York Diamond 80 won't send signal to board to initiate ignitor.


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Old 02-27-12, 05:05 PM
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York Diamond 80 won't send signal to board to initiate ignitor.

Hi guys, I have a York Diamond 80 that is about 7 years old. This weekend I noticed that the exhaust blower (that vents the gases to the roof) was running but there was no heater flame or house fan blower working. I called a technician who came out. He initially tested the air pressure switch and thought that there might be a crack in my heat exchanger but then ultimately said that I needed a new control board instead. The control board was giving him three red lights. The technician came out today and replaced the control board with a new one but it did not fix the problem. The technician is now wanting to see if the Heat exchanger is covered by a York Warranty and then order me a new one and charge me for the time (approx 2 hours) to replace it. After the technician left on his initial visit, I was able to remove the gray tubing from the exhaust blower and apply negative pressure to close the valve. This must have closed the valve and sent a signal to the control board to initiate the normal process and everything started on the heater as usual. What problems might be present in addition to a cracked heat exchanger that would cause this problem? Your help is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you, JIM
 

Last edited by Gatewoodjms; 02-27-12 at 05:27 PM.
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Old 02-27-12, 05:38 PM
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Usually you will find a list of what the diagnostic codes mean posted somewhere on the furnace ---often on the inside of the door covering the fan compartment. Report what that three blink code represents.

Usually a failure of the hot surface ignitor to heat up is caused by either a cracked HSI or a pressure switch that isn;t closing. You know the HSI is OK, so I'd start by using a multimeter to see if the pressure switch is closing when the inducer motor comes up to speed.
 
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Old 02-27-12, 05:59 PM
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Thanks SP. The three red lights from the control board indicates a problem with the air pressure switch. The technician that arrived at my home on Saturday was using a new manometer to read the pressures generated by the inducer fan that exhausts the waste gases. He said that he had never used this manometer before since it was "brand new" (Nice for me to find out). The initial readings on the the manometer he thought were low (IE causing the air pressure switch to not close) but he wasn't "100% sure" so I had him check the pressure he was receiving on the broken furnace against another furnace that sits right next to it (this furnace heats the second floor). The readings were virtually identical. Can there be a problem with the inducer fan (Even thought it is running) as well as a possible crack in the heat exchanger that could be the problem? I checked the air pressure switch myself after the technician left by exchanging it with the air pressure switch in the functioning furnace and it worked fine. Thanks Jim
 
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Old 02-28-12, 02:55 PM
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I usually like to say that the incompetent repairman is the one who doesn't have a manometer.

A marginally competent repairman has a nice shiny new one that has never been used.

The competent repairman has a manometer with a lot of tubing and fittings off of it and probably some greasy thumbprints and whatever that shows it's been used frequently.

98% of the time when a pressure switch fails to close the pressure switch is fine and not closing for a reason.

What were the reading obtained? There can also be issues about connecting up the manometer correctly that aren't obvious.

The odds are that there is a problem or defect with the vent or venting system. Unfortunately, there are a wide variety of things that can cause such a problem and tracking down the one particular cause takes skill. The repairman you had did not display himself as a skilled person, but as being marginally competent in a situation that called for a genuinely skilled person.

In short I'd discount whatever the guy said. He didn't lie to you, but he just doesn't know enough to figure out the problem.

What kind of repair outfit was this? It's not unusual for repair outfits to send out marginally competent people who are backed up by a skilled person to solve problems when the first guy can't figure it out. You might want to see if you can get that skilled guy to come out to check out your furnace.

Tell me if he has a manometer with a bunch of tubing and fittings attached to it!
 
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Old 02-28-12, 05:58 PM
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Thanks again SP,
I'm not sure of the readings on the manometer, but i do remember that it was a brand new unit and still in the plastic. The repairman kept changing the measurement units on the display so I'm not sure which unit he finally decided to read (PSI i think) and I'm pretty sure he was not sure himself which unit he should be measuring in, that is why I suggested he take a pressure measurement on the broken unit and compare it to the measurement on the functioning furnace (both being the same). I talked to the technician today and asked about a more experience person and he did not have anyone else so I told him I was going to seek a second opinion (he is not going to bill me for services). I've called a different Heating and Cooling company and I'm praying they send a more skilled repairman!! Thanks
 
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Old 02-28-12, 09:05 PM
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remove the hose from the nipple on the inducer where it attaches. Make sure the nipple is clear by cleaning it out with a piece of wire or a small drill bit. Just something to try before the new contractor comes out as those nipple do plug up from time to time. There is always the 2% chance that it is a failed pressure switch and as SP stated this can only be diagnosed with a manometer and knowing how to use it. Beyond knowing how to use it you need to know what pressure the press. switch is rated at.
 
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Old 02-29-12, 04:21 AM
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Thanks hvactechfw. Will follow your directions before the new repairman arrives.
 
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Old 02-29-12, 02:36 PM
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Thanks guys!! I was able to clear the nipple to the inducer with a paper clip and it is now working. Really appreciate the help!!!!! Jim
 
 

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