Has anyone ever replaced a Hot Surface Ignitor in a gas furnace? I am thinking of trying...it looks simple enough. I can get the part for thiry bucks as opposed to paying fifty bucks to have the home warranty people do it...

any suggestions or thoughts?

Is it your house?. You have to be licenced in the State of Maine to work on furnaces but if it was mine I'd probably do it. Lots of liability with a gas appliance

yeah guess i should have mentioned that - this is my house - otherwise I wouldn't touch it...

Here (Eastern Canada) the insurance companies are getting real hard to get along with. Seems like your home isn't your castle any more. You've got to do things their way now.
Doorbell rang the other day and in walked a home inspector, sent by my insurance company, to check everything out.

Something to think about.

Ed

Ed, did he tell you about your electrical violations?

Roger

[This message has been edited by Roger (edited 01-18-2003).]

hapi,
easy stuff. 1) be sure to disconnect the power(duh) 2)don't touch the igniter surface with your hands 3)clean the grounding connection real good.

Now I am starting to wonder if its the HSI. There is a part that I can tap on with a screwdriver and get i tto ignite...but its not the actual ignitor I don't think - its not the part that turns red hot...

Crap - I might have to just call someone after all...leave the heating & cooling to the heating and cooling guys I spose...

You guys sound like every diyer "It looks easy enough" Go ahead what could possibly go wrong? KABOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!

I once heard from a gas utility worker:

What does he call a gas leak? Dangerous.

What does he call an explosion? Overtime.

(He was joking, I sure hope.)

Happi_Man...i like to add one thing.if you work on it(TURN OFF THE GAS)too.if you can get to the wiring on the igniter /put your ohm meter on it.if you get a reading it's good.no reading it's bad.like brian said,don't touch the hsi with your fingers.and if your not sure,call a heating guy in.it's only about a 1/2 to 1 hour job.

[This message has been edited by lighthouse (edited 01-19-2003).]

Happi:

My suggestion is let the gas man deal with it.

It's only a difference of US$20 (from what you say). Let them get their hands dirty.

I could have hooked up my new gas stove...but then I wouldn't have found out about a gas leak in the pipe later that night when I came home that night. Did a soap-test (rub a thin film of liquid soap on the pipe and watch to see where it bubbles) and then immediately called the gas company guy who came with his wrench and tightened the unions.

The connector was apparently jostled when the stove-man disconnected the old stove.

Gas is more dangerous than electricity, I think.

Well - for anyone who is interested - after tons of research and correspondence with an HVAC guy - we've figured out that it is the flame rollout switch. Its tripping after the furnace has only run a few minutes (that's what I was tapping on with the screwdriver - which I never needed to "tap" on I just needed to push it in - sort of like a reset button).



So here's what I am going to do. Its a $7.50 part and there is a H&C supply house right down the street from me. I'm going there in the morning in hopes of finding a new flame rollout switch. As you may or may not be able to tell from the pic - its a relatively easy task. If that doesn't remedy the prob then I call a H&C service person.

I've also come to learn that Janitrol (Goodman) is...well, junk - any thoughts?

[This message has been edited by Happi_Man too many times.]

[This message has been edited by Happi_Man (edited 01-20-2003).]

Janitrol isn't junk, it's more of a value line of equipment.
That rollout switch is there as a safety in case things get too hot in that area.
You could have a bad switch. Or you could have a cracked heat exchanger or a partially plugged vent or combustion blower motor problems.
It is your life and your family's life you are taking in your hands.
Make wise decisions.

Well - its comforting to know that not everyone thinks that its junk. I wouldn't know one brand from another personally.

I realize that the problem could be more than just the switch but I imagine I will find the answer to that riddle once I put the new switch on.

The reason I believe it is the switch is because I had this probelm last year and it managed to work to this point this year until now without any major disasters - so I think the switch finally peetered out.

