Thanks, bro. 2:00AM, two days after Christmas, 40 degrees out, my wife wakes me up and tells me the furnace is not working. I found this video and fixed the problem. You kept my family warm. Thank you.
I don't know what's wrong my boyfriend has replaced every part we know of , The Circuit board, Pressure switch , inducer fan and flame sensor,, At this point after all that it turns on but doesn't ignite ,, I seriously need help ,,
For most folks ... If you find that you need parts and have to replace parts when they arrive 2-5 days later. Please have those in your house wear clothes while in bed ! They will sleep just fine and Not be cold! Maybe even a electric blanket if you already have them. Today so many people complain because they are Cold running around in shorts and a tee shirt! Wear warm or layered clothing Inside your home with a coat as needed! Don't pay the utility companies for your laziness!
Very good video. I'm a retired HVAC repair tech. I would add to your information by saying, not to try and bend the flame sensor, and avoid touching the rod with your fingers. Believe it or not, the oil from your fingers will effect the ability to sense the flame. John
Can you advise? Trying to fix my daughter's furnace. Our furnace guy is too busy. It's not high efficiency like the one in this video. The motor in the "draft inducer" blower motor burnt out. Got a replacement from Amazon yesterday. The original blower housing has a small 3/32" steel tube port for a silicone tube that goes to the pressure sensor. The new blower doesnt have that port so I made one with a rivit nut and a hollow 1/4-20 screw but the pressure switch doesnt click. I assumed that since the port is outside the squirel cage wheel, the pressure switch must sense positive pressure. It doesn't; it senses vacuum! When I suck on the disconnected tube to the pressure switch, the furnace comes on. I dont know how there's a vacuum inside the blower housing but outside the squirel cage. Maybe there's some kind of bernouli thing going on. The blower mounts to the exhaust of the hot box. Its outlet is blowing vertically upward to the chimney at a tangent to the squirel cage at the 9 o'clock position. The vacuum port on the old blower was on top at the 12 o'clock position. I didnt think that position mattered so I installed my new port at the 3 o'clock position. The smoke from a blown-out candle is not deflected by my new port when the blower comes on. I'm about to install a 2nd port at the 12 o'clock position today. Do you think it will work?
@@Bluuplanet Since this was 9 days ago, I assume you got it figured out. Pressure switches should be called NEGATIVE pressure switches or vacuum switches. I cannot think of a single furnace (except the Lennox Pulse) that monitors any kind of positive pressure. The placement of the port on the housing would be critical.
@@chrisdeanndavison3626 Its operational but not fixed yet. Furnace man was swamped; said if we could get it running any way, do that and he's coming when he's got time. I figured the switch was negative when I had to suck on the tube to make the furnace run. Since it's a brand new blower, it's dependable till he fixes it so I shorted the N-pressure sw for now. Think I got the port in the same place but it's about 5/16" OD and the original was about 1/8" OD.
Tenant called saying heat wouldn't stay on. Watched your video, drive to the property, crawled under the house and had the heat back operational in less than 20 minutes. You made me look like an HVAC expert.
I gotta say thanks for the video! You just saved me hundreds on an inspection and parts and labor costs. Literally you described exactly what was happening. The house was down in the low 50's and everyone was bundled up. 10 minutes later the house is already feeling so much better. So truly, my all of my household, THANK YOU!!!!
I got the same problem , it tries 3 times then stays on, I replaced the sensor twice but it did not work. I got so.e hvac knowledge and even my universal cert. But really it's not my forte. What else could it be ? It been like this for about 5 years now.
My furnace went out on Xmas eve and I had 30 guests coming with no time for a service call, talk about stressful. Anyway I watched this video, cleaned the sensor and ta da a beautifully warm home just in time. Took 5 minutes, a dollar bill and no parts. Thanks so much for this video and saving the day!
I left HVAC in my younger years because so many companies would find these little problems and then charge for something else. It's nice to see someone is putting out easy to understand videos on this topic.
You aren't kidding; I know how to do this stuff, figured it out... and told the service man what I thought ... and it was .. since I was there.. I knew what was done. His boss called as he was about to leave... I don't think they can charge me anything extra on that.... lets see and I'll let you know. I had getting abused by the "industry" that's why I like to learn through great videos like this and my probing and asking my logical questions. I knew it couldn't a senso on my problem but at least I had a dialog at a counter and basically told them that I know something about this stuff.. ;).
@@samsno3667 you also arent taking the liability, you negate the truth that the liability of an old furnace is enough for big companies to find it more advantageous to just replace them. say they leave and your heat exchanger cracks a day or a month later, now he is at risk for being sued or potentially at risk for your dead body in the middle of the night. i dont agree with them, but i also see the side of taking all responsibility for everything after you look at it. once i touch it, it becomes my problem. and if im going to touch 2-5000 pieces of equipment a year we need to limit my ability to be sued. continuing to fix old shit is the polar opposite of that.
@@asbestosfibers1325 a cracked heat exchanger falls under an act of God unless it comes to the customer that way at initial install. That's happened to me more than once when customers refuse to buy quality stuff. No different than buying cheap brake pads for the vehicles. They work for some time but rarely for long. Either way I'd still replace it and nobody has ever come after me for manufacturing issues. Protect your liability however you see fit as some parts of the country are naturally sue happy 😁
Omg! This worked! My husband fixed our heat in 5 minutes! You did a great job on this video! Super clear, step by step. Been dealing with this for months! Thank you thank you thank you!
I can't THANK YOU enough for posting this video! I was able to fix my furnace and avoid calling someone at 9pm on the weekend! You saved me hundreds on such a simple fix. Forever grateful!
Same here, it was 60 in our home last night and I dreaded calling my HVAC service out today. What a simple and easy fix. Used some 1000 grit sand paper and re-installed. I have heat now!!!!!
My whole family is very grateful fot this video! Saved us from cold weekend nights and saved us money, and it was a huge blessing since we are currently unemployed. Thanks again!
I want to thank you as well and wish I found this video last year. I called a hvac company last year and they told me it was the motherboard - $2K later, problem fixed, but then this year, heater made the same noise as last time, my heart sank. But I cleaned the sensor just as you described and everything is rainbows and unicorns!!! Thank you sir!
This video literally saved my butt. I just bought a house that sat for 3 years. No ignition on Guardian furnace. I no nothing about HVAC. I watched this, realized the stage I was at and checked the connections at pressure switch ( stage 2 ) and up and running. Saved me a repair!! Thanks!!!!!!!!
Evening, thanks again for your video! My family and I had to endure a night in the cold because there was unavailability to have someone come to the house and check out what the issue was. Your video not only helped me remedy the issue with our furnace to keep us warm, but it also saved us a lot of money, especially in times like these with the high cost of living! We owe you, thanks again!
Dang man, first snow of the season and our furnace did exactly this. This video helped me fix it in 15 minutes. Can't thank you enough for this, and I also appreciate that you were straight to the point. Every second of your video was helpful. No fluff, no BS.
My 2019 Armstrong has the same looking flame sensor and I thought it would be smart to get one and igniter. Stopped at the nice and reputable place that installed it in my farmhouse and they only wanted about $115 each. Think I'll look on line. Great video.
The first year we moved into our house with gas appliances, I noticed the heat went out overnight in the middle of winter. Found a video explaining this exact issue, got the flame sensor cleaned and heat back up and running without the wife waking up. Totally saved. The following year the issue returned so I went ahead and got a new sensor and cleaned the old one off for a spare.
I have been doing HVAC/R for Many years, This is a SOLID explanation for the start up sequence.Great video! You might want to add a video for the igniter failure/replacement.
I have the on/ off switch not working but my furnace still blow air and the burners turn on but the blower doesn’t kick in to send air up what’s ur thoughs
Thank you! We have lived in our home for 20 years, the furnace is original to the home and 30 years old. We have never had a problem or any maintenance done on our furnace. It would start and stop, I followed your steps and cleaned the sensor rod and it is working again! Thank you!
daughter called me, "dad our furnace will not turn on", she told me she called 3 different companies, 1st one wanted $30,000 to replace it all, 2nd & 3rd wanted $5,000-$7,000 to repair it. I sent my neighbor to her home, he replace the sensor for about $35.00........ needless to say, I bought my neighbor a Honey Baked Ham and a big can of Pork & Beans !!!! All is well !!.
