct 8, 2012 8:23pm
It needs cleaned.
mcburg93's avatar
mcburg93
Posts: 3,167
Oct 8, 2012 8:23pm
Did you pay your gas bill?
justincredible's avatar
justincredible
Posts: 32,056
Oct 8, 2012 8:27pm
mcburg93;1290675 wrote:It needs cleaned.

I don't think that's the case.
mcburg93;1290676 wrote:Did you pay your gas bill?
Yes, I'm a responsible adult.
justincredible's avatar
justincredible
Posts: 32,056
Oct 8, 2012 8:28pm
Belly35;1290674 wrote:pilot light is out
How would I check that and/or remedy it? I'm guessing there is some info on it in the manual (if I can find it).
mcburg93's avatar
mcburg93
Posts: 3,167
Oct 8, 2012 8:31pm
justincredible;1290682 wrote:I don't think that's the case.
Dust will cause the ignitor to kick the furnace on and off. For some reason it shorts it out. So cleaning it or buying a new ignitor is my suggestion. Most furnaces you can blow into where the ignitor is and sometimes works. You can easily pull it out and clean it off and try that if that does not work you need a new one.

If its an older furnace you might have to light the pilot light. If that is the problem its an easy fix either way
Trueblue23's avatar
Trueblue23
Posts: 7,463
Oct 8, 2012 8:49pm
Actually happened to me this summer with my AC (obv different but same system). Replaced the thermostat and it worked like a charm.
like_that's avatar
like_that
Posts: 26,625
Oct 8, 2012 8:54pm
justincredible;1290667 wrote:My wife turned on our heat tonight and it would kick on, then kick off. Then kick on, then kick off. Over and over and over with no heat. Any idea what it might be? Anything common that I can check myself before calling a repair person?
Adsense.
xKoToVxSyNdRoMe's avatar
xKoToVxSyNdRoMe
Posts: 1,054
Oct 8, 2012 8:58pm
Sounds like you have a poltergeist. Moving out is probably the only reasonable solution.
justincredible's avatar
justincredible
Posts: 32,056
Oct 8, 2012 8:59pm
like_that;1290704 wrote:Adsense.
They're everywhere.
justincredible's avatar
justincredible
Posts: 32,056
Oct 8, 2012 8:59pm
xKoToVxSyNdRoMe;1290706 wrote:Sounds like you have a poltergeist. Moving out is probably the only reasonable solution.
I think I'll just set the house on fire tonight. Debating on whether or not to wake my wife up first.
G
Gardens35
Posts: 4,929
Oct 8, 2012 9:02pm
pmoney25's avatar
pmoney25
Posts: 1,787
Oct 8, 2012 9:25pm
My furnace was out also. Mine is electric. I just flipped the breaker off then on and it worked thank god.

And your welcome for the no help answer I gave
GoChiefs's avatar
GoChiefs
Posts: 16,754
Oct 8, 2012 9:26pm
Your wife is welcome into my home, my furnace works just fine.
S
Sonofanump
Oct 8, 2012 10:01pm
I'd wait until Wednesday before doing anything about it.
password's avatar
password
Posts: 2,360
Oct 8, 2012 10:27pm
justincredible;1290684 wrote:How would I check that and/or remedy it? I'm guessing there is some info on it in the manual (if I can find it).
If the furnace is less then 10 yrs old, you don't have a pilot light, you will have an ignitor. You need to look in the furnace when it is trying to start, if it actually has flames starting then it is the flame sensor, which can be purchased for about $15 and you can change it yourself in about 10 minutes. You can clean the sensor with steel wool or fine sand paper to get you through the night.
Rotinaj's avatar
Rotinaj
Posts: 7,699
Oct 8, 2012 10:30pm
Do it's best friend.
Ironman92's avatar
Ironman92
Posts: 49,363
Oct 8, 2012 10:42pm
I'm 40 years old and have never had a furnace in my house.

/ccrunner'd
Commander of Awesome's avatar
Commander of Awesome
Posts: 23,151
Oct 8, 2012 10:42pm
password;1290801 wrote:If the furnace is less then 10 yrs old, you don't have a pilot light, you will have an ignitor. You need to look in the furnace when it is trying to start, if it actually has flames starting then it is the flame sensor, which can be purchased for about $15 and you can change it yourself in about 10 minutes. You can clean the sensor with steel wool or fine sand paper to get you through the night.
Whoa, think about who you're talking to here....
password's avatar
password
Posts: 2,360
Oct 8, 2012 11:00pm
Commander of Awesome;1290813 wrote:Whoa, think about who you're talking to here....
Yea, you have a point there, I will rephrase that for him. It is likely your flame sensor, which will cost the hvac company about $15, but he will charge you $60 for the sensor and about $145 for the service call. The repairman will have it replaced in about 10 minutes and it will only cost you a little over $200 total.
sherm03's avatar
sherm03
Posts: 7,349
Oct 8, 2012 11:20pm
There is a guy in my neighborhood that worked for an HVAC company for years. My wife also cuts the hair of a guy who owns his own HVAC repair company. We haven't had to pay for a service call on our furnace or AC yet.

My suggestion is to move.