Intermittent problem with Amana Gas Furnace
#1
11-07-12, 09:43 AM
Intermittent problem with Amana Gas Furnace
Model AMH95, Installed in the fall of 2007. I have a non-programmable electronic digital thermostat.
I have been replacing the filter regularily (every 30 days).
The furnace starts up, quits, starts, runs, shuts off. It does not do this all of the time. I have looked at the red indicator light after it acts up, and it flashes continuously, about once per second.
In Jan. 2012, I had the limit switch replaced. The furnace was acting in a similar manner at that time also.
Before I call the service guy back out again, I am looking for ideas on what this could be. He has not been able to diagnose the problem as yet, mainly because it doesn't do it when he is out here, and he hasn't been able to find anything wrong when he checks it out.
I am not knowledgeable in do it yourself fixes, so am relying on him to solve the problem. I'd just like to have a few ideas to throw out there.
I have been replacing the filter regularily (every 30 days).
The furnace starts up, quits, starts, runs, shuts off. It does not do this all of the time. I have looked at the red indicator light after it acts up, and it flashes continuously, about once per second.
In Jan. 2012, I had the limit switch replaced. The furnace was acting in a similar manner at that time also.
Before I call the service guy back out again, I am looking for ideas on what this could be. He has not been able to diagnose the problem as yet, mainly because it doesn't do it when he is out here, and he hasn't been able to find anything wrong when he checks it out.
I am not knowledgeable in do it yourself fixes, so am relying on him to solve the problem. I'd just like to have a few ideas to throw out there.
#2
11-07-12, 10:07 AM
Banned. Rule And/Or Policy Violation
Your furnace manual is at
http://www.amana-hac.com/portals/1/pdf/ss/ss-amh95.pdf
The slow diagnostic light pattern you describe appears to indicate normal operation of the ingition control.
Take the cover off the burner compartment of the furnace.
Observe the sequence of events that occurs at the furnace when you turn up the thermostat.
Do you have a multimeter and understand how to use it?
A furnace has a sequence of operation --- a sequence of events that happen one after another and which produce heat if the sequence is not interrupted by a defect in the furnace operation. You need to cycle the furnace enough time until you can observe when in that sequence the furnace is failing to operate properly.
And your repairman should have done that as well, as well as looking for any weaknesses in the way certain parts are working. Just guessing that a part is bad is not an adequate reason for replacing it.
Another thing you can do is to turn the thermostat up and let the burner run continuously for 15-20 minutes, which might disclose a failure of the furnace to operate properly.
http://www.amana-hac.com/portals/1/pdf/ss/ss-amh95.pdf
The slow diagnostic light pattern you describe appears to indicate normal operation of the ingition control.
Take the cover off the burner compartment of the furnace.
Observe the sequence of events that occurs at the furnace when you turn up the thermostat.
Do you have a multimeter and understand how to use it?
A furnace has a sequence of operation --- a sequence of events that happen one after another and which produce heat if the sequence is not interrupted by a defect in the furnace operation. You need to cycle the furnace enough time until you can observe when in that sequence the furnace is failing to operate properly.
And your repairman should have done that as well, as well as looking for any weaknesses in the way certain parts are working. Just guessing that a part is bad is not an adequate reason for replacing it.
Another thing you can do is to turn the thermostat up and let the burner run continuously for 15-20 minutes, which might disclose a failure of the furnace to operate properly.
#3
11-08-12, 08:24 AM
OK, I am a retired female with no electrical knowledge. Yes I have a multimeter (inherited) that might as well be a paperweight since I don't know how to use it. I suppose I could take the cover off the burner compartment and observe.....but what am I looking for? (Will it even run with the cover off?) I can already tell that it is not working correctly by listening to it. What should I be noting/documenting so that I can give an intelligent assessment of the problem to the technician? Please dumb it down to the novice level. 