My wife and child are staying with her parents until the furnace is repaired one way or another (and I haven't cancelled the service call that I scheduled yet)

As you know I work in a profession where we don't normally recommend people do things without a professional. In other words, I know when to ask for help and when I need to pay someone to fix it right...

Sorry to sound obnoxious Happi, but we spend a lot of time here admonishing DIYers to leave certain things to professionals. Without a clear understaning of gas-operated appliances, I would suggest you heed our own advice.
The money saved doesn't seem to be worth the risk.

Replace the switch. If you still have problems,probably time to get some help.

A big problem with Janitrol is every jackleg and lowlife can buy it. They are not too picky about dealers. So the equipment often ends up mis-applied and/or crappily installed.
Then the equipment is unfairly blamed for problems.

I agree entirely with Redsy. In fact in reading this thread that is what I was going to post. First of all don't forget that you are trying to save $20. You know you can get it fixed for a fixed price of $50.

For all of you who read this thread replace the word switch with the word circuit breaker and see what your advice would be.

Revised quote.
There is a circuit breaker that I can tap on with a screwdriver and get it to work...but

Scott

[This message has been edited by Scotts (edited 01-20-2003).]

Let me make a couple of things clear...

1. My furnace is repaired and it cost me $6 plus tax and about a minute and a half of my time. I spent two days researching my problem and corresponding with professionals. In fact, I spoke with a servcie person this morning who was supposed to come out but who AGREED with me and simply told me to let him know if the new swtich didn't remedy the problem. If I didn't feel comfortable with it I wouldn't have touched it.

2. The part that I replaced had nothing to do with any gas component of the furnace. Had it been - again - I would not have touched it.

3. It doesn't even compare to "If I tap on this circuit breaker it works". Try something more along the lines of - put in new light bulb before hanging a whole new fixture. No one here has ever installed their own garbage disposal either right?

4. I agree Redsy - we do spend a lot of time referring DIYers to professionals. I am behind that 100%. But I wouldn't call an electrician to put a new battery in my smoke detector and I don't have a problem with recommending the simplest solution first. Unlike the H&C guy that tried to scare me into having someone come out and tear my furnace apart "just to be sure" - well if I change out the rollout switch and my furnace works again - then I'm sure - I'm sure that no one needed to spend hours upon hours of unnecessary work in my basement.

So, all in all - I appreciate the concern, although it seems a little more like soapbox preaching rather than genuine concern, and believe me, I appreciate your opinions - that's why I come here. But I didn't just get off from my job at TCBY and decide I was going to fix my furnace. I might not be an HVAC contractor but I'm not completely ignorant to rest of the mechanical world outside of electric.

Bottom Line - If I didn't feel comfortable with the repair I would NOT have done it. I would expect you all to know the difference...

Well done Happi

Ida fixed it myself too, 'cept mine's still under warrenty, and it's still their problem if it quits.

TW

[This message has been edited by Trainwire (edited 01-20-2003).]

Alright, I'm gonna eat a little crow here...but only because I respect you guys

The heating & cooling guys just left my house. They put in a new heat exchanger. The contractor for my home warranty company called me yesterday and INSISTED on coming to check it out. I'm not entirely convinced that it was anything more than the switch but he had some good points and 50 bucks is well worth piece of mind and my family's safety.

So there ya go - I'm not afraid to admit when I might be wrong either

Go ahead and flame me now...Joe's gonna zap this post anyway cuz its off subject, right Joe?

Happi:
No flaming from this part of the world. After all, what price do you put on your piece of mind and the safety of you and your family. That's most important of all, isn't it?

And besides, you probably finished this job knowing just a little more about the furnace than when you started...sort of an added benefit.

BTW, I have been told that crow is loaded with calories

Mike (mamills)

[This message has been edited by mamills (edited 01-22-2003).]

Happi,

(Pat on the back)

Scott

P.S. Let's go grab a beer. I'm buyin'

[This message has been edited by Scotts (edited 01-22-2003).]