Birty durners

Great work with sorting that out. I am glad the viewers are able to help stave off the cold and get your furnace in tip top shape. I have always been a little resistant to cracking open the unions mostly for insurance worries, but to do the proper cleaning on the business end of the burners, there are few options. As we have the previous generation non condensing unit in our place I am less aware of any condensation prevention devices after the furnace itself, however it may be an idea to check the slope of the pipe leading outside to see if the slope allows condensation to drain outside instead of back into the furnace. Should the supply pipe be the issue, it could be collecting rainwater or snow if the pipe is aimed upwards. A rain cap may be a solution for this. Other preventative measure for similar furnaces it to check the air proving switch tube and fittings (for combustion air fan) for buildup of crud. This has been an issue with ours. A tech had replaced the gas valve which didn’t really solve the problem, while a second tech cleaned the barbed connections to the exhaust and it has worked perfectly since. Cleaning the flame sensor with a little bit of Emory cloth or fine sand paper is not a bad idea as well, especially if you’ve been seeing condensation for sometime. Good work and many warm nights ahead 😺

Vaughn B.

That's not too bad. The only reason I see anyone replace a sub-10-year old system is due to be underrated due to recent climate changes and some recent improvement in efficiency, but sounds like yours is fine. Hot surface should be fine, anything is better than pilot light. As far as coolant goes, a licensed HVAC company might be able to source R22, but it will be expensive since it's manufacture is outlawed now. I think most have switched to R410A these days, so... if you don't need A/C, best to hold off.

Matthew Holder

Yay - I wanted you to fix it yourself - i'm glad you did. It's not like it's rocket science or anything.

Per 'Zapro' Jensen

I missed the last update or else I would have offered some help. I am no longer in the trade but I was an HVAC mechanic. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

There is definitely no need for an upgrade any time soon. It's a condensing furnace with an efficiency of 95.5%. It may be some years old but it's a very high efficiency furnace. It also doesn't even have A/C hooked into it yet, though there is an A coil for doing that down the road. If anything that might need attention because it's for an R22 system, though I would imagine sourcing an outside unit using for R22 is no trouble (my mom and dad had to get a new R12 unit a few years ago and that was still possible). As far as ignition, it's a hot surface igniter. I don't know how old you're imagining this furnace is if you assumed a pilot light was a possible ignition source... I was under the impression that in furnaces that's ancient nowadays.

Technology Connections

You are actually do a point where an upgrade to your HVAC system is probably not out of the question. Energy efficiency and recent climate change in mind. I recently had to replace a 20 year old 4-ton system with a 5-ton to drop 100$ off my monthly power bill in the summer and about 50$ off the gas bill in the winter (in coastal Mississippi where winter doesn't really exist). Also, I hope your system uses spark ignition because older pilot light ignition systems are unreliable and a hazard. It really does come down to how well the system is still performing.

Matthew Holder

I see. if it was mostly corrosion, then i'm starting to agree with everyone else that the condensate drainage was probably the main cause. I look forward to your creative and witty solution :-)

nobody

The furnace is 7 or 8 years old so it's no spring chicken, but I can say that the pipes go out right in front of the garage door. It's not a great place because leaves and debris collect under the intake. It is very likely that with the house being vacant for so long, a lot of crap got sucked into it. That assumes the furnace was left to run, and I have no way of knowing really. They could have drained the pipes and shut it off for all I know. But then I suppose it wouldn't be so corroded. The house is full of mysteries and is the scariest thing about it! I know for example that it was occupied by renters, but I don't know for how long and when that was. And I also know that it was illegal because the house hadn't gotten a certificate of occupancy at that point. Fun stuff!

Technology Connections

it looks like a fairly new furnace and should not have that much buildup. one wonders whether its combustion intake air was contaminated, i.e. construction dust, pet hair, smoking, commercial use of the space, humidity-related corrosion, whatnot. are the big white PVC pipes for the combustion air? where do they go, maybe there is a clue on the other end. was the build up something obvious?

nobody

I am glad you have sorted the furnace. Mac 7200/90? We had one “back in the day”

Vaughn B.

I'm glad you were able to solve the problem yourself, even if it was a little hairy at a couple points!

Kevin Kostka

Awesome, glad to hear it’s working reliably now! Ewen

Ewen McNeill

Quadra 630?

Kyle Olson

+1 for the macintosh performa being used as a repair stand...

nobody