On 10/05/10 05:05 pm, Ken wrote:

I do already have a service call scheduled for Thursday morning, but I
wouldn't mind having a rough idea how much the problem might cost to
fix.

It's an 8-yr-old Lennox G32 that we turned on (that is, we switched the
thermostat from Cool to Heat) a couple of days ago. We hear the blower
start up, but it stops a few minutes later without the set temperature
having been reached.

The LED indicators show that the burner has not ignited, and there is a
strange noise when the blower is running -- not exactly a rattle,
but it
sounds as though something may be rubbing/scraping against something
else.

I know that the HVAC company we've called advertises furnace
inspections
for $69, but I don't know how much time that covers, and obviously it
wouldn't cover any needed parts.

Any intelligent estimates?

Can't give you an estimate, but I have a question and suggestion. First
most furnaces go into a lock down mode if they fail to start properly
after something like three tries. If your furnace is in lock down mode,
you should turn off the power to the furnace for about five minutes and
try it again. NOT the thermostat, but the power to the furnace. It might
just start.

had tried that already.

You say you hear a noise when the blower is running. By blower you mean
the inducer fan for the exhaust?? Not the blower that circulates heated
and cooled air in your house??

If the inducer fan is not functioning properly, that could well be the
reason your furnace will not light. Determine where the noise is coming
from.

Yes, the inducer fan. I did not know that term before. In the meantime I
had googled "Lennox G32" and found one report of water in the inducer
fan housing. That had been my first impression of the sound (but I
discounted it and didn't mention it because I couldn't see how water
could have got in there), so I removed the rubber "flue transition" and
found a lot of water accumulated there and in the fan assembly. Any
simple way to get rid of the water? And figure out how it got there? And
even be able to solve the problem without the service call?

Well it seems you have found your problem. I would assume the water is
coming in from the exhaust flue via the stack going through your roof.
It should have a cover on it that prevents water entering the flue. You
need to correct this situation.

As for removing the water, it really depends upon how the inducer fan is
mounted. Generally loosening the ducting should provide a way. I might
suggest using a syringe to remove water that has settled in a low area.
A turkey baster works well for this if you put a rubber hose over the
end of it.

So your immediate problem is to remove the water, and then you need to
look at the flue to see if the cover where it goes through the roof is
preventing water from entering. You might very well have avoided a
expensive service call if the water has not damaged the inducer. Let us
know how you make out.

Not water (e.g., rain) coming in but condensate not getting out due to a
blockage in the condensate drainage system (common on this model, it
seems). (Our inlet and exhaust pipes are horizontal, anyway, and come
out through the end wall of the house.) I disconnected the drain tube
and an elbow that is particularly prone to blockage and flushed them
out. I then removed the inducer fan (just four screws), tipped out the
water, and put everything together again.

Right now everything is working fine.

Thanks for your suggestions,

Perce