Topic: Sure Am Glad It's Not Too Cold Out Yet, My Central Heat just quit!

[bill440cars]

     Yeah, nice, it's about 10:20PM on Tuesday night and Thanksgiving is Thursday. Sure am glad it's not in the dead of Winter. Thankful for THAT! I was needing some distraction to help me make it through Thanksgiving, but didn't expect something like this. I mean, the whole unit is suddenly inop (Heat AND Air)! I already checked the breaker too! Sure hope it can be fixed and doesn't need to be replaced. Just when I was actually going to get to bed and TRY to get a good night's sleep too! Don't get that real steady yet. Just now and then. Well, gess I'd better try to get some sleep.

                                         Take care All, Bill

[Industrial Cafe]

craigslist my friend.
I just got a really nice single package 3.5 ton unit for my father in law, $400.
 

[MickeyX]

There is usually a fuse setup near where the main wiring goes into the unit. Check that one too.
Many times, it's that the motor has seized. You can see if you can move it by hand or if it's frozen. (only do this with the breakers OFF) Check the fan too. They can get bent and wear out the motor. See if it needs some love too. Then there is a capacitor that can blow too. I don't know how to explain that one to you because I don't know what your system looks like but they are pretty cheap. It's usually one of those 3 and are easy fixes if you have a good appliance/heating place nearby that sell parts. Good luck and bundle up under the blankets tonight.   Let us know what you find in the light of day.

[Gordon]

There is usually a fuse setup near where the main wiring goes into the unit. Check that one too.

That was the first thing I thought of, too.  The fuse blew on mine a few years ago, and it was simple to replace.  It was just a car-style blade fuse. 

[bucky katt]

when ours went out a couple of years ago it was just a control unit on the gas unit under the house.

[bill440cars]

      Well, just got back from making some of my usual daily rounds. I appreciate the input on this. First thing I checked last night was the breaker and found that it hadn't popped. Actually, I HAD had a problem some years back and was put onto checking the capacitor on the fan motor and found that IT was bad. Located one and got took care of it. I had COMPLETELY forgotten about that, so thanks for the reminder on the capacitor. I will have to check into this and see just what is going on. I'll keep you all posted, as I can. Got lots to do today. On top of everything else,this problem with the heater AND trying to deal with the idea of having Thanksgiving without Brenda. Kinda makes me wish I could just go off and be by myself for the day. I know that's not a good thing to do, but when I least expect it, it hits me that she's gone. Better go, time's a wasting.

                                                 Take care, Bill

        Also, meant to say that my house is total electric. I felt like one of those who ask for info and don't say what it's for.   We were just talking about that.

[Industrial Cafe]

in my case "went bad"= caught on fire.

[number13]

We've got a creaky old heater that occasionally gives out.
There is a safety switch behind the access cover that is going
bad so I discovered that by applying the Fonzarelli Device
(a sharp rap with my knuckles) it would come back on!
Also check your condensation overflow pipe, if you have one.
There is a safety switch there which shuts everything down if
there is too much condensate in the drip pan.

[Industrial Cafe]

I discovered that by applying the Fonzarelli Device
(a sharp rap with my knuckles) it would come back on!

I apply the same principle to my well pump.

[Bob Wessner]

Bill, I don't know what kind you have, or it's age, but we have one of those high efficiency models and when this happened to us a couple of years ago, there is a toggle switch for the furnace and it required nothing more than shutting the switch to off and then back on. It just needed a 'reset.' Hope yours turns out to be a simple problem.

[bill440cars]

       Well, nothing I've tried, has worked. The capacitor checks good (seems I remember from the last time that you unhook the capacitor, get a multimeter, set it on ohms and the reading should peak and fall back slowly) This is what it does.You can turn the unit on and when you set the temp to where it should come on, the green light comes on and I can hear a click. But that's it. I think it's probably a relay or something of that sort. SO, we'll probably tough it out til Monday  (I'll call Friday, but I'll bet we don't get a visit til at least Monday. In the past, when it was desperate, I'd turn on the oven (get it good and hot) and then open the door. The ceiling fans would push the heat on through the house. Kinda adds to the electric bill, but helps the situation.  48degrees now and supposed to get down in the 30's tonight and on through the weekend with the lows Monday night, in the 20's. Might need a "Smiley w/ icicles on it"
 

[cb350twin]

We have always used the electric stove or the dryer for the wash by taking off the vent pipe. But usually we just give the furnace a few good wacks an it will start up again. 

