Anyone need a furnace repaired?

[mjcmichigan]

Went to in-laws as a new furnace installation gone side ways has had them without heat for 2 weeks. A couple “company” recommended people gave up.

I get daily reports from my bride and keep out of it.

Finally could not resist.

It’s an older house converted from 2 prong to 3 prong. First problem I found was hot neutral reversed in the wall plug in utility room. Made me really unhappy. That plug has been running a old furnace and the current water pump. Hmmm how does this happen? Plug followed conventional wiring, but it must be backwards at the power panel or somewhere it’s split off a 220 line and they cross wired it…

Told him. Don’t know pumps..so hate to fix the plug. Instead I installed a new box wired correctly and left the pump alone( anyone know enough about submersible pumps? If I flipped hot and neutral would the pump still work?)

Next problem was wiring in the furnace didn’t match the schematic. Basically the factory bypassed the thermostat for testing? But didn’t undo the bypass?? so after two repair guys struck out, I read the instructions and got it working in 2 hours with 1 hour convincing my FIL I had to change the wires to make the thermostat serial with the safety shutoff.. was wired parallel …
He was very nervous about me changing it and very happy when it cycled on then off.

I think I’m getting a good Christmas present this year…

For an elk hunt I could do a house call…

He picked up a bear hunt a few years back for me…

.

Need to unwind and go get some sleep


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DrMike]

Excellent! It is the little things that are easiest to overlook. Glad you were able to sort through the issue and get the furnace working again.

 

[cloverleaf]

Heck ya! - from your handle I can guess you arent done with the furnace for the year yet either. Had a similar experience (repair guy struck out) with the water heater couple weeks ago. Unfortunately you werent around to fix that one. Lets just say, the "fun budget" is pretty much gone for the year. Good that you could work it out for them! CL

 

[salmonchaser]

MJC good to see you posting. Amazing what has happened to “the trades” seems to be harder and harder to find qualified and experienced techs. Always been impressed when I do get to watch one work-if he’ll let me.
Had a problem with our Kubota tractor recently. Called the local shop and they were able to send someone out two days later. Thankfully it’s a slow time of year. Kid gets out of a “little car” carrying a computer. I ask if he’s lost. I’m here to fix your tractor. No shit. He starts looking at the tractor and asks ‘do you have a tool.”
Catherine squeezes my arm, Kid said I need to take this screw out, that is a a quarter inch bolt I said, but its metric, so I‘ll get a socket set.
Inspection panel open, Kid hooks up some diagnostic wires, pushes a button on his computer and fixes the tractor.
Granddaughter thought he was cute.

 

[DrMike]

For sure, the world has changed. I have a doctorate in biochemistry, computer literate as my second language for my doctorate, built my first three computers, and I am a complete neophyte when it comes to what was once routine (rebuilding washing machines, overhauling truck engines, relining brakes, etc.). Maybe I should have followed my old daddy and become a blacksmith.

 

[cloverleaf]

Yup- world has changed. Rocker panel rusted through on the Ford. Body man suggested I buy a new car..... I aint proud. If I could get up off the ground, I'd be down there with some galvanized and tank tar. This guys got a wire feed welder, air grinder and metal shears and he says nope- buy a new car! I may not be a craftsman, but I am a passable shade tree mechanic and a damn fine bailing wire engineer.... CL

 

[grry10]

We have a Water Furnace geothermal heat pump with electric backup that was installed in 2012 to heat and cool our home. Heat and cooling is being pulled from the ground using four 200' closed loop wells. The other day we had a momentary power interrupt and the furnace went into auxilary mode using the electric backup to assist. What I found is that the thermosat has a capacitor that retains the time and date but does not retain the temperature. It has a default burned in of 68 degrees. We were running at 66 degrees at the time of the interrupt. Since the system is setup to keep our home at + or - .5 degrees from the setting the 2 degree difference was enough for auxilary to want to supplement. I'm concerned that if we were gone for an extended period during the heating season with the heat set back that it would reset the temp in the house to 68. Note that the system is designed for auxilary to supplement if the ground water heat pump can not keep the temp at that .5 of the setting. So it is possible that we would be using electric heat to supplement to raise the temerature from the original setting until it reached 68 and during long periods of cold (week of sub-zero) to keep the house at 68. Now to find a new thermostat that is compatibly with my Water Furnace that retains time, date, and temp setting. Why wouldn't the manufacture or install think that this could be a problem.