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Need Help! Heating not not working

Discussion in 'Homeowners Corner' started by Hershey, Jan 3, 2010.

  1. Hershey

    Hershey New Member

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    Our heating unit stopped working last night and we need someone to come and find out hwat happened.

    Does anyone have any recommendations? since it is sunday, I am not sure who to call.

    Thanks
     
  2. Winston

    Winston Junior Mint

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    First, make sure your pilot light is still on. With the high winds we've been having, a draft may have blown it out.

    Anyone you call for service today will be a little pricier, keep that in mind. I would recommend either RA Dobson Heating & Cooling (703.777.8705) or Everett's Plumbing Heating & AC (703.435.5512)

    Good luck!
     
  3. pauleyc

    pauleyc Member

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    Most furnaces now have an electric element (called an ignitor) for the gas furnace. If the furnace starts to run, then you here a hissing noise and then stops .. its the ignitor. Often you can smell a little gas as well b/c it isn't lighting. Anyway, if its a Goodman unit .. that's most likely your issue.

    The ignitor is super easy to replace and costs about $29. A repairman is going to charge you $250 minimum. Simply turn off the power, take off the cover and take out the ignitor (2 screws) and unplug it. The ignitor has a ceramic base and the actual element is black and is about the size of a popsicle stick.

    Go to Tribbles in sterling and get a new one. The new one won't fit your mounting clip exactly .. don't worry about it. It will hold it just fine. All set for $29. If this is your issue, then buy 2 when you are at Tribbles and you won't be stranded again. I've replaced 3 since 2003 and each time I use my 'stock', I replace it with a new one. No more weekends without power. Just replaced another one last week.

    Hope this helps.
     
  4. Hershey

    Hershey New Member

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    Thanks for your responses.

    I had Bowmans come over and take a look. It took him less than a minute to fix. All he had to do was spin the motor which had got struck. :rolleyes3:
     
  5. vdb

    vdb New Member

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    We recommend Steve Thomasson. He's serviced and replaced our ac and heating units (as well as several of our neighbors). 703-708-9227
    One Friday night last January, our heat went out and it was pretty cold in here - called him about 7am on a Saturday and he was here by 9am and installed a temporary blower for us to borrow for the weekend (for free) to keep us warm. We were impressed and thankful!
     
  6. broadlndsmom5014

    broadlndsmom5014 New Member

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    We've used Bowmans in the past as well. They always do a good job. We have a similar problem every year.
     
  7. mdfiji

    mdfiji New Member

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    We use Climatic Heating and cooling and have been really happy. Their number is 703-779-7455
     
  8. BlueMoon1

    BlueMoon1 New Member

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    If you need your furnace or a/c looked at, particularly in an emergency situation, we will be glad to help you out. We have repaired four units just this week. Another three only needed minor repairs to get going.
    We have 24 hour emergency service and our prices are very fair. All work performed by our licensed Mechanical Contractor with full warranty.
    We can be there in an hour or less.
    If you get our answering system, simply leave a message, our service is monitored 24 hours a day for all of our clients needs.
     
  9. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    Grainger is also a good source for parts... I replaced my capacitor and air handler blower motor for ~$100 from there... ARS wanted like $800.... ripoff
     
  10. BigJackie

    BigJackie New Member

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    PaulyC:

    Thanks for posting those directions about replacing the ignitor. Our heat went out last night. I followed your advice and now it's working again for $29 and no repairman needed. Aside from travel time to the appliance shop, total repair was ten minutes. I also have a spare ignitor so we don't get stranded if it happens again. :clap:
     
  11. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Where can we buy a new ignitor?? Looks like ours failed tonight and I need to obtain a new one. Isn't there any place we can go on a Sunday to get a new one for the Goodman Heating system?

    By the way, we had to replace a bad one last winter and I am surprised this winter it went out again...Do these ignitors tend to blow out that much???

    Thanks!!!


     
  12. BigJackie

    BigJackie New Member

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    You can purchase the ignitor at Tribble's in Sterling Park. It's at the top of Sterling Blvd. near Route 28. I have one for backup, if you need something to get you through until they open on Monday and you can just buy me one. Just PM me and let me know. I learned my lesson the hard way, to keep one on hand.
     
  13. signifer

    signifer Member

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    I would like to follow your advice. What's the part number for the ignitor?

    Thanks,
    Richard
     
  14. Zeratul

    Zeratul Well-Known Member

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    before you go running out to buy parts... if you have not done it yet, take a look inside the heater/furnace, the lower half. There should be a little circular clear opening that you can see inside... and there should be a circuit board that you can see with a blinking LED lite. The number and type of blinks are trouble codes. In your owners manual towards the back will be a table with descriptions of the codes.

    I mention this because there is also a very common problem with the furnace that involves a simple vacuum hose connected to the an internal fan and exhaust motor. If this hose does not get enough internal pressure the gas will not fire and the heat will never turn on.... with something as simple as a paperclip you can clean the metal nosel where the hose attaches... and fix the problem.

    The key is to find the circuit board and watch for the blinking red LED lite. Three blinks in rapid succession and I bet this is the problem. I am sure too if you search Youtube there is a video for this. But it has happened to both the furnaces in my house. I am in a SF in Southernwalk - a Van Metre home.
     
  15. BigJackie

    BigJackie New Member

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    Signifier, the part is a Protech 120V (#62-22868-93) from Tribble's Appliance in Sterling. It wouldn't hurt to have one on hand. However, Signifier is absolutely correct. This ended up being the problem with Capricorn1964's unit, it was not the ignitor. We were able to get his heat fixed armed with only a paper clip to clear out the carbon build up in the vacume hose and fan that Signifier mentioned. If the LED light is blinking three times, that is most likely the problem. A very easy fix.
     
  16. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    I would like to offer a BIG THANK YOU to BigJackie for his help in rectifying my heating unit situation. Its neighbors like you that makes this community a great one to live in. What was the problem was exactly what you had described to me. Nonetheless, I am going to purchase two additional ignitors for backups to the attic and basement units.

    Signifier, BigJackie is correct that you need to push in the black button to see how many times the red light blinks...in my case (and his), if it blinks 3 times, its the Pressure Valve that needs to be cleaned out...with a paperclip, no less! If it wasn't for BigJackie, I wouldn't have learned something new. I plan to pay it forward to another neighbor that may need help in this community! Keep the cycle going...

    Thanks again, BigJackie!!! You da bomb, buddy. Thanks for coming over my house to show me how to fix it.
     
  17. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Exactly that was precisely what the problem with my furnance was. BigJackie was very nice enough to help me out with this issue and he's got my big round of applause to help us all out...I owe him one.

     
  18. glencastle

    glencastle The Paterfamilias

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  19. signifer

    signifer Member

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    BigJackie, thanks for the part number, that will make it a lot easier to pick a spare up. My experience has been that there is some imp that decides when to kill these things and the timing is usually vicious. The ignitor in the furnace in the last house we had died late in the afternoon before Thanksgiving (after all the stores were closed, of course)...

    (Note: While I'm always willing to take praise when warranted, it was Zeratul who provided the useful information on the circuit board and blinking LED.)

    One other thing, Capricorn, the attic unit is probably a heat pump; if so, it won't have an ignitor and one spare should do it.

    Best regards,
    Richard
     
  20. Capricorn1964

    Capricorn1964 Well-Known Member

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    Actually, the attic heater does HAVE an ignitor...I've replaced it before in the attic heating unit before... :)

     

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