If you have had a furnace at home for any significant duration, you may have likely encountered a few problems. The most common issue faced by owners is the accumulation of toxic gas which could be caused by the gradual deterioration of the furnace’s key components. The two pieces that can be considered as such include the pressure switch and the inducer motor.
The entire thing is pretty complex, but in short, if something leaves a pressure switch open when the inducer is on repeat, you may want to look at it. This is about as common in the Sacramento area as it is anywhere else, so experts like Alpha Mechanical are bound to be around. That said, you may want to know all the problems and how to address them, in case an expert isn’t necessary.
The technical equipment questions
Home furnaces have been common for more than a while now and the gas accumulation issue has always been prevalent. As a result, inducer motors were not only created but made mandatory.
The role of inducer motors is to remove gas from furnaces and up their respective heating vents by creating a negative air pressure as it runs and a normal one when not operational. This also does the following:
- prevent clogging due to soot
- allow pure oxygen to enter the furnace
- provide better heating efficiency
- help to clean the air
Furnaces work in cycles and each one has a heat exchanger that creates negative pressure via the motor. This is where the pressure switch comes in, as it allows the release of gas until equilibrium is met, after which, it will open. Built into the circular inducer, the circuit breaker possesses a diaphragm, which automatically switches on when the negative pressure is noticed. You should look at the apparatus as a pressure regulator of sorts, which it is.
Common problems faced
Before getting into certain problems in detail, you should know that measures are already put in place if things don’t appear to be working. The furnace works in cycles, which means that the apparatus in question does the same. If it doesn’t, the whole system goes through a reboot. This can continue up to five times and if the problem isn’t fixed by then, no electricity will run through the inducer motor, which should keep the circuit open, thus reacting to the deactivated furnace properly.
If not, however, the pressure switch will react incorrectly, thus, turning on, which can cause the toxic gas in the furnace to be released into living quarters. Several reasons can be pointed to as to why this can happen and they include:
- a flooded pressure switch
- a ruptured diaphragm
- a blockage of the collection chamber port
- obstruction of the flue
- a compromised pressure switch hose
Solutions to common problems
If rebooting the system fails, it’s not a good idea to repair anything, especially if it is much too technical. That said some issues are pretty tame and can be solved on your own. The above problems, for example, are fairly common and for the most part, even you can take care of them:
A flooded regulating mechanism
This is a common occurrence in furnaces, as when they’re condensing, flue gasses are sent up the pipe, only to condense. Once this happens, the excess moisture flows to the inducer apparatus flooding it and everything inside.
Any solution will require one to unplug the hose from the port, which releases the built-up moisture. The amount of water needed for such a malfunction is quite a lot, so be ready with a container.
A ruptured or still diaphragm
This is common and fairly easy to diagnose as a ruptured diaphragm makes a flapping sound and a still one just won’t move. This problem has to be dealt with by complete replacement of the diaphragm, as its state can be difficult to discern. Things are often as easy as tapping the casing, but the extent of the damage could be serious, which means replacement is inevitable.
A blockage of the collection chamber port
Clogs made up of calcium and other particles are always going to find their way to the collection chamber and often, its outward-leading port. This will prevent airflow from happening. If you see this, you can clean out the port yourself by using some thin, but strong wire.
A flue pipe obstruction
Draft inducers are responsible for taking in air from the heat exchanger and then out of the residence via the flue pipe. As you can imagine in the often drawn-out Sacramento summer, large objects such as nests have been found there and thus cause obstructions. So dislodging any object along the pipe is an order, but anything further down may prove more difficult.
A compromised hose leading to the regulation mechanism
Oftentimes, you will notice that none of the previous issues are to blame, which means you can narrow it down to a destroyed regulator hose. This is a frequent problem if there are rats or mice in a residence. Also, the tubes do age and will crack or outright break in time.
Before fixing these issues, you might want to address the rodent infestation occurring in the building. Afterward, the hope would be that you have more tubing available in case of times like this.
Final thoughts
Interestingly enough, manufacturers have evolved to make the best furnaces out there, which means that measures to avoid certain issues are already in place. The two subjects in question are such innovations that go through problems especially when exposed to the elements.
Fortunately, the above information has given you insight into how to fix any issues. Granted, some solutions are easier than others, but nothing is too difficult if the steps are followed correctly. These should work, but times will present themselves where they don’t. In such times, the only course of action to take is to call for quality assistance around the Sacramento area.
