These are answers to questions that have been submitted to our Ask The Expert section. If you have a question that you do not see answered below please Ask The Expert.
Questions:
Cant get furnace to fire up. Engine turns on here gas come through but no ignition. Please help hoping its simple.
Heat & Glo gas fireplace insert. Pilot light is on. Wall switch is engaged and it takes several seconds or a minute for flame to ignite. You can hear the gas running. After a few minutes of nice fire the flame goes out but pilot remains on. Many minutes later a big WHOSH takes place and fireplace ignites again. We feel this is dangerous and not normal. What are your thoughts? FYI fireplace next door is doing the same thing. Both homes 4 years old.
How much do you charge for routine cleaning/maintenance of a furnace? Do you do maintenance of gas fireplaces? If so, what is the rate?
How often do you need to have your air ducts cleaned and how much does it cost?
I have a lighter fluid like smell coming from my furnace. What should I do?
I have a norydene electric furnace and miller heat pump set up in my doublewide mobile home. When my furnace goes to turn off it will go off then on and off then on.
It hesitates to go off. It will however go off. It did make my lights blink once.
Everything works fine on it when it is running and it is heating the house fine. I was wondering if it might be a relay to the blower. I have been told that or could it be something else. I have already replaced the thermastat to a digital one that is for a heat pump. It still does it. If you could give me some advice I would appreciate it. Also would I have to take the relay off to get one or could I just take a number off it or the furnace. Thanks so much for helping
I have a problem with air circulation in my home. My returns do not pull much of anything in.
They are just holes in the wall, with no duct or anything...returning air from inside my walls, which can be iffy. I have a Lupus, a medical condition that affects my immune system, and its beyond a must that I have healthy air. Wondering how much a very detailed inspection/maintenance check would be. You guys came out last year but the guy didn't speak much and mentioned nothing of my returns. I also am thinking of getting the ducts cleaned. If you guys do the inspection and I choose you to fix the problem, do you deduct the inspection cost from the final cost? Thanks so much I am looking forward to hearing back from the pros!
I'm Having problems with my Goodman furnace. The Inducer assembly has been epoxy glued together, so I can't see why the inner parts are not moving freely. Is this part supposed to be epoxy glued together, when there are six screws around the outside, which hold it together.
I need to move a heat run in an unfinished basement. How doI do it without slicing and dicing my hands?
I think I need my air conditioning unit to be cleaned/ serviced. I am not to sure when the last time it was cleaned. I understand it should be done every year and I have been in the house for a little over a year now. What is a rough estimate to how much it would cost?
My dog urinated on my heater vent. We tried cleaning the duct, but whenever the furnace kicks on, there is a very strong cent of urine in the room. Is there a product we can use to get rid of the urine smell?
Trane air condition unit runs ok,but shuts on and off for 1 to 5 seconds.
We are moving from an electric Kitchen range to and double oven and gas Range. Do you install the connections for a gas line. We presently have Gas furnace, fireplace and water heater.
We had a heat pump installed by R&R a year and a half ago. With all of the snow, is there something we should do to protect it (i.e. a cover for over the top of the unit, etc.)? Thank you for your time!
We have a 1970 daylight basement home. It is heated with baseboard heating. We have used a pellet stove for the last 25 years with just a vent in our kitchen above the stove. Putting bags of pellets in every day is getting old and so are we. Are there solutions other than just buying another pellet stove?
We have a Chronotherm 111 do I need to switch back and forth from EM HT to regular setting since day time warms up then evening in teens?
We havea Mitsubishi slimline unit in the office I work in. The unit came with an automatic wireless thermostat and we want to change it to a manual operated remote control. What would that change over cost?
