Good morning!!!!

[rswyan]

The vacuum sensing switch is the part mounted on the side of the cabinet center-left in this pic--I think. It looks sort of similar to mine.

I have a tee in my vacuum hoses near the switch. There is a hose going to the gas valve and one that disappears into the sheet metal box that encloses the burner. That box is what I think of as the burner air plenum, the combustion air inlet pipe is attached to that sheet metal enclosure.

Okay ... will look for it tomorrow after she goes to work.

On mine (and in the picture) there are actually two vacuum switches - they sit on top of each other (but in different orientations) - one is hooked up as you say, and the other hooked up to the draft inducer itself.

 

[farmer2009]

Rs. I am still leaning towards a flame sensor. The times that it won't do anything does the fans go through their cycle just not opening gas valve. If so the flame sensor could be giving a false signal. If for some reason there is a flame at the burner before the startup process gets to an open gas valve it's supposed to shut down start up.

Another thing I have seen is a bad ground. Rust can cause this. You can also make jumper wires to temporarily bypass the high limit switches. Just to see if one of them is giving a false signal.

The relay to the vacuum sensor should be normally open. As once it has vacuum it should close. The high limit switches are normally closed.

 

[dave1949]

Okay ... will look for it tomorrow after she goes to work.

On mine (and in the picture) there are actually two vacuum switches - they sit on top of each other (but in different orientations) - one is hooked up as you say, and the other hooked up to the draft inducer itself.

Have looked on-line for manuals? You might find a service guide that describes the start-up sequence with real part names and everything. :laughing: I am sorry to torture you with my limited furnace lingo.

Free Rheem Furnace User Manuals | ManualsOnline.com

 

[300UGUY]

Drew,

Here's your fix ...

View attachment 403616

Even installed a damper in the ducting, so it can be closed for summer cooling activities ...

I saw a neighbor's setup like that a few years ago, but the top of woodburner has a inverted V shape, top truncated to enter the ductwork. It really does a nice job of heating, the V top acts as a heat exchanger? It also gives it a chimney effect, pushing air up. If I can get ahold of him, I'll try to get some pics.

 

[rswyan]

Spent the day running cable to the garage and overnight and reseeding the trench Cold and windy but at least the sun shined.

That can make a huge difference.

Got my box and breakers today, gotta pick up the door openers when I decide which units.

I've heard Chamberlain units are good.

Lost my dad 50 years ago today which was my brother's 18th birthday, my wife's dad 20 years ago yesterday, my sister in law 10 years ago yesterday, my brother 2 years ago Dec. 8, my grandmother 22 years ago on the 29th. But hey, the birth of Jesus trumps all that!

Sorry for your losses ... it's always painful no matter when it occurs, but having them happen around the holidays can really make it a mix of joy and sorrow.

 

[rswyan]

Rs. I am still leaning towards a flame sensor. The times that it won't do anything does the fans go through their cycle just not opening gas valve. If so the flame sensor could be giving a false signal.

Here's the list of symptoms, in the order they tend to occur, from most frequent to least frequent:

1. There is a call for gas, you can hear the gas valve actuate, the burners light after a second or two, and then they go out after 2 to 3 seconds. Out of the symptoms described, this probably happens 95% of the time there is a problem.

2. There is a call for gas, you can hear the gas valve actuate, the burners DO NOT light at all ... or there is only a small flame at the first burner (which goes out after a couple of seconds), right near the electronic igniter. Out of the symptoms described this probably happens 3% to 4% of the time there is a problem.

3. The resettable breaker (red button) on the draft inducer trips at some point (don't know actually when it occurs as I've never observed as best I can recall). When this occurs the draft inducer will continue running till the cows come home ... but the burners will not fire after it has happened, until the breaker is reset. Out of the symptoms described this probably happens 1% to 2% of the time there is a problem.

If for some reason there is a flame at the burner before the startup process gets to an open gas valve it's supposed to shut down start up.

That never happens as far as I can tell. The gas valve I assume is a solenoid valve ... there is a very definite noise (a click) that happens when it actuates. I have not observed any flame before hearing the gas valve actuate.