Came home after a 4-day trip to a cold house. Inspected the unit, found my heater doing exactly this. My rough estimate is $350 in savings. Goven todays exonomy, thank you for saving us from that bill!
Thank you! Our furnace went out today, and since it’s DEC 23rd, it was going to be next TUES before someone could come out to see about it, while temperatures are in the teens (F) all weekend. We would have probably frozen without your video! ❤
Thanks man!! Dead cold winter here, HVAC in high demand and not sure when I could get someone to my apt.. Got it fixed in no time, thanks to your guidance!! Have a great 2023! Thanks again!
Dude seriously thank you so much!! I have been dealing with this crap furnace for 6 years. I get a DTE visit once a year and they never fix it completely. So I finally decided to RUclips it and you’re the first I clicked on. Finally the thing kicks right on 😮 I was so happy.
Awesome video! Your step-by-step description was spot on, and saved me a service call that I quickly had to cancel after I was able to resolve the issue by simply removing the flame detection sensor, cleaned & reinstalled it, and Pa-da the most beautiful blue flame irrupted from the burners. Thank you very much for sharing such a great troubleshooting video.
My furnace in my previous house had the same symptoms, the 1st HVAC tech came told me it was a bad gas valve and quoted $850 to replace after charging me $90 for diagnosing fee. It was even before the pandemic. I ordered an exact model for about $200, it was a two stage valve. After I replaced new one, the furnace still not working. I called the same HVAC company for a different tech. The 2nd tech's diagnose was bad gas meter. I contacted the gas company. After gas meter replacement, the furnace works correctly.
Great video. My gas furnace is 20 years old, and never had this problem. So now I’m wiser, I’ve cleaned my sensor and ordered a replacement. Maybe 20 more years before I have to replace the existing cleaned one. Thanks for such great do it yourself advice.
Great Video. Had this issue come up today. This troubleshoot did the fix. Total cost: $0, and a nervous spouse, worrying the furnace was history. Thank you for this video.
Flame detection sensor went out on my furnace last year. I researched the part number, but heating repair places would not sell me the sensor. They told me that a service technician would have to come out and verify the condition. They told me it would take days before someone would be able to come out. So, I ordered it on Amazon, saved some money and fixed it myself.
Thank you. Woke up to the house at 60 with a newborn. Even had the HVAC proactively check furnace before we got home for peace of mind. Apparently when he did the job, he left with the gas line in the closed position. Your troubleshoot video helped me out in about five minutes and saved me frustration at 4 AM. Thank you
All these years, ive had to clean the flame sensor a handful of times, but i never knew anything about the lockout mode, and now everything makes so much sense, about why the furnace would try to start up, and then just plain stop for a really long time. Thanks for the info!
That's what happened to mine.... nozzle was corroded... used sand paper and a pin to clean nozzle. Just happened today as I figured it out and the service guy was there.
Thank you so much!! My furnace had exactly this issue. I found this video. Told my husband, then he followed your instructions and now we have a working furnace again. Thank you again!!
When you remove the cover, some units have a safety switch preventing operation without the cover. You may have to tape that in the closed position to visually test like demonstrated. Great video.
Exactly... Trane units have a safety switch that that closes when the front cover is on and opens when the cover is removed. You have to tape it down for the furnace to operate with the door off. In fact, the door ajar is a common failure point for the furnace not working.... the tech comes out, makes sure the door properly shut and charges you $150 for his 1 minute of work....
Can someone answer a question for me..... I cleaned my flame sensor - but my unit may or may not go on & then it does the 4 hr safety lock out...... I get a pilot Flame..... but it does not then expand to that blue blaze..... it will try 4x & then lock out...... does that mean my Gas Valve is going bad?
Thank you so much. Woke up to the coldest day of the Winter so far and the house was in the 50s. I toyed around for an hour before finding your video after figuring out there was no flame. Your fix got me up and running again and saved me a big HVAC bill. Thank you!!
Great info! I'm learning more about all the house systems from you, and I've done a lot of diy stuff over the past ~40 years. My blower motor circuit board had a solder failure on ours and luckily I found info on the repair. Saved me $$$. Then the other unit failed too, the same way. Both still going strong after 25 years and they are in great condition. Keep up with the great tips!
Woke up this Sunday AM it was 59 in my house! Watched your video, cleaned the flame sensor with a dollar bill and viola it is now 68 and cozy!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Amazon is a Godsend to the public, that combined with RUclips has allowed us to take back our homes and autos from those out there that are only looking to scam unsuspecting customers. Videos like yours should be archived for posterity, forever available for humanity. Thank you for everything you do! 🥰
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ruclips.net/user/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
Scott, thank you so much for this upload. I didn't know how easy this fix was since here in Colorado Springs we just got about 6 inches of snow. I've replaced the gas valve troubleshot everything I could think of until I found your video. A simple flame sensor switch, 1/4 socket and a piece of sandpaper. Thank you again ! 💯 👍
Scott, Great video. Like many, I solved this same issue for my sister and brother in law this past winter. Did some digging on their specific furnace, mobile home furnace but very similar to the one in the video as far as components go. Easy fix and got them warmed up. A week later they had a inspection done to make sure it was safe and not leaking CO2. They also have a CO detector near by.
Thank you so much. I am 60, temp 25 in Michigan today .. thanks to you I fixed it on my own, with your help. God knows, I don't have the money to pay someone to fix it. Thank you so much.
A few years back started having issues with our furnace. Did a google search and found what I think is the most comprehensive troubleshooting guide for my model. It takes you down paths, confirming yes/no operation for every possible scenario/operation. Over the years, I have replaced pressure switch, 12V power supply and main control board.
Most modern furnaces have some kind of troubleshooting indicator on them (LED light(s) or a numeric display) that will help the owner determine what issue the furnace is reporting as to why it won't run. Usually there's a chart on the furnace, in the owner's manual, or that can be found online that will tell you what the indication means and how to resolve it. My furnace has previously indicated that the flame wasn't detected, and what you did in this video was the fix for it.
my error light did not send out error code... I was looking for the error code in the number of blinks from the led light and there is nothing listed as a 1 blink... It showed there really wasn't anything wrong with the system. It was cleaning the gas nozzle; they were a little clogged.
That flame detection sensor was the exact reason my furnace did not stay on. To clean the rod, I was looking for a dollar bill, but all I had was a five. So I went to the neighbor's house and asked if he had five singles. I Explained to him I needed a single to clean the rod in my furnace. Back up and running. THUMBS UP!!!
Hey I just wanted to mention that there's a non mechanical step in addition to the ones you mentioned and I've had issues with and solved the problem. On the newer style furnaces the burners are kind of like flame guns. Anyways there is a narrow slot at the burning end of the burners that can sometimes get dust or carbon buildup in them. This causes the flame to not jump across all 3,4,5or6 burners so on. This in turn never reaches the flame sensor and causes shutdown. You see this when it happens if your watching the burners.
What you just described is literally the purpose of the flame sensor being mounted on the opposite side of the HSI or other igniters. The gas channel allows the flame to pass to each jet of gas. If it fails that’s one of the times the Flame sensor says “nah fam I ain’t seeing it, shut er down and try again.”
Can’t believe this problem can be solved so easily. I just cleaned the sensor and the system started working. The best part of the video was the explanation on various stages of the system. Can’t thank enough.
@@Redtooth75 Maybe I missed this but ( I think) tech didn't RE-remind to be sure power off main("light switch"). Also do NOT clean sensor with sandpaper or anything rough. Coating of sensor not very thick. Elsewise video EXCELLENT; understanding operating sequence of unit is super useful. Furnaces, like cars, have become somewhat techy but necessary to keep em safe & efficient.
My man! Because of this video I didn’t have to call the repair man to come out. I went through the steps as you described and now we’re in here good and toasty! Just had to clean off the carbon on that sensor and the flame stayed lit. Thanks a lot!!!