We just bought a newly built home by Copper Basin. Durring the walk thru we were told not turn the furnice switch that is on the garage wall off. Well it was turned off, now we have not fully moved in but our thermustate is turned off but when I turned that switch on it just blows air into the house and wont turn off. I dident know what to do so I just turned it back off, could you help?
we live in an apartment and the heat is all messed up after the heatstops heating it hardly ever shut off and cold air blows out i have been dealing with this for a month with i am sure a very expensive electric bill any i dea why so i can confront them
We recently moved into a home with a Goodman/Copeland CR34K6PFV220 air conditioner (not sure if it is a heat pump?). It had been working fine and yesterday the blades stopped spinning and the unit was mkaing a terrible screeching noise. I turned it off, pulled the fuse box, let it sit a few hours and tried again with the same result. Is a service call in order?
When i turn up the temperature on the thermo stat the furnace does not always respond. I turned the temperature to 71 but remained at 60 all day, then randomly it started warming up again.
When my furnace comes on I hear a big bang, kind of like a door slamming. It is coming from the furnace itself, not the ducting. What could this be?
Why would anybody not have the fan limiter connected on trane gas furnace TDE 080 a 945l 1903, and why would furnace continually cycle on/off, some times it works ok, some times not, tends to blow cold air frequently, if all limiters checked out except for disconnected fan limiter, is the problem the pressure switch which does seem to work, or the control board which apparently has a newer replacement board (old 50a55-843) supposibly that is acnto3606 and replacement is an cnt02183?
with it being so cold out do I need to switch to EM HT on our heat pump control Chronotherm III? When should I
Answers:
Cant get furnace to fire up. Engine turns on here gas come through but no ignition. Please help hoping its simple.
if it is furnace installed after 1980 it probbaly is the ignitor has failed and just needs to be replaced.
Heat & Glo gas fireplace insert. Pilot light is on. Wall switch is engaged and it takes several seconds or a minute for flame to ignite. You can hear the gas running. After a few minutes of nice fire the flame goes out but pilot remains on. Many minutes later a big WHOSH takes place and fireplace ignites again. We feel this is dangerous and not normal. What are your thoughts? FYI fireplace next door is doing the same thing. Both homes 4 years old.
It sounds like you are getting a delayed ignition and the thermopile is dirty and needs to be cleaned or the contacts in the wall switch are starting to fail. We recomend that a gas fireplace be serviced just like a furnace every 1-2 years.
How much do you charge for routine cleaning/maintenance of a furnace? Do you do maintenance of gas fireplaces? If so, what is the rate?
Gas or Electric furnace maintenance is $129.50 plus tax. We do maintain gas fireplaces for $108.50 or $72.00 at the time of any other service, plus tax.
How often do you need to have your air ducts cleaned and how much does it cost?
This will depend on whether you have ever had them cleaned before, how they were cleaned and the conditions of your home (do you have pets, do you live on a dirt road, how often do you change your filters) Usually a frequency of 3-6 years. Price ranges from $289 to $609 depending on the amount of vents in your home
I have a lighter fluid like smell coming from my furnace. What should I do?
That smell will most likely come from from the oil in the bearings of the blower motor. The motor should be cleaned and oiled if it does not have sealed bearings once a year. If they are sealed type this may be a sign they are geeting warm and may need to be replaced. The best thing to do is get the furnace serviced and check the bearings for wear.
I have a norydene electric furnace and miller heat pump set up in my doublewide mobile home. When my furnace goes to turn off it will go off then on and off then on. It hesitates to go off. It will however go off. It did make my lights blink once. Everything works fine on it when it is running and it is heating the house fine. I was wondering if it might be a relay to the blower. I have been told that or could it be something else. I have already replaced the thermastat to a digital one that is for a heat pump. It still does it. If you could give me some advice I would appreciate it. Also would I have to take the relay off to get one or could I just take a number off it or the furnace. Thanks so much for helping
Sounds like you’re on the right track. If the issue is intermittent your best bet is to check the electrical connections and current, if for any reason it is below/above the manufacture’s specifications than you’ve most likely found the problem.
