Last year when I turned on our gas furnace for the first time ... I went to
the attic and found the igniter buzzing away and to state the obvious - the
burner was not doing a thing. Came down and turned the thermostat off.
Igniter stopped. Waited a little while and moved the thermostat again -
repeat performance from the igniter. Once again turned the thermostat off.
I called a professional who has (in the past) been highly recommended
by friends. He showed up - I tried demoing the problem. I say "tried"
because as soon as I moved the thermostat the furnace fired. Well, since he
was around he checked the furnace and said it all looked fine, and I had no
problems all last winter.

This year I went through a similar sequence this past weekend. Three times
it did not start (only the igniter buzzing away). The fourth time, I turned
on the fan (for no logical reason) and then moved the thermostat and the
burners fired. I've moved the fan back to auto and the heat has been fine
for about three or four cool days when it came on. Do note I'm acutely
aware of the burners firing / not-firing (as opposed to blowers blowing warm
air
which - naturally - takes a couple of minutes or so) soon after I move the
thermostat

The furnace stayed off for a few days (due to warm weather) and then again
exhibited similar behavior howed similar behavior (excepting turning on the
fan didn't help) when I decided to test it out. Got it working on the
fourth try.
This was a few days ago. It's been fine since then, even thought it's off
all day
and only turned on in the evening / night.

This is a 20-year old Carrier gas furnace. I thought I'd ask here for
ideas / explanations before getting another professional (after my
experience last year when he said all was well) to look at it. I do realize
that it's
advisable to have a yearly checkup.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any input you may have.

Thanks,

Henry

"Hybyd2" wrote in message
ink.net...
Last year when I turned on our gas furnace for the first time ... I went to
the attic and found the igniter buzzing away and to state the obvious - the
burner was not doing a thing. Came down and turned the thermostat off.
Igniter stopped. Waited a little while and moved the thermostat again -
repeat performance from the igniter. Once again turned the thermostat off.
I called a professional who has (in the past) been highly recommended
by friends. He showed up - I tried demoing the problem. I say "tried"
because as soon as I moved the thermostat the furnace fired. Well, since he
was around he checked the furnace and said it all looked fine, and I had no
problems all last winter.

This year I went through a similar sequence this past weekend. Three times
it did not start (only the igniter buzzing away). The fourth time, I turned
on the fan (for no logical reason) and then moved the thermostat and the
burners fired. I've moved the fan back to auto and the heat has been fine
for about three or four cool days when it came on. Do note I'm acutely
aware of the burners firing / not-firing (as opposed to blowers blowing warm
air
which - naturally - takes a couple of minutes or so) soon after I move the
thermostat

The furnace stayed off for a few days (due to warm weather) and then again
exhibited similar behavior howed similar behavior (excepting turning on the
fan didn't help) when I decided to test it out. Got it working on the fourth
try.
This was a few days ago. It's been fine since then, even thought it's off all
day
and only turned on in the evening / night.

This is a 20-year old Carrier gas furnace. I thought I'd ask here for
ideas / explanations before getting another professional (after my
experience last year when he said all was well) to look at it. I do realize
that it's
advisable to have a yearly checkup.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any input you may have.

Thanks,

Henry


This is Turtle.

Henry , It is hard to trouble shoot a gas furnace over the internet and really
give a good answer but you forgot one thing that would help a great deal and
that is what is the model number and serial number of that Carrier furnace?

Now just guessing here you have a auto spark ignition furnace and you have a
pilot lite valve built into the main gas valve . The ''' Pilot lite valve '''
and not the main gas valve is sticking at times. It can have sulfur or trash
that has built up in the pilot lite valve and causing this. To try to help it.
take the furnace thermostat and turn the heat ontill you heat the pilot lite
valve open and then turen it off and recycle it again. Try this about 20 to 30
timex in a row and see if you can loosen it up. The problem will start next year
and you can repeat the cycling it about 20 or 30 times in a row to loosen it up.

Now it can be the pilot lite jet stopped up or plugged up a little to prevent it
from lighting.

It's hard to call a shot on a gas furnace when you can't see it.

TURTLE

Hi Turtle,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. The model number of the
furnace, which is a Carrier, is 58EG080239 and the serial number is
9673188505. I believe you are right in your guess that it is an auto-spark
ingition (there is no constantly burning pilot light). The furnace is
running fine right now. Since it's running fine right now, if it was the
pilot light valve sticking what should I expect a professional to do if I
call one in? (For safety reasons I don't attempt any gas furnace repairs
myself). The reason I ask is that I called one in last year and (as I
mentioed in my posting below) -when he came it fired fine and he checked the
furnace out (heat exchanger etc) and said all was well. Should the pilot
light valve be replaced (is there a solenoid in there which could be going
bad?) or is mainly natural gas crud which need to be cleaned. Can the valve
be cleaned or does it need to be replaced?

Once again, Turtle, I appreciate your taking the time to reply. Which part
of the country do your service - if you're near where I live (central NC),
I'd like you to take a look at it.

Thank you,

Henry

"TURTLE" wrote in message
...