#4
03-02-14, 01:51 PM
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Similar issue as OP
I have the same furnace as the original post in this thread (Amana AMH95). Mine was installed in Oct 2011. Our problems sound similar. I'm looking for advice from others or from the original poster if she has gotten the issue fixed successfully.
The furnace is acting up intermittently. This is what happens: we notice the temperature in the house is decreasing, we check the thermostat and it shows it's set at a temperature higher than the actual temperature (sometimes by 10 degrees if we've been away from the house or sleeping). And the thermostat shows that the heat is on, although no heat is coming from the vents. We check the furnace in the basement, it's not on, and the LED light is blinking once continuously (about once per second). We then switch the furnace off for about 10 seconds, turn it back on, and it usually kicks on. It will heat for a period of time however it often will shut off again before the temperature reaches what's set on the thermostat. Rinse and repeat, we do the same thing over again and again.
Like I mentioned, the problem is intermittent. It started a couple months ago, I had a service professional out here, he couldn't definitively diagnose the problem because it wasn't happening anymore by the time he got here. He checked for issues, cleaned the flame sensor as a guess to the cause, and left. It didn't happen again for two months. Now it's happening again, I called the same service guy yesterday because it happened overnight ( woke up to a chilly 58 degree house) but by the time I called him, it wasn't happening anymore. He told me to call him while it's happening. Grrrrr! Can't he figure out the issue knowing the error code (the LED light blinking) and looking at the furnace itself?
I'm looking for any direction / guidance I could give him to resolve the issue. I only have novice level knowledge here, no expertise and am not interested in fixing it myself, but could do minor troubleshooting if necessary.
Thanks for any help in advance!
The furnace is acting up intermittently. This is what happens: we notice the temperature in the house is decreasing, we check the thermostat and it shows it's set at a temperature higher than the actual temperature (sometimes by 10 degrees if we've been away from the house or sleeping). And the thermostat shows that the heat is on, although no heat is coming from the vents. We check the furnace in the basement, it's not on, and the LED light is blinking once continuously (about once per second). We then switch the furnace off for about 10 seconds, turn it back on, and it usually kicks on. It will heat for a period of time however it often will shut off again before the temperature reaches what's set on the thermostat. Rinse and repeat, we do the same thing over again and again.
Like I mentioned, the problem is intermittent. It started a couple months ago, I had a service professional out here, he couldn't definitively diagnose the problem because it wasn't happening anymore by the time he got here. He checked for issues, cleaned the flame sensor as a guess to the cause, and left. It didn't happen again for two months. Now it's happening again, I called the same service guy yesterday because it happened overnight ( woke up to a chilly 58 degree house) but by the time I called him, it wasn't happening anymore. He told me to call him while it's happening. Grrrrr! Can't he figure out the issue knowing the error code (the LED light blinking) and looking at the furnace itself?
I'm looking for any direction / guidance I could give him to resolve the issue. I only have novice level knowledge here, no expertise and am not interested in fixing it myself, but could do minor troubleshooting if necessary.
Thanks for any help in advance!
#5
03-02-14, 05:53 PM
These kind of problems can be very hard to diagnose when we can't get it to repeat. One furnace I ran 30 cycles and it would not fail. Next time this happens count the blinking light. Then take the cover off the furnace. There should be a set of codes. Match that to the blinking lights. That should tell whats wrong.
Last edited by skaggsje; 03-02-14 at 06:32 PM.
#6
03-02-14, 06:42 PM
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It will heat for a period of time however it often will shut off again before the temperature reaches what's set on the thermostat. Rinse and repeat, we do the same thing over again and again.
#7
03-03-14, 07:05 AM
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Thanks for your comments. I guess I didn't communicate clearly in my earlier post, sorry for that. I did count the blinking flashes -- it was blinking about once per second, with no long pauses, so I understand that is the one LED flash error code. It's the same one LED flashing every time it fails. I've told the service technician this also. Thanks again.