I have a problem with air circulation in my home. My returns do not pull much of anything in. They are just holes in the wall, with no duct or anything...returning air from inside my walls, which can be iffy. I have a Lupus, a medical condition that affects my immune system, and its beyond a must that I have healthy air. Wondering how much a very detailed inspection/maintenance check would be. You guys came out last year but the guy didn't speak much and mentioned nothing of my returns. I also am thinking of getting the ducts cleaned. If you guys do the inspection and I choose you to fix the problem, do you deduct the inspection cost from the final cost? Thanks so much I am looking forward to hearing back from the pros!
It sounds like you may just need some duct modifications and sealing along with duct cleaning. We do not charge for estimates. Call our office and ask for Terry in our retro sales department he is certified in duct testing. When talking to him explain your situation and ask that Todd also come along. He is the field supervisor and he can take a more in depth look at the duct work. There well be no charge. You may also want to ask them about the Trane clean effects air cleaner which is 99.5% effective
I'm Having problems with my Goodman furnace. The Inducer assembly has been epoxy glued together, so I can't see why the inner parts are not moving freely. Is this part supposed to be epoxy glued together, when there are six screws around the outside, which hold it together.
Can you send me the model and serial number.
I need to move a heat run in an unfinished basement. How doI do it without slicing and dicing my hands?
If you could email or stop by the office with a couple pictures and description what you want to do we could give some direction what may be the best way. We do sell parts allot less then the big box stores and we will also loan tools out. email to rhastings@randrheating.com or 5202 N Florida Spokane 99217
I think I need my air conditioning unit to be cleaned/ serviced. I am not to sure when the last time it was cleaned. I understand it should be done every year and I have been in the house for a little over a year now. What is a rough estimate to how much it would cost?
manufacturers recommend maintenance annually. Our maintenance on air conditioners is $139.50 plus tax
My dog urinated on my heater vent. We tried cleaning the duct, but whenever the furnace kicks on, there is a very strong cent of urine in the room. Is there a product we can use to get rid of the urine smell?
Clean the area as good as you can with 50% white vinegar and water then most of the pet stores sell a neutralizer you can spray on the affected area.
Trane air condition unit runs ok,but shuts on and off for 1 to 5 seconds.
Something is defiantly wrong. Is the compressor or condenser fan in the outdoor unit doing this. If it is the fan it could be the head pressure control if it is the compressor then it could be a couple of things but it sounds like a service tech needs to look at it. Sorry couldn't give more help but I need more info. Thank You
We are moving from an electric Kitchen range to and double oven and gas Range. Do you install the connections for a gas line. We presently have Gas furnace, fireplace and water heater.
Yes we do install gas pipe for any appliance in both residential and commercial. please call the office and we will be happy to give you a free estimate. 509-484-1405
We had a heat pump installed by R&R a year and a half ago. With all of the snow, is there something we should do to protect it (i.e. a cover for over the top of the unit, etc.)? Thank you for your time!
If it did not run while it was snowing then all you need to do is clean it off. Your heat pump should run down to about 15-20 deg. You should not cover it unless you turn it off but make sure you uncover before turning on.
We have a 1970 daylight basement home. It is heated with baseboard heating. We have used a pellet stove for the last 25 years with just a vent in our kitchen above the stove. Putting bags of pellets in every day is getting old and so are we. Are there solutions other than just buying another pellet stove?
There are a couple options. One way is to install a forced air system with ductwork but this some times becomes a challange with a finished basement. The other option is ductless heat pump where you can install up to 4 air handlers on walls with one condenser outside. They are very quite and high efficient.. No ductwork is required and depending on your utility ther are some rebates and tax incentives that could apply. Check out our web site under products-heat pumps or www.mehvac.com for more info. Or you can call us for more information and a free estimate.
We have a Chronotherm 111 do I need to switch back and forth from EM HT to regular setting since day time warms up then evening in teens?
It all depends if your system was is installed with an outdoor thermostat. With an outdoor thermostat you can adjust it so it will automatically switch from heat pump to emergency heat based on the balance point of your system and the outside temperature. The balance point is the point at which your heat pump does not create enough btus vs the amount of energy it is using.
