Bob and Tim were on their way to a no heat call for a gas furnace. Tim asked, “What do you think we need to look out for on this call?” Bob said, “It could be any number of things. We will start by talking to the homeowner and see what she knows.”
There is no question there are some chilly months ahead, and homeowners will expect their expensive condensing furnaces to operate without fail, even on the coldest days.
Your troubleshooting situation involves a standard natural gas, induced draft, hot surface ignition system furnace. This is a new installation that has been accomplished in anticipation of the upcoming heating season, and the problem is that during the initial start-up the unit did not perform properly.
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Technical Training Associates has announced its new “Heating Systems Workshop: Servicing Gas and Electric Furnaces & Heat Pumps, and Carbon Monoxide & Combustion Analysis Technician Certification,” scheduled for Sept. 17, 18, 19, and 20, 2013 in Phoenix.
Bob and Tim were on their way to a “low heat” call at a residence when the dispatcher called them back and told them that the homeowner had called and explained that the furnace was hot, but the home was cold. The dispatcher had told the owner to shut the furnace off until Bob and Tim arrived.
Bob and Tim arrived at their fifth service call of the day. They were both wet from servicing a heat pump outdoor unit in the snow. This was a no heat call for a gas furnace. The weather was cold and there was no heat at all in the house.
In this troubleshooting problem, the customer’s general definition of the situation gets more specific when you arrive at the site and discover that the reason there is no heat is because although the burners ignite on a call for heat, the air handling system never starts, and the system’s limit control shuts the furnace down.