@@yodasbff3395 you said that you had to clean flame sensors because the tenants are not good housekeepers. The cleanliness of the house has nothing to do with the flame sensor, or any part of the furnace besides the air filter to a certain extent.
Thanks to this no-fluff video, I was able to clean our flame sensor and we didn't wake up freezing. My furnace is from a different manufacturer, but your explanation of the process was so clear that I was able to find the sensor on our unit. I'm most grateful, and subscribed.
Well explained. I've seen this twice in various homes I've owned through the years. As I recall, there are two different common designs for these flame sensors.
Thank you so much for this video. My Train xv95 stopped lighting and you helped me diagnose that it was the “glow stick” igniter that was broken. I got it replaced and everything was great for about 20 hours, and then I got hit with the flame sensor issue in this video. After some time with a kitchen scrubby it now works fine. You’ve saved me hundreds of dollars.
When I bought my first home in 2013 the flame detector went out on our gas furnace that was originally installed in 1986. I knew nothing about how a gas furnace operates but did some digging and concluded the flame sensor needed replacing. I got it working again and figured I'd replace the entire furnace soon because it was so old, but it's now 2022 (36 y/o) and still working fine. As a safety measure I did try to push an inspection camera into the heat exchanger (not easy) to look for corrosion and I keep way too many CO detectors throughout the house in case the furnace ever leaks CO, but they all still read zero ppm.
@@KLondike5 - That's unfortunate. I've also heard similar stories, but about 15+ year old roofs in Florida, where the insurance company doesn't want to renew the home insurance policy unless the homeowner replaces their still perfectly fine roof.
This video saved us a lot of money today. The problem with our furnace was one of those listed, in the video we were shown exactly how to fix it. The problem literally took less than 15 min to fix.
I’ve had a situation a couple of times on my furnace where the blower pressure diaphragm switch was “stuck, or stiff” and would not close during the first startup of the season. Taking the tube off and blowing/ sucking gently to exercise the diaphragm solved the problem for,the rest of the season. Had one other occasion where the incoming air was at -35F and made it so stiff it wouldn’t flex. Leaving the service cover off for a bit allowed it to warm up enough to operate. Really helps to know,how to troubleshoot these things when it’s cold and dark and the service tech is a day away!
This video just saved me $$$. Found the flame sensor assembly was not connected to the frame. Two anchor screws removed by the last tech that did a tune up were never reinstalled. Thanks for the videos!
They "forget" a lot of things, wanting that sweet, sweet service call for no heat when the first cold snap happens. I glad you took the time to look before calling them back. Always make sure they prove things are running properly before paying the bill for things like tune ups in the off season for heat/ac.
3 years since a service? I saw a similar furnace open in Lowes. Looked identical to my 40 year old furnace. Checked part numbers on my parts, most are still used on brand new models. My furnace also has an LED that will blink and you compare the blinks to the svc manual and it self diagnosis. I usually use scotch brite on the temp. senser. Never touch your igniter. Its like a hallogen headlight on a car. Touch the bulb abd it will burn out whwn it heats up.
Good video should help a lot of people. I’ve successfully serviced furnaces myself for quite a few years with no training. There’s really only so many components to check and things to go bad or get dirty. Identifying the failsafe switches is important. The only parts I have ever replaced over the years were thermocouples and 1 circuit board that got water damaged from a missing stack cap. Everything else was a result of being dirty or corroded and cleaning cured it. The most common problems I have come across were thermocouples and corrosion on burner circuits preventing ignition. Something anyone with a basic understanding of how things work can service I believe. Just gotta use your head.
Hey, thanks for your comment on this. I'm now thinking my problem is also with the thermocoupler. I got a brand new flame sensor just to rule out an issue with the old one. Basically, the cycle gets to the flames, and even the blower, but then the flames go out, with the blower continuing, I took out the burners and made sure they were clean and didn't have any air leaks, but that didn't change the situation. Also the control board was replaced only a few years ago so I don't think that's the issue either. What do you think? Do I just need to replace the thermocoupler?
@@teegeesIf you think that thermocouple is even just 5 years old, for the money especially, I would replace it. They’re pretty universal and usually less than $10 at typical stores. Unless you turn off the gas and completely shut the furnace down for the summer, they have a constant pilot on them year round and they get burned down to a nub and stop working or get weak. Because what they do is produce a small amount of electricity to keep a valve open as long as they are staying hot. So if you’re igniting the burners and then everything blows out after a minute or two I am thinking the draw of fresh cool air through the furnace when the flames are burning is causing a weak thermocouple to cool off just enough to close that pilot valve and kill the pilot light. Once the pilot light is off the whole burner operation is going to shut down whether the main burners are burning or not because the thermocouple is a failsafe mechanism. If the thermocouple is in good shape though and it looks like it has it’s shape still cleaning them with a wire brush can improve their sensitivity because they can get a residue from condensation on them. Being sure the pilot port is clean is a good idea too so the thermocouple is getting a crisp rich flame to stay hot. And also it is important that the flame is hitting the tip of the thermocouple. Usually the last 1/4-1/2” and this can be adjusted as well. If you replace the thermocouple just be careful not to kink pilot gas line while working on it. They’re delicate. Use the old thermocouple to pre match the route of the line of the new it will make installation easier. I’ve replaced thermocouples with & without taking the complete pilot assembly out it just depends on how easy the particular unit is to get to 🤷♂️. If you’re having to relight the pilot though each time I think it sounds like the problem though. I hope this helps.
@@bensk8in467 hey thanks your detailed response and tips on this. Turns out my furnace has no pilot light and the igniter is a ceramic heating element which heats up and ignites the gas. Since I had already checked the burners and replaced the flame sensor I was looking to now replace the limit switch, and then the gas valve if necessary (most expensive part to replace). So far I’m just using space heaters but eventually I’ll get things working again. Thanks again 🙏
@@teegees Sure you’re welcome it could help someone if not you anyway. I did wonder if you possibly had an electric igniter. Glad you have some heat at least for now. One more thing to possibly check is if it has an automatic damper for the exhaust. Because if that isn’t opening up it would shut the flame off. They can stick and not work right if it has one. I think you have a failsafe switch issue of some kind. One thing to keep in mind troubleshooting sensors is they generally two wire & just on or off so you can disconnect the switch and connect the two wires to bypass. If things cycle as they should, you know it’s that switch and saves the guesswork. Hope you get er man 👍
Your video and easy to follow directions means I figured out my furnace problem, lowered my stress (it was 5 below this morning), calmly got it fixed and without spending any money. Thank you!
I would really like to thank you for this tutorial. Our furnace was doing exactly this. Following your instructions completely solved the issue. Thank you again and you will get a like and a subscriber.😎👍
I watched several videos and finally I found the problem and solution with your help. Thank you so much I was able to clean off the igniter without removing it and bam it kept running and now how home is heating up. It fell to 12degrees last night so we needed this fix. Your are the hero.
One other common causes of a furnace not staying on is the filter needs replacing. The blower motors usually have a thermal protection device for when the motor gets too warm. (ask me how I know this one) One cause that will keep Step 3 from happening is the ignitor has burned through. Had this happen twice at my last house over 12 years time. Usually unplugs (two wires in the wire harness) and then be checked with a continuity tester. Somewhere there is often an LED that will flash an error code (long flashes and short flashes) and a listing of what the error code means.
5:55 - Use a wad of five $100 bills to clean it. Then put them back in your pocket and smile to yourself knowing that you're not handing them to an HVAC contractor for a service call.
I had similar symptoms in a gas furnace. Turned out the draft enducer would cut out randomly momentarily while running slamming the gas valve open/ closed. Two different tech calls later and a new gas valve the problem still persisted. So I took matters in my own hand- turned out there was a partial blockage in my chimney. I had a co detector in the same room, never went off but probably due to the draft enducer saving our lives. Moral is to clean the chimney even if all you have is gas.
Great video! I still have a problem with Amana furnace. After I set the thermostat at 69F the furnace was on at 67F and off at 71F; but didn’t start again when for another cycle. The red LED light on the control board was on indicating normal operation. I turned off the power to the board and back on after 30 sec and the furnace turned on. After the cycle ended, the furnace would not turn on again unless I turned off the power to the control board and back on after 30 sec and the furnace turned on. After the cycle is over, if I try to turn on the fan only, it doesn’t start. Do you have any suggestions?