We havea Mitsubishi slimline unit in the office I work in. The unit came with an automatic wireless thermostat and we want to change it to a manual operated remote control. What would that change over cost?
Mike- Yes, there are some Mitsubishi units which allow the use of a manual remote control. In order to determine if this is a possibility with your specific unit we would need to research it using the model and serial numbers from your equipment.
We just bought a newly built home by Copper Basin. Durring the walk thru we were told not turn the furnice switch that is on the garage wall off. Well it was turned off, now we have not fully moved in but our thermustate is turned off but when I turned that switch on it just blows air into the house and wont turn off. I dident know what to do so I just turned it back off, could you help?
Check the thermostat you may just have the fan set to on. If you switch it to auto the fan will cycle with the need for heat or cooling. It could also be that the fresh air timer maybe also on. This typically is a time clock located next to the furnace that runs a certain amount of time to bring fresh air into the house.
we live in an apartment and the heat is all messed up after the heatstops heating it hardly ever shut off and cold air blows out i have been dealing with this for a month with i am sure a very expensive electric bill any i dea why so i can confront them
We recently moved into a home with a Goodman/Copeland CR34K6PFV220 air conditioner (not sure if it is a heat pump?). It had been working fine and yesterday the blades stopped spinning and the unit was mkaing a terrible screeching noise. I turned it off, pulled the fuse box, let it sit a few hours and tried again with the same result. Is a service call in order?
Lisa, Sorry to hear you’re having trouble. Unfortunately the model you provided is from the compressor itself, if you have the model from the condensing unit we would be able to determine if it is an a/c or h/p. I would recommend you have a technician stop by and determine exactly where the problem is, it sounds like it may be the condensing fan motor but without clipping a meter on it we won’t know for sure. If you would like I can have the office contact you directly or you may request an appointment from our website if it would be more convenient.
When i turn up the temperature on the thermo stat the furnace does not always respond. I turned the temperature to 71 but remained at 60 all day, then randomly it started warming up again.
Depending if it is gas oil or electric but the first thing to check is your filter if dirty this can cause a number of issues such as blower motor over heating and coming on and off due to over heating. The other might be the flame sensor could also be dirty and is not detecting flame. We recomend cleaning the furnace annually and replacement of a 1" air filter monthly 2" bi monthly and 4" every 6 months.
When my furnace comes on I hear a big bang, kind of like a door slamming. It is coming from the furnace itself, not the ducting. What could this be?
If you have checked and it is not coming from the duct work itself which happens a lot when the fan first comes on then there are a couple of things it could be. The furnace may have a delayed ignition when it first lights due to the burners being dirty or a weak pilot light or igniter. The other possibility could be the furnace cabinet is what we call oil panning when the metal heats and expands. You need to watch it and see if it happens only when the burner is on or when the blower turns on and that will tell us what direction to look at closer. R & R Heating & Air Conditioning Inc. 5202 N Florida Spokane Wa. 99217 Randy Hastings President
Why would anybody not have the fan limiter connected on trane gas furnace TDE 080 a 945l 1903, and why would furnace continually cycle on/off, some times it works ok, some times not, tends to blow cold air frequently, if all limiters checked out except for disconnected fan limiter, is the problem the pressure switch which does seem to work, or the control board which apparently has a newer replacement board (old 50a55-843) supposibly that is acnto3606 and replacement is an cnt02183?
First- Your fan limit is a safety device, if someone has removed or disconnected it they were most likely attempting to get around a different issue. Second- The system cycling on/off frequently can be caused by a number of items i.e. dirty flame sensor, incomplete voltage from the board, pressure switch, ductwork issues, over fired etc. My recommendation is to have a trained technician come to your home and monitor the function of the system using meters and manometers to determine exactly where the problem is stemming from.
with it being so cold out do I need to switch to EM HT on our heat pump control Chronotherm III? When should I
Yes On a Chronothrem III stat it probally does not switch by it self. Not knowing what your operating cost ballance point of your system which is the btu output of your heat pump vs the cost to run it as a rule of thumb you should switch it over at about 15-20 deg.