[bill440cars]

in my case "went bad"= caught on fire.

        Whoa! Sure am glad mine didn't do THAT! Hope it didn't do too much damage.

[bill440cars]

We have always used the electric stove or the dryer for the wash by taking off the vent pipe. But usually we just give the furnace a few good wacks an it will start up again. 

          Yeah, there have been times that we've used the stove also (ours is electric too). In fact, this morning, I got up, turned the stove on and went back to bed. I was going to give it a few minutes to get some heat built up in there. Well, it would have been a good idea, if my Daughter had not of turned the temp knob to off as well as the actual off knob. I had turned the stove on, but both knobs have to be on, for the thing to put out heat. Well, it WAS a good idea. I'll have to remember to check BOTH knobs next time. I WILL be giving the repairman a call tomorrow and see how soon he can get to us. Liable to be getting some kind of heater to maybe take the chill off at least, without suffocating us.  

[Industrial Cafe]

in my case "went bad"= caught on fire.

        Whoa! Sure am glad mine didn't do THAT! Hope it didn't do too much damage.

nah, the whole unit is outside, (single package)

[bill440cars]

in my case "went bad"= caught on fire.

        Whoa! Sure am glad mine didn't do THAT! Hope it didn't do too much damage.

nah, the whole unit is outside, (single package)

           That's good to know.

[bill440cars]

       Well,  I had called the repairman Friday and he said that he could come out Saturday (which surprised me, Thought I'd have to wait til next week). The repairman came this morning about 9:15 and ( I already had the panels off) found the problem pretty easily, the blower motor was shot. Everything else was fine. He pulled it, took it back to his shop to match it up and came back shortly after that, with a new one, got it installed and we were back in business. I asked about who to make the check out to and he said that he'd make up a statement and mail it. I didn't have to do it right then.
So, we are back in business!  

[Industrial Cafe]

good to hear, watch, it'll be 160 bucks.

[bill440cars]

good to hear, watch, it'll be 160 bucks.

   I expect it will be up there somewhat, but at least it's not the whole unit AND I've BEEN there!

[Bob Wessner]

I asked about who to make the check out to and he said that he'd make up a statement and mail it. I didn't have to do it right then.

Pretty damn nice. It doesn't work that way around here. 

[bucky katt]

i finally had to turn my heat on last night as it was supposed to go down to 33, damnit

[bill440cars]

I asked about who to make the check out to and he said that he'd make up a statement and mail it. I didn't have to do it right then.

Pretty damn nice. It doesn't work that way around here. 

   I've been treated pretty decently by SOME places, but not by the Heat/AC repair (we HAVE used them several times though, over the years). At least it delays having to pay them.  

[bill440cars]

i finally had to turn my heat on last night as it was supposed to go down to 33, damnit

           Ha! Only had one night of pretty cold temps, after I got it fixed and then the temps came up somewhat. Supposed to get down in the 20's by Monday night though.

[MickeyX]

I'm glad you got it sorted. It is usually the fuse, the capacitor or the motor.

[bill440cars]

I'm glad you got it sorted. It is usually the fuse, the capacitor or the motor.

          Yeah, I hear ya, I had completely forgotten about the capacitor, until you mentioned it. Shows how scrambled my brain is lately. I had to deal with the capacitor with the last Heat/Air unit we had, some years ago. Soon as I saw that you mentioned it, I remembered the one I had go bad back then and how to check it. So, I got our my trusty multimeter, set it for ohms and checked it out, only to find that it was good. So, that's when i called the repairman. the motor was bad and that will be most of the cost to repair. It IS nice to be able to put something like that on the open forum and get the responses that are to assist.

                                       I am indebted,, Bill

[bucky katt]

i had to replace the blower motor on our a/c compressor last spring. fortunately it was less than 100 dollars, including the capacitor.