This was excellent information. Thanks for sharing. 😎👍 Edit: always good to save money on repairs because you're going to need every spare penny to pay the gas bill this winter.
I have this ac/furnace. make sure you keep you ac drain clean and the tray. if its clogged the ac will drip down right on the inducer motor , over time it will rudt the sdhaft and eventually if will ruinh the motor. I learned this all the hard way. Also you MAY get a 3 blink error code stating its the pressure switch, if you bypass the switch youll get your 2 blinks indicating the motor. My unit keps giving me faulty pressure switch, but it was the blower motor. hope this help, great video btw.
Scott You are absolutely wrong with suggesting steel wool to clean a flame sensor! Using steel wool takes the coating off the sensor which is as much important as it is not to touch the sensor with your fingers. Cleaning can be done with a dollar bill or a scotch Brite (green pad) only!
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Nice video, well done. Fine steel wool is OK to use, that's what was recommended to use back in the day. However, I went to scotch brite pads because fine steel wool corrodes easily. The flame rod does not have a coating as far as I know, you want to avoid abrasive cleaners like sandpaper or plumbers roll because they will etch grooves into the flame rod material that will quickly fill with detritus leading to premature failure. A typical flame signal is in a range of 1 dc microamp to 3 dc microamps and anything that increases the resistance to the flow of such a tiny current will cause trouble. Even a rusty/dirty gas burner (serving as the ground conductor) will do it. The flame signal returns to the control board via chassis ground so if the burner is rusty or the ground wire is loose, you'll will likely have flame failure.
Wow, the internet just doesn’t listen in to our conversations, now it’s reading my mind. Your video just showed up and it is describing my issue exactly as it has been happening. Tomorrow this problem will be identified and I’m sure it will be fixed, hopefully with just a cleaning. Thanks.
Notice how this furnace has three flames, with only one igniter and one sensor. They are all in a line with the igniter and sensor at opposite ends, so the fire spreads from one end to the other, and the end with the sensor can only light if every single burner lights to pass that flame along.
Thanks so much for this video. It is a super clear explanation of how a furnace works. My furnace was not making heat and I was on the verge of looking for an HVAC company to come out and fix it but that would have undoubtedly cost me hundreds of dollars and days of delay. This video showed me that my ignitor was bad and I was able to fix it myself. The repair was actually quite simple. Thanks again for this excellent video!!! You're a rock star!!!
Today our furnace started acting just like on your video. My wife and I would like to thank you sooo much, as this solved our problem. We are currently having a winter storm here in Central Texas. I subbed and liked the channel.
Great video!!! I discovered this on my own 15 years back, but I for got about this this week… I was having the darndest time remembering this now. I went without heat for a week, until I remembered that I could watch one of your videos!!! Thank you!!!
It’s a cold night in west Texas and my heater wasn’t working just before bed. This video helped me greatly. Essentially the cycle never made it to step 3. I took off the front panels to try and diagnose and it worked perfectly. I put the panels back on and it stopped working. Your video broke down the 6 steps and helped me understand why it wasn’t working. Somehow the tube connecting to the pressure sensor in step 2 turned and when the panels were on, it pinched the tube blocking the draft to the pressure sensor. Easy fix I turned the tube and I now have heat!
Woke up this morning to a 58 degree house. Watched the video, used the dollar bill to clean the sensor, now have a working heater again. Thanks so much!
You just saved my life - I figured it out after watching this and saved so much money, the furnace dude wanted to charge my grandmother and me $1,500 just for a diagnostic test
Wow. Wow wow wow. This helped me so much. Had a hard time getting someone out to my rental property to fix my heater and decided I needed to take matters into my own hands. Took the door off of my unit and mine is set up almost the same as this one. I spent no lie under 2 minutes on it and it fired right up. Wow wow wow. You saved me a ton of money and headache. Thank you.!!!
Thank you very much! Repaired the heater in our house last night based on your video, as it was very cold last night, it was a great help for our family to have the heater repaired with your guidance.
Thank you!! I just got my furnace back up and running thanks to this video. Just had to clean the flame sensor with steel wool and it was back working!
I had this problem for the past day or two and your video was spot onto the solution! Thank you so much! As others have said, I appreciate your straightforward solution with no fluff and excellent information.
As a retired HVAC tech, I can say this is a very well-done video. This type of flame detection is called a flame or pilot rectification system. Raw natural gas will not conduct electricity, but a flame will because I believe I heard the flame is ionized. Rectification means a one-way current flow, and this is done by sending a electrical signal to the small flame detector that then will conduct electricity thru a flame to a larger metal ground, and I was told this size discrepancy induces a one way or rectified current or signal. This is important, because if for some reason the sensor shorted to ground, without flame rectification, the circuit board would not be able to tell the difference between a shorted sensor or a proven flame and could energize the gas valve without ignition, which is something you never want to happen. I actually taught this sensor cleaning trick to a young maintenance man who was working with me, and a week later he fixed a neighbor's furnace during some cold weather and the neighbor gave him a roll away toolbox!
Thanks, bro. 2:00AM, two days after Christmas, 40 degrees out, my wife wakes me up and tells me the furnace is not working. I found this video and fixed the problem. You kept my family warm. Thank you.
Awesome God bless
Thank you! It works!
Thanks for your great work it help us so much not to b dum and to learn things 😂❤
I don't know what's wrong my boyfriend has replaced every part we know of , The Circuit board, Pressure switch , inducer fan and flame sensor,,
At this point after all that it turns on but doesn't ignite ,, I seriously need help ,,
For most folks ... If you find that you need parts and have to replace parts when they arrive 2-5 days later. Please have those in your house wear clothes while in bed ! They will sleep just fine and Not be cold! Maybe even a electric blanket if you already have them. Today so many people complain because they are Cold running around in shorts and a tee shirt! Wear warm or layered clothing Inside your home with a coat as needed! Don't pay the utility companies for your laziness!
Very good video. I'm a retired HVAC repair tech. I would add to your information by saying, not to try and bend the flame sensor, and avoid touching the rod with your fingers. Believe it or not, the oil from your fingers will effect the ability to sense the flame. John
Can you advise?
Trying to fix my daughter's furnace. Our furnace guy is too busy.
It's not high efficiency like the one in this video.
The motor in the "draft inducer" blower motor burnt out. Got a replacement from Amazon yesterday. The original blower housing has a small 3/32" steel tube port for a silicone tube that goes to the pressure sensor. The new blower doesnt have that port so I made one with a rivit nut and a hollow 1/4-20 screw but the pressure switch doesnt click.
I assumed that since the port is outside the squirel cage wheel, the pressure switch must sense positive pressure. It doesn't; it senses vacuum! When I suck on the disconnected tube to the pressure switch, the furnace comes on.
I dont know how there's a vacuum inside the blower housing but outside the squirel cage.
Maybe there's some kind of bernouli thing going on.
The blower mounts to the exhaust of the hot box. Its outlet is blowing vertically upward to the chimney at a tangent to the squirel cage at the 9 o'clock position. The vacuum port on the old blower was on top at the 12 o'clock position. I didnt think that position mattered so I installed my new port at the 3 o'clock position. The smoke from a blown-out candle is not deflected by my new port when the blower comes on.
I'm about to install a 2nd port at the 12 o'clock position today. Do you think it will work?
@@Bluuplanet Since this was 9 days ago, I assume you got it figured out. Pressure switches should be called NEGATIVE pressure switches or vacuum switches. I cannot think of a single furnace (except the Lennox Pulse) that monitors any kind of positive pressure. The placement of the port on the housing would be critical.
@@chrisdeanndavison3626
Its operational but not fixed yet. Furnace man was swamped; said if we could get it running any way, do that and he's coming when he's got time. I figured the switch was negative when I had to suck on the tube to make the furnace run.
Since it's a brand new blower, it's dependable till he fixes it so I shorted the N-pressure sw for now.
Think I got the port in the same place but it's about 5/16" OD and the original was about 1/8" OD.
