On Sat, 6 May 2006 07:19:34 -0400, "RBM" rbm2(remove
wrote:

There may be depending upon the burner, however the problem with your
current thinking is that the burner primary control,(the box with the reset)
doesn't necessarily have power to it at all times. Once other parts of the
control system send power to the primary, its internal controls assure that
the burner makes fire, and if not, locks it out. Without building a
complicated contraption, the easiest solution would be a temperature
sensing device and a phone dialer.

Are you talking about the new electronic furnaces, or my barely
electronic one? (Currently I have 15 resistors, 10 little
capacitors, a few transistors, and that relay with the red button in a
little grey box a little taller than a box of kitchen matches.)


BTW, I am also going to have the temp sensor and, because my friend
owns the burglar alarm company, the whole digital communicator bit,
with monitoring. And the alarm comes with built-in power failure
notification. But if I can get myself another day or two, it
doesn't have to be the easiest solution. After all this would be a
fun project.



"mm" wrote in message
.. .
I know what happens electrically with my current old oil furnace when
the oil doesn't ignite. A relay is tripped that has to be reset
mechanically with a red button.

But someday soon I may need a new furnace and I don't know how they
work.

Here is the reason: I'm getting a new burglar alarm (mine went up in
smoke, literally) and my friend told me they had a built-in temp
sensor, to notify them if the house temp got too low.

It turns out this model requires an add-on switch, and while trying to
decide where to put it and how to wire it, it occurred to me: Why
wait until the house is getting too cold. Then if I'm away, my
friends only have a day or two to get there and fix the furnace and
warm the place up. Why not also notify the monitoring company there
is a problem when the furnace first tries to ignite and can't (no
fuel, nozzle clogged, furnace broken, etc.)

My current furnace has a mechanical relay, a latching relay I
presume????

and if it is not double pole or double throw, I could buy a latching
relay that is, and use it instead and connect the unused pole to
notify the alarm that the furnace needs resetting. I would give that
its own zone, so that I would notice it even when I was home, when
setting the alarm.

But I'm guessing everything is transistorized in a new furnace I buy.
I don't have trouble working with IC's and circuit boards, but that
doesn't mean there will be a place to connect. Is there any way to do
the same thing with the new furnace? Is there a brand of furnace that
would make this easier than other brands?