Furnace trouble-shooting

[Perd Hapley]

Thanks for all the help, folks. After about 6 or 8 cycles, the thing just now started pumping out some heat. Looks like just a matter of air in the gas line.

Thanks again.

[never_retreat]

Really weird that if the gas company came out and changed the meeter they did not make sure everything worked.
Out here is something happens the gas company won't turn it back on without checking everything works.
There was a line struck next town over last winter. When the gas company turned it back on they went house to house. There was one house with no one home. Idiots left it turned off. Froze the house up. Guy was suing the gas company because the never even went to the houses on either side that had keys to his house.
When I ran out of propane they will check the pilots if you have any and they do a pressure test.
I told they guy water heater was spark and the furnace was a glow bar. He said are you sure I said yes and he did not need to come in. But he hooked up the test gauge right at the tank.

[Perd Hapley]

Really weird that if the gas company came out and changed the meeter they did not make sure everything worked.

Yeah, I figured they would. I think I may call them.

The furnace did come back on a couple of days ago, and then a couple of times after that. Since then, it's been a no-go. Fortunately (sort of) the weather warmed up.

[Perd Hapley]

I finally had a proper technician come out to look at the thing. He determined that the little 1/4'' line feeding the ignitor was clogged. He also advised a new capacitor for the blower motor, but I decided to pass on the $200 capacitor. So, of course, I'm going to shock myself now. 

I was running out of time, as we're slated to have our first frost this weekend.

[Triphammer]

Did he kiss you first? Did he say what was clogging that line? It's not like there's sediment in the gas that can settle out. I've occasionally seen the orifice at the pilot end of that line blocked by dust but if it was plugged it would not have lit the few times it did. And a 5 or 7 uf Cap is only 12 or so dollars & takes 10 minutes to replace. Caps either work or don't. To replace one on a SWAG is a waste of money.

[K Frame]

Did he kiss you first? Did he say what was clogging that line? It's not like there's sediment in the gas that can settle out. I've occasionally seen the orifice at the pilot end of that line blocked by dust but if it was plugged it would not have lit the few times it did. And a 5 or 7 uf Cap is only 12 or so dollars & takes 10 minutes to replace. Caps either work or don't. To replace one on a SWAG is a waste of money.

Gas lines can throw bits of rust and particulates from the pipe that can cause a clog. Changing the meter could also have resulted in a blob of pipe dope lodging in the line.

My guess would be a rust flake.

Gas lines should have a "drip" on them, either at the meter, at the first appliance, or both to catch stuff like that.

[Perd Hapley]

I believe he said that the capacitor was reading 3.5 mF, and might harm the blower motor.

As for the clog, well, we'll see if it has any trouble running tonight.