Could you possibly help me my husband nobody Will help us HVAC is trying to make us pay a shit ton of money
@@Theclassyburito no I'm good I'm happy with the man I'm with he works his ass off
Tenant called saying heat wouldn't stay on. Watched your video, drive to the property, crawled under the house and had the heat back operational in less than 20 minutes. You made me look like an HVAC expert.
I gotta say thanks for the video! You just saved me hundreds on an inspection and parts and labor costs. Literally you described exactly what was happening. The house was down in the low 50's and everyone was bundled up. 10 minutes later the house is already feeling so much better. So truly, my all of my household, THANK YOU!!!!
This video saved my family from a very cold night and kept us warm... cannot thank you enough
Awesome, happy to help!
I got the same problem , it tries 3 times then stays on, I replaced the sensor twice but it did not work. I got so.e hvac knowledge and even my universal cert. But really it's not my forte.
What else could it be ? It been like this for about 5 years now.
My furnace went out on Xmas eve and I had 30 guests coming with no time for a service call, talk about stressful. Anyway I watched this video, cleaned the sensor and ta da a beautifully warm home just in time. Took 5 minutes, a dollar bill and no parts. Thanks so much for this video and saving the day!
I left HVAC in my younger years because so many companies would find these little problems and then charge for something else. It's nice to see someone is putting out easy to understand videos on this topic.
You aren't kidding; I know how to do this stuff, figured it out... and told the service man what I thought ... and it was .. since I was there.. I knew what was done. His boss called as he was about to leave... I don't think they can charge me anything extra on that.... lets see and I'll let you know. I had getting abused by the "industry" that's why I like to learn through great videos like this and my probing and asking my logical questions. I knew it couldn't a senso on my problem but at least I had a dialog at a counter and basically told them that I know something about this stuff.. ;).
@@samsno3667 you also arent taking the liability, you negate the truth that the liability of an old furnace is enough for big companies to find it more advantageous to just replace them. say they leave and your heat exchanger cracks a day or a month later, now he is at risk for being sued or potentially at risk for your dead body in the middle of the night.
i dont agree with them, but i also see the side of taking all responsibility for everything after you look at it.
once i touch it, it becomes my problem.
and if im going to touch 2-5000 pieces of equipment a year we need to limit my ability to be sued.
continuing to fix old shit is the polar opposite of that.
@asbestosfibers1325 If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The old sh*t is a whole lot better than Chinese sh*t.
😅😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮
@@asbestosfibers1325 a cracked heat exchanger falls under an act of God unless it comes to the customer that way at initial install. That's happened to me more than once when customers refuse to buy quality stuff. No different than buying cheap brake pads for the vehicles. They work for some time but rarely for long. Either way I'd still replace it and nobody has ever come after me for manufacturing issues. Protect your liability however you see fit as some parts of the country are naturally sue happy 😁
Omg! This worked! My husband fixed our heat in 5 minutes! You did a great job on this video! Super clear, step by step. Been dealing with this for months! Thank you thank you thank you!
I can't THANK YOU enough for posting this video! I was able to fix my furnace and avoid calling someone at 9pm on the weekend! You saved me hundreds on such a simple fix. Forever grateful!
Same here, it was 60 in our home last night and I dreaded calling my HVAC service out today. What a simple and easy fix. Used some 1000 grit sand paper and re-installed. I have heat now!!!!!
My whole family is very grateful fot this video! Saved us from cold weekend nights and saved us money, and it was a huge blessing since we are currently unemployed. Thanks again!
Here to help, glad it worked out for you guys 👍
I want to thank you as well and wish I found this video last year. I called a hvac company last year and they told me it was the motherboard - $2K later, problem fixed, but then this year, heater made the same noise as last time, my heart sank. But I cleaned the sensor just as you described and everything is rainbows and unicorns!!! Thank you sir!
This video literally saved my butt. I just bought a house that sat for 3 years. No ignition on Guardian furnace. I no nothing about HVAC. I watched this, realized the stage I was at and checked the connections at pressure switch ( stage 2 ) and up and running. Saved me a repair!! Thanks!!!!!!!!
Boom 👊, that is what we are here for!
Evening, thanks again for your video! My family and I had to endure a night in the cold because there was unavailability to have someone come to the house and check out what the issue was. Your video not only helped me remedy the issue with our furnace to keep us warm, but it also saved us a lot of money, especially in times like these with the high cost of living! We owe you, thanks again!
Dang man, first snow of the season and our furnace did exactly this. This video helped me fix it in 15 minutes. Can't thank you enough for this, and I also appreciate that you were straight to the point. Every second of your video was helpful. No fluff, no BS.
My 2019 Armstrong has the same looking flame sensor and I thought it would be smart to get one and igniter. Stopped at the nice and reputable place that installed it in my farmhouse and they only wanted about $115 each. Think I'll look on line. Great video.
Happened same way to me today. Going to try this when I get home from work
The first year we moved into our house with gas appliances, I noticed the heat went out overnight in the middle of winter. Found a video explaining this exact issue, got the flame sensor cleaned and heat back up and running without the wife waking up. Totally saved. The following year the issue returned so I went ahead and got a new sensor and cleaned the old one off for a spare.
I have been doing HVAC/R for Many years, This is a SOLID explanation for the start up sequence.Great video! You might want to add a video for the igniter failure/replacement.
I have the on/ off switch not working but my furnace still blow air and the burners turn on but the blower doesn’t kick in to send air up what’s ur thoughs
@@raymondhoguelll2044 flame sensor
flame sensor
@Vladimir Putin smart gas valve was the main issue $ 1300 to fix
Works now 👍🏻
O9am
@@raymondhoguelll2044 Did you spend $1,300 bucks or just install a new furnace at the same price?
Thank you! We have lived in our home for 20 years, the furnace is original to the home and 30 years old. We have never had a problem or any maintenance done on our furnace. It would start and stop, I followed your steps and cleaned the sensor rod and it is working again! Thank you!
daughter called me, "dad our furnace will not turn on", she told me she called 3 different companies, 1st one wanted $30,000 to replace it all, 2nd & 3rd wanted $5,000-$7,000 to repair it. I sent my neighbor to her home, he replace the sensor for about $35.00........ needless to say, I bought my neighbor a Honey Baked Ham and a big can of Pork & Beans !!!! All is well !!.
Came home after a 4-day trip to a cold house. Inspected the unit, found my heater doing exactly this. My rough estimate is $350 in savings. Goven todays exonomy, thank you for saving us from that bill!
Thank you! Our furnace went out today, and since it’s DEC 23rd, it was going to be next TUES before someone could come out to see about it, while temperatures are in the teens (F) all weekend. We would have probably frozen without your video! ❤
Thanks man!! Dead cold winter here, HVAC in high demand and not sure when I could get someone to my apt.. Got it fixed in no time, thanks to your guidance!! Have a great 2023! Thanks again!
Scott, you're a natural teacher - concise, clear, well-paced, and encouraging. Thank you.
Thanks Daniel 👍
Dude seriously thank you so much!! I have been dealing with this crap furnace for 6 years. I get a DTE visit once a year and they never fix it completely. So I finally decided to RUclips it and you’re the first I clicked on. Finally the thing kicks right on 😮 I was so happy.
Awesome video! Your step-by-step description was spot on, and saved me a service call that I quickly had to cancel after I was able to resolve the issue by simply removing the flame detection sensor, cleaned & reinstalled it, and Pa-da the most beautiful blue flame irrupted from the burners. Thank you very much for sharing such a great troubleshooting video.
Those 2 items; flame sensor and the ignitor ... yeap ... simple, don't we hate getting abused by the industry?
My furnace in my previous house had the same symptoms, the 1st HVAC tech came told me it was a bad gas valve and quoted $850 to replace after charging me $90 for diagnosing fee. It was even before the pandemic. I ordered an exact model for about $200, it was a two stage valve. After I replaced new one, the furnace still not working. I called the same HVAC company for a different tech. The 2nd tech's diagnose was bad gas meter. I contacted the gas company. After gas meter replacement, the furnace works correctly.