"Hybyd2" wrote in message
ink.net...
Last year when I turned on our gas furnace for the first time ... I went
to
the attic and found the igniter buzzing away and to state the obvious -
the
burner was not doing a thing. Came down and turned the thermostat off.
Igniter stopped. Waited a little while and moved the thermostat again -
repeat performance from the igniter. Once again turned the thermostat
off.
I called a professional who has (in the past) been highly recommended
by friends. He showed up - I tried demoing the problem. I say "tried"
because as soon as I moved the thermostat the furnace fired. Well, since
he
was around he checked the furnace and said it all looked fine, and I had
no
problems all last winter.

This year I went through a similar sequence this past weekend. Three
times
it did not start (only the igniter buzzing away). The fourth time, I
turned
on the fan (for no logical reason) and then moved the thermostat and the
burners fired. I've moved the fan back to auto and the heat has been fine
for about three or four cool days when it came on. Do note I'm acutely
aware of the burners firing / not-firing (as opposed to blowers blowing
warm air
which - naturally - takes a couple of minutes or so) soon after I move
the
thermostat

The furnace stayed off for a few days (due to warm weather) and then
again
exhibited similar behavior howed similar behavior (excepting turning on
the
fan didn't help) when I decided to test it out. Got it working on the
fourth try.
This was a few days ago. It's been fine since then, even thought it's
off all day
and only turned on in the evening / night.

This is a 20-year old Carrier gas furnace. I thought I'd ask here for
ideas / explanations before getting another professional (after my
experience last year when he said all was well) to look at it. I do
realize that it's
advisable to have a yearly checkup.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any input you may
have.

Thanks,

Henry


This is Turtle.

Henry , It is hard to trouble shoot a gas furnace over the internet and
really give a good answer but you forgot one thing that would help a great
deal and that is what is the model number and serial number of that
Carrier furnace?

Now just guessing here you have a auto spark ignition furnace and you have
a pilot lite valve built into the main gas valve . The ''' Pilot lite
valve ''' and not the main gas valve is sticking at times. It can have
sulfur or trash that has built up in the pilot lite valve and causing
this. To try to help it. take the furnace thermostat and turn the heat
ontill you heat the pilot lite valve open and then turen it off and
recycle it again. Try this about 20 to 30 timex in a row and see if you
can loosen it up. The problem will start next year and you can repeat the
cycling it about 20 or 30 times in a row to loosen it up.

Now it can be the pilot lite jet stopped up or plugged up a little to
prevent it from lighting.

It's hard to call a shot on a gas furnace when you can't see it.

TURTLE

"Hybyd2" wrote in message
ink.net...
Hi Turtle,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply. The model number of the furnace,
which is a Carrier, is 58EG080239 and the serial number is 9673188505. I
believe you are right in your guess that it is an auto-spark ingition (there
is no constantly burning pilot light). The furnace is running fine right now.
Since it's running fine right now, if it was the pilot light valve sticking
what should I expect a professional to do if I call one in? (For safety
reasons I don't attempt any gas furnace repairs myself). The reason I ask is
that I called one in last year and (as I mentioed in my posting below) -when
he came it fired fine and he checked the furnace out (heat exchanger etc) and
said all was well. Should the pilot light valve be replaced (is there a
solenoid in there which could be going bad?) or is mainly natural gas crud
which need to be cleaned. Can the valve be cleaned or does it need to be
replaced?

Once again, Turtle, I appreciate your taking the time to reply. Which part of
the country do your service - if you're near where I live (central NC), I'd
like you to take a look at it.

Thank you,

Henry


This is Turtle.

I'm in Louisiana and your in NC which would make the mileage or trip charge a
little stiff. LOL LOL .

Well after the model number here it still looks like a sticking gas valve but
the pilot lite section of the gas valve. They can't be cleaned for you would
have to disassemble the valve to clean it and that is a no no now day. 35 years
ago I / we would have done it and clean it but after all the lawyers with the
rules they wrote. No one in their right mine will do it now days. You replace
them and not clean them out. This seems to be the # 1 thing it is but without
looking at it. it is hard to tell. The Carrier 80K btu 58 series furnaces back
around 1996 was pretty good ones and seem to not have much trouble out of them.

Now calling a tech to come see about a sticking gas valve and it not do it while
he is there. They call that wishful thinking as to tell what it is or your
wasting your money.

OK here is you a test to see if it is a gas valve doing it. Have the face off of
it and wait till it acts up. If it is buzzing and not lighting up. Take a screw
driver and hit the body of the gas valve with the handle end once or twice and
see if it will light up. If it lights up, change the valve. If it don't , keep
popping it to see. Most of the time it will only take one light tap on it and it
will fire up.

Now for me to say change the valve out now without any testing is kind of wild
here. Pop it when it is buzzing and see.

TURTLE

In article . net, "Hybyd2" wrote:
Last year when I turned on our gas furnace for the first time ... I went to
the attic and found the igniter buzzing away and to state the obvious - the
burner was not doing a thing.

Is your flue blocked? Look at mine:

http://www.milmac.com/BlockedFlue.JPG