Another thing I have seen is a bad ground. Rust can cause this.

Interesting you should mention that ... there is some kind of a ground wire inside the burner box that is fairly corroded. It's not rusted all the way through tho' ... I'll have to dig into that tomorrow.

You can also make jumper wires to temporarily bypass the high limit switches. Just to see if one of them is giving a false signal.

Ok ... I'll have to see if I can figure out where they all are and what they look like. I'm pretty sure that there is one to the right of the draft inducer in the bonnet (?) of the heat exchanger in the first photo I posted. The wires from it are connected to the resettable breaker on the draft inducer itself.

The relay to the vacuum sensor should be normally open. As once it has vacuum it should close.

Ok.

The high limit switches are normally closed.

Ok.

 

[rswyan]

Have looked on-line for manuals?

Nope I really haven't ... mostly because building/structure HVAC is not something I had much knowledge of previously ... although that is certainly changing ...

You know: just "trust" the professionals ...

However given the questionable competence, it doesn't appear that remaining ignorant is a viable option any longer.

You might find a service guide that describes the start-up sequence with real part names and everything. :laughing:

What a novel concept ... lol ...

I am sorry to torture you with my limited furnace lingo.

LOL ... it seems to me that you've got a far better handle on it than I do ...

Ain't no doubt in my mind that if it's a case of the blind leading the blind that I'm the one following ...

Free Rheem Furnace User Manuals | ManualsOnline.com

Thanks :thumbsup:

 

[rswyan]

I saw a neighbor's setup like that a few years ago, but the top of woodburner has a inverted V shape, top truncated to enter the ductwork. It really does a nice job of heating, the V top acts as a heat exchanger? It also gives it a chimney effect, pushing air up. If I can get ahold of him, I'll try to get some pics.

Irv,

The top of the actual firebox - which you can't really see in the pic (because it's covered with the 10 gauge plate I added to mount the duct work to) - is in the shape of an inverted "V", although it's fairly flat ... maybe a 2" rise from the outside edges to the "peak" in the center. The red sheet metal panels on the side cover the heating chamber where household air is heated before being ducted into the central heating duct work.

There's a small rectangular air intake (not for the firebox - but for the air to be heated) on the rear of the unit ... maybe a 4" x "8 opening and there's a small (thermostatically-controlled) Dayton squirrel cage blower mounted that intake, that drives air into the space/cavity around the firebox to be heated.

I just adjusted the settings on that thermostat to get it to come on earlier and shutoff later (lower temps in both cases) ... to scavenge as much heat as possible out of the unit.

Personally I think it does a pretty decent job considering it's trying to heat this drafty old place ...

We're heating around 2200 sq ft (upstairs only - I've got all the registers in the basement closed off) ... and we're able to bring the temp up (albeit somewhat slowly) even when it's in the 20's ... it's around 68 or 69 in here right now.

 

[300UGUY]

My neighbor has a pretty small house, not much more than 1200 sq ft. I think the rise on his collector is only 5 or 6 inches, so you aren't too much different. I don't know about a blower, it might be there, but I didn't think to look at it very much. This thread is pretty cool, I have 3 furnaces, 1 at home, 1 rental, and 1 at my wife's shop. I'd like to not have to pay the local repair guy, if I can avoid it.

 

[RoyJackson]

2014-12-22, 0323

24 right now...high of 33 today.

Only two work days this week!

 

[Jim Shooz]

Mac nuts sure are tough. Don't know about percentages, but need to dry them enough to husk. If I don't wear gloves I get blisters on my fingers. Friends gave me a Mac nut cracker for my birthday a couple years back with about about 20 lbs of husked nuts from their trees. Of course they sold the property this year, so doubtful I'll have any more of those nuts. The friends that just gave me nuts used to sell commercially. Told my wife that in the hey day, they got $1/lb, not so today.
David Sent from my iPad Air using TractorByNet

That's the same design cracker as I've got. Local grower marketing online is asking $NZ10.00 for 500G nuts in shell and $30.00NZ for roasted whole nuts.

