Trouble with Baso pilot safety switch
Very old forced air furnace has thermocouple sitting in continuously lit
pilot light. End of tcpl "wire" is screwed into a pilot safety
, model 850. It appears that the current from the tcpl energizes
a small solenoid inside the . I could not get the to stay in
the on position so this evening I replaced the tcpl, eventually twice.
The first one worked for one cycle of the furnace, then the tripped
and could not be reset to on. I then installed the second tcpl, and it
will occasionially let the burner gas come on for about a second, before
the would trip.
I can think of four possibilities as to what's wrong.
1. The needs replacing. The only reason I haven't done it is that
it is $90 and I can't see anything in it that could fail. It appears to
be extremely simple.
2. The pilot is under driving the tcpl. It gets the last 1/2" up to
medium red.
3. I have a bad connection where the tcpl is screwed into the .
4. The pilot is overheating and killing the tcpl.
I would appreciate if you would please hold the comments that any
furnace with a pilot safety is an inefficient dinosaur and must
be replaced. It is in an area with extemely moderate weather and our
gas bill is less than $40 monthly in the middle of the winter, including
gas water heater and stove. Thus, the break-even date on a new more
efficient furnace would be... never. And, I like equipment that you can
fix with a large hammer.
Any ideas as to what's wrong?
Henry
|