Noisy Furnace - Fasco Draft Inducer Blower
#1
12-27-14, 01:12 PM
Noisy Furnace - Fasco Draft Inducer Blower
Hello,
Long time reader, first time poster.
My Fasco Furnace Draft Inducer Blower has become noisy (rattling, rattle, clicking sound). After installing a Nest thermostat with no common wire 4 days ago the noisiness starting developing. The first day the noise was intermittent but by day 2-3 it was constant. I went back and found that I had a common wire hidden in the wall and connected it to the Nest thermostat so it could have its own dedicated power (but that did not help). I switched the thermostat back to the older Honeywell that had no previous issues with the noisiness but that didn't help (the noise was still constant with the Honeywell too). Not sure if the Nest thermostat caused the issue but its too late to go back to the way things were since my furnace has stopped working properly.
Here is a video of my furnace and noisiness: YouTube Link
*Please excuse the shaky video
Today I turned the furnace on with the noisiness and it started the flame up normally but shut the flames off after four minutes and kept running without heating the air. The next time I tried the furnace, the flames would not ignite (is the system preventing ignition because of the inducer?). I have shut off the furnace until it is repaired. Does anyone know if the inducer is the problem or if something is causing the inducer to make that noise?
P.S. there is a red light flashing below, not sure if that's normal or if it's an indication that something is wrong.
Long time reader, first time poster.
My Fasco Furnace Draft Inducer Blower has become noisy (rattling, rattle, clicking sound). After installing a Nest thermostat with no common wire 4 days ago the noisiness starting developing. The first day the noise was intermittent but by day 2-3 it was constant. I went back and found that I had a common wire hidden in the wall and connected it to the Nest thermostat so it could have its own dedicated power (but that did not help). I switched the thermostat back to the older Honeywell that had no previous issues with the noisiness but that didn't help (the noise was still constant with the Honeywell too). Not sure if the Nest thermostat caused the issue but its too late to go back to the way things were since my furnace has stopped working properly.
Here is a video of my furnace and noisiness: YouTube Link
*Please excuse the shaky video
Today I turned the furnace on with the noisiness and it started the flame up normally but shut the flames off after four minutes and kept running without heating the air. The next time I tried the furnace, the flames would not ignite (is the system preventing ignition because of the inducer?). I have shut off the furnace until it is repaired. Does anyone know if the inducer is the problem or if something is causing the inducer to make that noise?
P.S. there is a red light flashing below, not sure if that's normal or if it's an indication that something is wrong.
#2
12-27-14, 01:41 PM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums.
Unfortunately the draft inducer noise has nothing to do with the thermostat or wiring. It's time has come and it needs to be replaced. Some people try lubricating them but it's not a long term repair.
On the back of the blower door is the code list for the diagnostic trouble LED.
Unfortunately the draft inducer noise has nothing to do with the thermostat or wiring. It's time has come and it needs to be replaced. Some people try lubricating them but it's not a long term repair.
On the back of the blower door is the code list for the diagnostic trouble LED.
#3
12-27-14, 03:51 PM
Thank you for the response, I ordered a new FASCO inducer from amazon ($85) and some RTV high temp silicone gasket ($5). I will report back to see if that fixes the issue. It's also good to hear the thermostat and wiring are probably not related to the issue and just a coincidence.
#4
12-27-14, 04:34 PM
I checked the codes for the red flashing light and a "continuous on" red flashing light says "Internal Control Failure (Replace)". I have unplugged the entire unit, I will allow the unit to reset, and I will check if the red light comes back immediately (or find out at what stage does it come back on). At the moment I am not sure if I should change the ignition control module too.
#5
12-27-14, 04:38 PM
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That noise may be due to the motor or it could be the fan itself. Since you have nothing to loose, I suggest removing the venter assembly now & inspecting the fan. Might save you a few days with no heat in case you have to get the fan.
#7
01-02-15, 11:47 PM
Fixed!
Replacing the FASCO draft inducer blower made the sound go away so something was clearly wrong with the old inducer. However, there flames still did not ignite after replacing the inducer. Before I explain what else was wrong I want to clarify the red blinking light I mentioned in the earlier posts.
Earlier I posted the red blinking light was a "Continuous On" error, but I was mistaken. "Continuous On" would be a constant red light (not a blinking red light, as shown in the video). The red blinking light was never an error, it was just the signal for a normal call for heat. So the ignition control board (ICB) was perfectly fine.
Turns out, the lack of a burner ignition was being caused by the "flame rollout switch" (FRS). I'm not sure how, but the FRS was tripped and so it prevented the ignition. I replaced the FRS for $10 and everything is working as it should again.
P.S. - the only reason I discovered that the FRS was broken was because I switched the old ICB (from 1990) with a new ICB (White Rodgers 50a55-843) because at the time I thought the old ICB was broken. The new ICB has additional error diagnostic codes, and after switching out the ICB I noticed an error blinking light. I found four red blinking lights which indicated "flame rollout sensed". The new ICB helped me located the problem immediately, whereas the old ICB did not have the ability to diagnose the same problem. Although it was unnecessary for me to buy a new ICB, it did help me solve the problem. I went back to test the old ICB and I determined that it was still working, so now I have an extra ICB. For those reading, hopefully it's helpful to know that old ICBs may not be capable of telling you if you have a problem, let alone where the problem is coming from.
Replacing the FASCO draft inducer blower made the sound go away so something was clearly wrong with the old inducer. However, there flames still did not ignite after replacing the inducer. Before I explain what else was wrong I want to clarify the red blinking light I mentioned in the earlier posts.
Earlier I posted the red blinking light was a "Continuous On" error, but I was mistaken. "Continuous On" would be a constant red light (not a blinking red light, as shown in the video). The red blinking light was never an error, it was just the signal for a normal call for heat. So the ignition control board (ICB) was perfectly fine.
Turns out, the lack of a burner ignition was being caused by the "flame rollout switch" (FRS). I'm not sure how, but the FRS was tripped and so it prevented the ignition. I replaced the FRS for $10 and everything is working as it should again.
P.S. - the only reason I discovered that the FRS was broken was because I switched the old ICB (from 1990) with a new ICB (White Rodgers 50a55-843) because at the time I thought the old ICB was broken. The new ICB has additional error diagnostic codes, and after switching out the ICB I noticed an error blinking light. I found four red blinking lights which indicated "flame rollout sensed". The new ICB helped me located the problem immediately, whereas the old ICB did not have the ability to diagnose the same problem. Although it was unnecessary for me to buy a new ICB, it did help me solve the problem. I went back to test the old ICB and I determined that it was still working, so now I have an extra ICB. For those reading, hopefully it's helpful to know that old ICBs may not be capable of telling you if you have a problem, let alone where the problem is coming from.
#8
01-03-15, 10:29 AM
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Thanks for the follow up. You are absolutely right about the codes on the circuit boards. They give you a place to start. Sometimes it's the right place, sometimes it's a red herring.