Great video. My gas furnace is 20 years old, and never had this problem. So now I’m wiser, I’ve cleaned my sensor and ordered a replacement. Maybe 20 more years before I have to replace the existing cleaned one. Thanks for such great do it yourself advice.
Great Video. Had this issue come up today. This troubleshoot did the fix. Total cost: $0, and a nervous spouse, worrying the furnace was history. Thank you for this video.
Flame detection sensor went out on my furnace last year. I researched the part number, but heating repair places would not sell me the sensor. They told me that a service technician would have to come out and verify the condition. They told me it would take days before someone would be able to come out. So, I ordered it on Amazon, saved some money and fixed it myself.
Very informative message , I’m cleaning my flame sensor with sand paper and working very well again. Thanks for sharing your experience.
You just saved me from freezing to death brother....and a lot of money. I can't thank you enough. 🙏🤟🏼
Thank you. Woke up to the house at 60 with a newborn. Even had the HVAC proactively check furnace before we got home for peace of mind.
Apparently when he did the job, he left with the gas line in the closed position.
Your troubleshoot video helped me out in about five minutes and saved me frustration at 4 AM. Thank you
Such a well done video. Clear, concise and easy to understand. Kudos!
most common reason, would be bill not paid
All these years, ive had to clean the flame sensor a handful of times, but i never knew anything about the lockout mode, and now everything makes so much sense, about why the furnace would try to start up, and then just plain stop for a really long time.
Thanks for the info!
Another success story! Mine was a little harder to get at, but after having the system about 10 years it was due for a cleaning. Thanks again!
That's what happened to mine.... nozzle was corroded... used sand paper and a pin to clean nozzle. Just happened today as I figured it out and the service guy was there.
Thank you so much!! My furnace had exactly this issue. I found this video. Told my husband, then he followed your instructions and now we have a working furnace again. Thank you again!!
When you remove the cover, some units have a safety switch preventing operation without the cover. You may have to tape that in the closed position to visually test like demonstrated. Great video.
Exactly... Trane units have a safety switch that that closes when the front cover is on and opens when the cover is removed. You have to tape it down for the furnace to operate with the door off. In fact, the door ajar is a common failure point for the furnace not working.... the tech comes out, makes sure the door properly shut and charges you $150 for his 1 minute of work....
@Vladimir Putin On my unit it is the top panel...
Can someone answer a question for me..... I cleaned my flame sensor - but my unit may or may not go on & then it does the 4 hr safety lock out...... I get a pilot Flame..... but it does not then expand to that blue blaze..... it will try 4x & then lock out...... does that mean my Gas Valve is going bad?
@@jackzeldon2883 look for the diagnostic code. It was tell you
This helped a ton, thank you! Had no idea
Thank you so much. Woke up to the coldest day of the Winter so far and the house was in the 50s. I toyed around for an hour before finding your video after figuring out there was no flame. Your fix got me up and running again and saved me a big HVAC bill. Thank you!!
Great info! I'm learning more about all the house systems from you, and I've done a lot of diy stuff over the past ~40 years. My blower motor circuit board had a solder failure on ours and luckily I found info on the repair. Saved me $$$. Then the other unit failed too, the same way. Both still going strong after 25 years and they are in great condition. Keep up with the great tips!
Woke up this Sunday AM it was 59 in my house! Watched your video, cleaned the flame sensor with a dollar bill and viola it is now 68 and cozy!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Amazon is a Godsend to the public, that combined with RUclips has allowed us to take back our homes and autos from those out there that are only looking to scam unsuspecting customers. Videos like yours should be archived for posterity, forever available for humanity. Thank you for everything you do! 🥰
This was an exact replacement for the old one that lasted about 10 years. ruclips.net/user/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh The top of my mitigation tube by my roofline was just a 90 elbow which allowed too much debris to fall down into the fan, eventually ruining it. Without this issue, I bet it would have kept running another 10 years. When I replaced this fan, I added an extra elbow joint so the top tube now it does a 180, which should solve that problem. The radon guys around here wanted to charge me a $300 diagnostic fee, then parts/labor (probably close to $600 total). I installed this all by myself in about an hour for the cost of the fan; it would probably be even easier/faster with two people. FYI the manufacturer's warranty greatly differs depending on whether you install it yourself (1 yr warranty) or have a licensed installer do it (10 yrs).
Scott, thank you so much for this upload. I didn't know how easy this fix was since here in Colorado Springs we just got about 6 inches of snow. I've replaced the gas valve
troubleshot everything I could think of until I found your video. A simple flame sensor switch, 1/4 socket and a piece of sandpaper. Thank you again ! 💯 👍
Scott, Great video. Like many, I solved this same issue for my sister and brother in law this past winter. Did some digging on their specific furnace, mobile home furnace but very similar to the one in the video as far as components go. Easy fix and got them warmed up. A week later they had a inspection done to make sure it was safe and not leaking CO2. They also have a CO detector near by.
Thank you so much. I am 60, temp 25 in Michigan today .. thanks to you I fixed it on my own, with your help. God knows, I don't have the money to pay someone to fix it. Thank you so much.
You are SO good at explaining how this works. Im pretty sure this is my furnace issue. Thank you so much!
A few years back started having issues with our furnace. Did a google search and found what I think is the most comprehensive troubleshooting guide for my model. It takes you down paths, confirming yes/no operation for every possible scenario/operation. Over the years, I have replaced pressure switch, 12V power supply and main control board.
24v power supply?
@@SilverandCigars maybe. It saw a small transformer; either 12 or 24v.
Most modern furnaces have some kind of troubleshooting indicator on them (LED light(s) or a numeric display) that will help the owner determine what issue the furnace is reporting as to why it won't run. Usually there's a chart on the furnace, in the owner's manual, or that can be found online that will tell you what the indication means and how to resolve it.
My furnace has previously indicated that the flame wasn't detected, and what you did in this video was the fix for it.
Good note, I wanted to jump into the diagnostic codes but decided to make it a separate video 👍
I found mine on the box of last control board. Does not help me
my error light did not send out error code... I was looking for the error code in the number of blinks from the led light and there is nothing listed as a 1 blink... It showed there really wasn't anything wrong with the system. It was cleaning the gas nozzle; they were a little clogged.
That flame detection sensor was the exact reason my furnace did not stay on. To clean the rod, I was looking for a dollar bill, but all I had was a five. So I went to the neighbor's house and asked if he had five singles. I Explained to him I needed a single to clean the rod in my furnace. Back up and running. THUMBS UP!!!
I used 1 trillions dollars Zimbabwean money and it worked!!
@@sigendut3336if that was in single dollar bills, it would have been a couple of truck loads, imagine the weight😂😂 Stay warm and safe.
Hey I just wanted to mention that there's a non mechanical step in addition to the ones you mentioned and I've had issues with and solved the problem. On the newer style furnaces the burners are kind of like flame guns. Anyways there is a narrow slot at the burning end of the burners that can sometimes get dust or carbon buildup in them. This causes the flame to not jump across all 3,4,5or6 burners so on. This in turn never reaches the flame sensor and causes shutdown. You see this when it happens if your watching the burners.
That's not a step. That's do to poor maintenance on your burners. What he described was the order of operation for heat.
What you just described is literally the purpose of the flame sensor being mounted on the opposite side of the HSI or other igniters. The gas channel allows the flame to pass to each jet of gas. If it fails that’s one of the times the Flame sensor says “nah fam I ain’t seeing it, shut er down and try again.”
Can’t believe this problem can be solved so easily. I just cleaned the sensor and the system started working. The best part of the video was the explanation on various stages of the system. Can’t thank enough.
Very true! I have 6 rental properties and always have flame sensors on hand. They are the number one cause. Great video as always!
Its very rare for a flame sensor to actually break, usually they just need cleaning.
@@Redtooth75 Maybe I missed this but ( I think) tech didn't RE-remind to be sure power off main("light switch"). Also do NOT clean sensor with sandpaper or anything rough. Coating of sensor not very thick. Elsewise video EXCELLENT; understanding operating sequence of unit is super useful. Furnaces, like cars, have become somewhat techy but necessary to keep em safe & efficient.