 

[rswyan]

21.4F outside and holding at 69F in the house ...

Time to head up to the shed and start a fire up there to start getting it warmed up.

 

[Buppies]

Really enjoyed our football game yesterday, getting in was a little slow but very professionally done. Fans Carolina loud but not disrespectful at all. Seats were near the top and by second half windy and cold even if temperature in the mid 40s. The Browns could not get it together as usual and Johnny Football looked unsure at best until he got hurt. We did enjoy the experience though and would do it again if given the chance.

Today is last day in Charlotte hopefully more shopping then trip home to rain and maybe freezing rain as well as a matter of fact looks to rain until Christmas. Shower breakfast and then hit the pavement.
Good Morning

 

[sixdogs]

It's a big warmup for central-southern Ohio the next few days with highs around or over 60 and I can take that just fine. There doesn't seem to be as many Christmas shoppers out and about as in prior years. Maybe they're shopping on-line or maybe just not shopping but there are definitely fewer people out. Warm weather means a good time to finish a few more chores outside like tree transplanting and cleaning up a few stray branches.

On the plus side the days are getting longer and that means winter is getting shorter.

 

[Buppies]

Judging by traffic and crowds they are all in Charlotte

 

[daugen]

46 degrees going up to 53 in steady rain today. .16 inches so far, about double that expected. Now they say tomorrow will be dry but cloudy but Christmas Eve seems to be a real hoser for the East Coast.

A little Christmas story.
Two years ago it was time to get my wife a new car. We both knew it would be her last. I showed her nice Passat diesels and a Lexus hybrid and no, we gravitated back to the Cadillac dealer where the brightest red Cadillac XTS sat. I took one look at it, turned to look at Nadene, she smiled and I knew we were done shopping. It was close to Christmas and I told the salesman we would pick it up after the holidays. Well, no, actually.
I hid the car in my neighbor's garage, wrapped it in a big red bow, talk about red on red, and had it in the driveway on Christmas morn. Pulled it off, and thankfully, it was not raining... That car was so bright red it looked like a huge Christmas ornament. Fitting for the season. And after she passed, needless to say I turned the car back in. Not my style. Of course if that car had been a charcoal grey, and I had been able to figure out the utterly horrible CUE infotainment system, I would have liked it. Well at least to drive, not the social statement. Actually it sort of embarrassed me no matter how nice it was to drive. But she was my "cupcake" and if she wanted bright red, well ok.

RS, I guess I should be sorry for what I asked for. Only one picture of the Eiffel Tower. Nice duct work! But you are wasting your time. Santa is bringing you a new Rheem 100% efficiency heater that has magical elves to always attend it. Never a broken part. Never needs fuel. Just a trace of pixie dust around it. Like the crud we used to have with oil burners on the floor...but much nicer.
You just have to believe.

 

[bakerg]

Good morning, 25F heading to 41F. Like Roy, I have only a 2 day work week then off till the 31st.

 

[sseelhoff]

And a joyous morning to everyone. Light drizzle this a.m., then clearing with a high in the mid 70's. Busy day today (which is why I was at the computer at 5:00 a.m.) Busy day tomorrow, then a slow day on Wednesday. Thursday's the holiday, then back at it on Friday.

At least traffic should be easy today, since I have to head into the City. Actually, I have to hit both cities today (Austin and SA). One in the a.m., then one in the p.m.

 

[wngsprd]

33 easing up to 37 and rain until Christmas.

Heading in to the vet and then the gym early this morning with wife, so I'm pretty sure there will be shopping in my future.

David, thanks for posting the macadamias and nutcracker.

Drew, you'd look good in a red Caddy with your white beard - maybe look like Santa coming to town, in style.

 

[farmer2009]

39 this morning and headed to 54 today. Great they moved the rain chances up to today. Wasn't supposed to start till tomorrow. They are starting to haul gravel in this morning so it will need to be spread in my spare time. Other than that back to the chicken coops.