Furnace Issue
- Thread starter DocPhilMD
- Start date
Does the pilot side of the gas valve open when the spark box should be sparking? If so you can light it with a long lighter. Do you get power to the spark box at any time? If not can you tell if the pressure switch is closing when the draft inducer motor starts up?
tgb
Well-known member
You should be able to light that with a torch when you have a heat call if it is just a bad ignitor, those old.carrier 3 wire pilot assembly are notorious for going bad, you might want to think about a new furnace, that thing is 30 years old and super complicated circuitry in those things
goneflyin2002
Well-known member
You mentioned that you cut off the bad end of the wire. Is it clean from there on? You should be able to check continuity with an ohmmeter, from the clean end of the wire to the end of the spark 'plug' tip.
Might not need to replace it.
If you do need to replace, just use automotive spark plug wire. Cut open the old orange wire to find out if it's solid core (twisted fine silver wire) or resistor core (black soft carbon core). You can buy both at an auto jobber.
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theoldwizard1
Well-known member
It is basically a spark plug wire.
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Okay. So I called around in my home town today (midland) and nothing was open and no one was of any help. Called Saginaw.....nothing.
So I got online and therepairclinic.com had all the parts I needed. I was going to order them overnight but I found out they are in Canton, MI. 2 hours away. The only part they didn't have was the wire.
So I called around and found one. I was going to overnight that and just light by hand until then EXCEPT by chance they were located 6 miles away from the repair clinic in Westland. CRAZY COINCIDENCE!!
So I just bought the parts I thought I might need due to the freezing cold coming and not wanting to take a chance
1)pilot assembly
2)spark electrode
3)ignition module
4)ignition wire
I admit that I probably could have tested the parts more thoroughly and not replaced all of that but I did booger up the pilot assembly and the electrode a bit taking it out. So I just decided to replace it all.
AND I HAVE FIRE!!!!
Thank you guys again so much. I am going to renew my membership to the alliance again. It is a small price to pay for such amazing help. I wish you all a wonderful NEW YEAR!!!
So I got online and therepairclinic.com had all the parts I needed. I was going to order them overnight but I found out they are in Canton, MI. 2 hours away. The only part they didn't have was the wire.
So I called around and found one. I was going to overnight that and just light by hand until then EXCEPT by chance they were located 6 miles away from the repair clinic in Westland. CRAZY COINCIDENCE!!
So I just bought the parts I thought I might need due to the freezing cold coming and not wanting to take a chance
1)pilot assembly
2)spark electrode
3)ignition module
4)ignition wire
I admit that I probably could have tested the parts more thoroughly and not replaced all of that but I did booger up the pilot assembly and the electrode a bit taking it out. So I just decided to replace it all.
AND I HAVE FIRE!!!!
Thank you guys again so much. I am going to renew my membership to the alliance again. It is a small price to pay for such amazing help. I wish you all a wonderful NEW YEAR!!!
Bronson
Well-known member
Glad you have heat now, sorry I led you astray.
House
Active member
My first thought was your flame sensor needed to be cleaned? Sounds like you replaced a few parts and it now works so that is good. If you ever need to clean the flame sensor here isa video to show you how to do that.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I think #1, #2 and #4 can be bought as an assembly
The igniter with high tension lead is part #LH31CM023 $42 on Amazon (NOT Prime). Cheaper on eBay.
sms1974
Well-known member
The carrier 3 wire pilot was most likely your problem all along. Very Typical for them to go bad over time. The pilot has a bi-metal switch in it, when cold it allows power to go to the spark box which lights the pilot. As it heats up and the bi-metal switch starts to move it takes away power to the spark box and as it gets full hot it sends power to the gas valve. however as the age they get slower and slower and eventually don't move far enough to switch over to the valve side. sometimes a good cleaning will get them back in working order but eventually they will fail.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
Doc, glad you're back on line again. I wouldn't sweat the parts cost too much. At the age your furnace is, almost all of those parts were due for replacement. You basically just did a preseason service.
Tommy
Tommy
It's a carrier/bryant so I would bet it needs a heat exchanger as well.