My man! Because of this video I didn’t have to call the repair man to come out. I went through the steps as you described and now we’re in here good and toasty! Just had to clean off the carbon on that sensor and the flame stayed lit. Thanks a lot!!!
Working with rental property I've had to clean a lot of flame rods, mostly because they do not tend to be very good house keepers. Good information 👍.
Oh man, I feel your pain 😂
Why would you expect your renters to do maintenance on your property? Thats what they pay you for.
I didn't say anything about maintenance of the house, just housekeeping, like keeping their places clean and removing their trash from the house.
@@yodasbff3395 you said that you had to clean flame sensors because the tenants are not good housekeepers. The cleanliness of the house has nothing to do with the flame sensor, or any part of the furnace besides the air filter to a certain extent.
@@Redtooth75tenants never change air filters, even when u give them filters for free.
Thanks to this no-fluff video, I was able to clean our flame sensor and we didn't wake up freezing. My furnace is from a different manufacturer, but your explanation of the process was so clear that I was able to find the sensor on our unit. I'm most grateful, and subscribed.
Well explained. I've seen this twice in various homes I've owned through the years. As I recall, there are two different common designs for these flame sensors.
Thank you so much for this video. My Train xv95 stopped lighting and you helped me diagnose that it was the “glow stick” igniter that was broken. I got it replaced and everything was great for about 20 hours, and then I got hit with the flame sensor issue in this video. After some time with a kitchen scrubby it now works fine. You’ve saved me hundreds of dollars.
When I bought my first home in 2013 the flame detector went out on our gas furnace that was originally installed in 1986. I knew nothing about how a gas furnace operates but did some digging and concluded the flame sensor needed replacing. I got it working again and figured I'd replace the entire furnace soon because it was so old, but it's now 2022 (36 y/o) and still working fine. As a safety measure I did try to push an inspection camera into the heat exchanger (not easy) to look for corrosion and I keep way too many CO detectors throughout the house in case the furnace ever leaks CO, but they all still read zero ppm.
Yeah, The unit at my house is 25 years old and the heat exchanger has enough corrosion I am starting to get a little more concerned.
No corrosion in the heat exchanger. Unbelievable. Thank you.
very smart decision. good job
@@KLondike5 - That's unfortunate. I've also heard similar stories, but about 15+ year old roofs in Florida, where the insurance company doesn't want to renew the home insurance policy unless the homeowner replaces their still perfectly fine roof.
This video saved us a lot of money today. The problem with our furnace was one of those listed, in the video we were shown exactly how to fix it. The problem literally took less than 15 min to fix.
I’ve had a situation a couple of times on my furnace where the blower pressure diaphragm switch was “stuck, or stiff” and would not close during the first startup of the season. Taking the tube off and blowing/ sucking gently to exercise the diaphragm solved the problem for,the rest of the season. Had one other occasion where the incoming air was at -35F and made it so stiff it wouldn’t flex.
Leaving the service cover off for a bit allowed it to warm up enough to operate. Really helps to know,how to troubleshoot these things when it’s cold and dark and the service tech is a day away!
Jesus, you're going to kill someone. The diaphragm doesn't get "stiff"
@@benjohnson4404 It does when the incoming air is minus 25 degrees celcius!
This video just saved me $$$. Found the flame sensor assembly was not connected to the frame. Two anchor screws removed by the last tech that did a tune up were never reinstalled. Thanks for the videos!
Nice! Happy to help!
They "forget" a lot of things, wanting that sweet, sweet service call for no heat when the first cold snap happens. I glad you took the time to look before calling them back. Always make sure they prove things are running properly before paying the bill for things like tune ups in the off season for heat/ac.
3 years since a service? I saw a similar furnace open in Lowes. Looked identical to my 40 year old furnace. Checked part numbers on my parts, most are still used on brand new models. My furnace also has an LED that will blink and you compare the blinks to the svc manual and it self diagnosis. I usually use scotch brite on the temp. senser. Never touch your igniter. Its like a hallogen headlight on a car. Touch the bulb abd it will burn out whwn it heats up.
Flame sensor
If it's in the lockout mode, is there anything that can be done to take it out of that or only time?
Good video should help a lot of people. I’ve successfully serviced furnaces myself for quite a few years with no training. There’s really only so many components to check and things to go bad or get dirty. Identifying the failsafe switches is important. The only parts I have ever replaced over the years were thermocouples and 1 circuit board that got water damaged from a missing stack cap. Everything else was a result of being dirty or corroded and cleaning cured it. The most common problems I have come across were thermocouples and corrosion on burner circuits preventing ignition. Something anyone with a basic understanding of how things work can service I believe. Just gotta use your head.
Hey, thanks for your comment on this. I'm now thinking my problem is also with the thermocoupler. I got a brand new flame sensor just to rule out an issue with the old one.
Basically, the cycle gets to the flames, and even the blower, but then the flames go out, with the blower continuing,
I took out the burners and made sure they were clean and didn't have any air leaks, but that didn't change the situation. Also the control board was replaced only a few years ago so I don't think that's the issue either.
What do you think? Do I just need to replace the thermocoupler?
@@teegeesIf you think that thermocouple is even just 5 years old, for the money especially, I would replace it. They’re pretty universal and usually less than $10 at typical stores. Unless you turn off the gas and completely shut the furnace down for the summer, they have a constant pilot on them year round and they get burned down to a nub and stop working or get weak. Because what they do is produce a small amount of electricity to keep a valve open as long as they are staying hot. So if you’re igniting the burners and then everything blows out after a minute or two I am thinking the draw of fresh cool air through the furnace when the flames are burning is causing a weak thermocouple to cool off just enough to close that pilot valve and kill the pilot light. Once the pilot light is off the whole burner operation is going to shut down whether the main burners are burning or not because the thermocouple is a failsafe mechanism. If the thermocouple is in good shape though and it looks like it has it’s shape still cleaning them with a wire brush can improve their sensitivity because they can get a residue from condensation on them. Being sure the pilot port is clean is a good idea too so the thermocouple is getting a crisp rich flame to stay hot. And also it is important that the flame is hitting the tip of the thermocouple. Usually the last 1/4-1/2” and this can be adjusted as well. If you replace the thermocouple just be careful not to kink pilot gas line while working on it. They’re delicate. Use the old thermocouple to pre match the route of the line of the new it will make installation easier. I’ve replaced thermocouples with & without taking the complete pilot assembly out it just depends on how easy the particular unit is to get to 🤷♂️. If you’re having to relight the pilot though each time I think it sounds like the problem though. I hope this helps.
@@bensk8in467 hey thanks your detailed response and tips on this. Turns out my furnace has no pilot light and the igniter is a ceramic heating element which heats up and ignites the gas. Since I had already checked the burners and replaced the flame sensor I was looking to now replace the limit switch, and then the gas valve if necessary (most expensive part to replace). So far I’m just using space heaters but eventually I’ll get things working again. Thanks again 🙏
@@teegees Sure you’re welcome it could help someone if not you anyway. I did wonder if you possibly had an electric igniter. Glad you have some heat at least for now. One more thing to possibly check is if it has an automatic damper for the exhaust. Because if that isn’t opening up it would shut the flame off. They can stick and not work right if it has one. I think you have a failsafe switch issue of some kind. One thing to keep in mind troubleshooting sensors is they generally two wire & just on or off so you can disconnect the switch and connect the two wires to bypass. If things cycle as they should, you know it’s that switch and saves the guesswork. Hope you get er man 👍
@@bensk8in467 You’re spot on there. Thank you sir.
Your video and easy to follow directions means I figured out my furnace problem, lowered my stress (it was 5 below this morning), calmly got it fixed and without spending any money. Thank you!
I would really like to thank you for this tutorial. Our furnace was doing exactly this. Following your instructions completely solved the issue. Thank you again and you will get a like and a subscriber.😎👍
I did what you said in the video and it worked! Thank you so much. You saved me a few hundred dollars from having a repairman coming out.👍👍
Thank you for such an informative video. It really helped when we had furnace issues. Cleaned the flame sensor and it was working again. 😀
17 yr old furnace, same symptoms, cleaned the flame sensor, fixed it! Thanks for the easy to follow explanation!!!
Would be great to have input on how to do simple maintenance on minisplits, heat pumps and heat exchangers.
