Natural Gas Home heater replacement

[HarryD]

In 2003, in our 2,200 SF house, we replaced our original (Circa 1991) heater with a Bryant Condensing unit (no AC). Installed cost was $2700 and it included a separate compartment for a 20x25x5 high efficiency filter I change once a year.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Neilk

Since we are on a furnace discussion, can anyone help with an ignition lock out error message on my Carrier furnace? Installers seem clueless on how to fix it. I can hear water gurgling in the exhaust flue which was supposed to have been fixed yesterday, but still occurring. So frustrating!

Clean you drain line to the furnace. Your trap is full and that's why you hear the gurgling. Sometimes the trap itself will get plugged. IF you have the old style round black trap those things are terrible about that.

If you want the full rundown, The draft switch isn't closing because there's water in the port where it attaches to the secondary heat exchanger box. Your inducer blower likely runs but you never get a point where the hot surface igniter glows. This is because your draft switch didn't close. A plugged trap or drain is probably the most overlooked problem in an ignition lockout because no one thinks of the drain being part of the overall circuit. What likely happened when the tech was there is: 1. the line had enough time to drain down slowly enough to open the port for the draft switch. 2. The "technician" did a hard reset (cycled power by removing the blower door) which cleared the code initially. 3. Technician didn't take the time to observe two complete cycles of the furnace which would have most likely told him he had not solved the problem.
If my suggestion fixes your problem tell the company you paid to do the work to send that payment to me.

[Neilk]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Clean you drain line to the furnace. Your trap is full and that's why you hear the gurgling. Sometimes the trap itself will get plugged. IF you have the old style round black trap those things are terrible about that.

If you want the full rundown, The draft switch isn't closing because there's water in the port where it attaches to the secondary heat exchanger box. Your inducer blower likely runs but you never get a point where the hot surface igniter glows. This is because your draft switch didn't close. A plugged trap or drain is probably the most overlooked problem in an ignition lockout because no one thinks of the drain being part of the overall circuit. What likely happened when the tech was there is: 1. the line had enough time to drain down slowly enough to open the port for the draft switch. 2. The "technician" did a hard reset (cycled power by removing the blower door) which cleared the code initially. 3. Technician didn't take the time to observe two complete cycles of the furnace which would have most likely told him he had not solved the problem.
If my suggestion fixes your problem tell the company you paid to do the work to send that payment to me.

Thanks Cab,

That is exactly what is happening. I have attached a picture of the unit below. In the picture of the inside of the furnace, I circled the hose that I disconnected and at least 3/4 quart of water came out. I had unplugged the drain and not much came out of even though it the trap was full, so something must be obstructing it. Initially they thought there was not enough angle to the lower exhaust pipe, so they reset it, but they never looked at why the water was not draining.

Fortunately everything is under warranty and it is really costing them on lost productivity, having to come out 3 times, but it is getting ridiculous, amateur hour. Are there any long term consequences to having that area full of water. Since they installed the unit, I want them to give me there "10 year service warranty" that they sell as an extra for a piece of mind that their ineptitude in installing and troubleshooting the issue didn't cause some kind of long term issue.







Thanks for the advice!

[dennis in se pa]

HVAC pros should be able to trouble shoot this issue. Even if they have to call in reinforcements. Who is working on this Moe, Curly and Larry!

[billybek]

Not trying to be an ass here, Neil, but that is one ugly installation.
Running a gas line in front of a service panel would never be acceptable for inspection here. Is that lumex for the furnace power going across the front of the blower door?
Kind of a screen saver of condensate drain lines and what looks like a drip pan too....
Get out the Installation Operation and Maintenance manual and double check to see if they re configured that unit correctly to run as a horizontal unit.
If they didn't leave that behind you can get it from the Carrier website.

[cabmandone]

Originally Posted by Neilk

Thanks Cab,

That is exactly what is happening. I have attached a picture of the unit below. In the picture of the inside of the furnace, I circled the hose that I disconnected and at least 3/4 quart of water came out. I had unplugged the drain and not much came out of even though it the trap was full, so something must be obstructing it. Initially they thought there was not enough angle to the lower exhaust pipe, so they reset it, but they never looked at why the water was not draining.

Fortunately everything is under warranty and it is really costing them on lost productivity, having to come out 3 times, but it is getting ridiculous, amateur hour. Are there any long term consequences to having that area full of water. Since they installed the unit, I want them to give me there "10 year service warranty" that they sell as an extra for a piece of mind that their ineptitude in installing and troubleshooting the issue didn't cause some kind of long term issue.






Thanks for the advice!

I'll be a bit surprised if that fixes the problem. The line and fitting you have circled is your furnace exhaust (vent pipe). I'd have to question if they properly configured the drain trap for horizontal right. If you have any other troubles I'd suggest they double check the drain configuration. I didn't look the picture over well enough to be able to see how it was configured. There will be a small white fitting with a drain line coming out of it.

[Neilk]

Thanks for all the advice and sorry Dennis for the hijack.

I have attached a few more pictures. Cab PM'd that I need a grommet for the gas line inlet since it should be a sealed system.






I will try to review the install manual tomorrow before I call them back over. Thanks again, owe you guys!

[dennis in se pa]

Following up with the end result. 80K BTU Goodman 2 stage furnace. 96% eff. Remove, take away, supply, install, new condensate pump, permits, mods necessary and tax = $3300 complete. In case others are wondering also.

[billybek]

That's not bad Dennis.

How do you like it so far?

[dennis in se pa]

Goes in next Wednesday