I watched several videos and finally I found the problem and solution with your help. Thank you so much I was able to clean off the igniter without removing it and bam it kept running and now how home is heating up. It fell to 12degrees last night so we needed this fix. Your are the hero.
One other common causes of a furnace not staying on is the filter needs replacing. The blower motors usually have a thermal protection device for when the motor gets too warm. (ask me how I know this one)
One cause that will keep Step 3 from happening is the ignitor has burned through. Had this happen twice at my last house over 12 years time. Usually unplugs (two wires in the wire harness) and then be checked with a continuity tester.
Somewhere there is often an LED that will flash an error code (long flashes and short flashes) and a listing of what the error code means.
Dear David, how u know this one？
Being a HVAC/R Contractor with 47+ yrs, a Scotch Bright Pad or fine Steel Wool works better than a Dollar bill. Your diagnose is correct.
5:55 - Use a wad of five $100 bills to clean it. Then put them back in your pocket and smile to yourself knowing that you're not handing them to an HVAC contractor for a service call.
Thanks for the tips, I fixed it and didn't have to call anyone else... I think I just might get some tonight! 🙏🏾
You're welcome
Happy wife, happy life!
I had similar symptoms in a gas furnace. Turned out the draft enducer would cut out randomly momentarily while running slamming the gas valve open/ closed. Two different tech calls later and a new gas valve the problem still persisted. So I took matters in my own hand- turned out there was a partial blockage in my chimney. I had a co detector in the same room, never went off but probably due to the draft enducer saving our lives. Moral is to clean the chimney even if all you have is gas.
Yep. Chimney in a one hundred year old house was plugged up. I got it cleaned out and saved a service call. Now I check it every fall.
Man, you just saved me some money, I followed up all the steps that you mentioned on this video and now my furnace is working. Thanks!!
Best explanation ever. Going through the cycles was so helpful in troubleshooting my problem. Thanks so much!
Great video!
I still have a problem with Amana furnace.
After I set the thermostat at 69F the furnace was on at 67F and off at 71F; but didn’t start again when for another cycle. The red LED light on the control board was on indicating normal operation. I turned off the power to the board and back on after 30 sec and the furnace turned on. After the cycle ended, the furnace would not turn on again unless I turned off the power to the control board and back on after 30 sec and the furnace turned on. After the cycle is over, if I try to turn on the fan only, it doesn’t start. Do you have any suggestions?
This was excellent information. Thanks for sharing. 😎👍
Edit: always good to save money on repairs because you're going to need every spare penny to pay the gas bill this winter.
I have this ac/furnace.
make sure you keep you ac drain clean and the tray.
if its clogged the ac will drip down right on the inducer motor , over time it will rudt the sdhaft and eventually if will ruinh the motor.
I learned this all the hard way.
Also you MAY get a 3 blink error code stating its the pressure switch, if you bypass the switch youll get your 2 blinks indicating the motor.
My unit keps giving me faulty pressure switch, but it was the blower motor.
hope this help, great video btw.
Very beneficial for us DIY'ers who refuse to call a repairman.
First time home owner here. And this worked great. Cleaned off the censor rod and now it's all good. Appreciate the help
Scott
You are absolutely wrong with suggesting steel wool to clean a flame sensor! Using steel wool takes the coating off the sensor which is as much important as it is not to touch the sensor with your fingers. Cleaning can be done with a dollar bill or a scotch Brite (green pad) only!
Thanks for the feedback 👍
@@EverydayHomeRepairs Nice video, well done. Fine steel wool is OK to use, that's what was recommended to use back in the day. However, I went to scotch brite pads because fine steel wool corrodes easily. The flame rod does not have a coating as far as I know, you want to avoid abrasive cleaners like sandpaper or plumbers roll because they will etch grooves into the flame rod material that will quickly fill with detritus leading to premature failure. A typical flame signal is in a range of 1 dc microamp to 3 dc microamps and anything that increases the resistance to the flow of such a tiny current will cause trouble. Even a rusty/dirty gas burner (serving as the ground conductor) will do it. The flame signal returns to the control board via chassis ground so if the burner is rusty or the ground wire is loose, you'll will likely have flame failure.
Wow, the internet just doesn’t listen in to our conversations, now it’s reading my mind. Your video just showed up and it is describing my issue exactly as it has been happening. Tomorrow this problem will be identified and I’m sure it will be fixed, hopefully with just a cleaning. Thanks.
Notice how this furnace has three flames, with only one igniter and one sensor. They are all in a line with the igniter and sensor at opposite ends, so the fire spreads from one end to the other, and the end with the sensor can only light if every single burner lights to pass that flame along.
Thanks so much for this video. It is a super clear explanation of how a furnace works. My furnace was not making heat and I was on the verge of looking for an HVAC company to come out and fix it but that would have undoubtedly cost me hundreds of dollars and days of delay. This video showed me that my ignitor was bad and I was able to fix it myself. The repair was actually quite simple. Thanks again for this excellent video!!! You're a rock star!!!
It did cost something! You had to have a dollar to do it! 🤣🤣
That was an investment as I got my money back 😂
@@EverydayHomeRepairs word! 🤣 And saved at least a $150 service fee! 🤣
@@HannahMattox 💯
Today our furnace started acting just like on your video. My wife and I would like to thank you sooo much, as this solved our problem. We are currently having a winter storm here in Central Texas. I subbed and liked the channel.
Great video!!! I discovered this on my own 15 years back, but I for got about this this week… I was having the darndest time remembering this now. I went without heat for a week, until I remembered that I could watch one of your videos!!! Thank you!!!
It’s a cold night in west Texas and my heater wasn’t working just before bed. This video helped me greatly.
Essentially the cycle never made it to step 3. I took off the front panels to try and diagnose and it worked perfectly. I put the panels back on and it stopped working.
Your video broke down the 6 steps and helped me understand why it wasn’t working. Somehow the tube connecting to the pressure sensor in step 2 turned and when the panels were on, it pinched the tube blocking the draft to the pressure sensor.
Easy fix I turned the tube and I now have heat!
Boom, nice work troubleshooting 👊
Woke up this morning to a 58 degree house. Watched the video, used the dollar bill to clean the sensor, now have a working heater again. Thanks so much!
You just saved my life - I figured it out after watching this and saved so much money, the furnace dude wanted to charge my grandmother and me $1,500 just for a diagnostic test
Wow. Wow wow wow. This helped me so much. Had a hard time getting someone out to my rental property to fix my heater and decided I needed to take matters into my own hands. Took the door off of my unit and mine is set up almost the same as this one. I spent no lie under 2 minutes on it and it fired right up. Wow wow wow. You saved me a ton of money and headache. Thank you.!!!
Thank you very much! Repaired the heater in our house last night based on your video, as it was very cold last night, it was a great help for our family to have the heater repaired with your guidance.
Our furnace went out last night. Saw your video and gave it a try. Worked like a charm!! Thank you.
This guy is Really good at explaining things in detail, he needs his own hvac school.
Thanks!
Thank you!! I just got my furnace back up and running thanks to this video. Just had to clean the flame sensor with steel wool and it was back working!
Thanks for sharing it's been very helpful.👍
I had this problem for the past day or two and your video was spot onto the solution! Thank you so much! As others have said, I appreciate your straightforward solution with no fluff and excellent information.
Thanks for the feedback!
As a retired HVAC tech, I can say this is a very well-done video. This type of flame detection is called a flame or pilot rectification system. Raw natural gas will not conduct electricity, but a flame will because I believe I heard the flame is ionized. Rectification means a one-way current flow, and this is done by sending a electrical signal to the small flame detector that then will conduct electricity thru a flame to a larger metal ground, and I was told this size discrepancy induces a one way or rectified current or signal. This is important, because if for some reason the sensor shorted to ground, without flame rectification, the circuit board would not be able to tell the difference between a shorted sensor or a proven flame and could energize the gas valve without ignition, which is something you never want to happen. I actually taught this sensor cleaning trick to a young maintenance man who was working with me, and a week later he fixed a neighbor's furnace during some cold weather and the neighbor gave him a roll away toolbox!