Carrier 9200 Error Code 31 Troubleshooting
#1
01-10-17, 06:27 PM
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Carrier 9200 Error Code 31 Troubleshooting
Hello all,
I am learning about my old 1999 or so Carrier 9200 that has performed well for all these years. Now it's responding to the thermostat but not igniting. I've done some troubleshooting on the error code 31 it's reporting. I can say the following:
Thanks.
I am learning about my old 1999 or so Carrier 9200 that has performed well for all these years. Now it's responding to the thermostat but not igniting. I've done some troubleshooting on the error code 31 it's reporting. I can say the following:
- I've taken out the condensate drain connection and cleaned it
- All rubber tubes leading to and from the pressure switch and condensate drain have been blown through and seem good (also the hole on the top of the pressure switch is blocked, the one on the bottom is open)
- Inducer motor does come on when I push the rollout switch. It spins fast enough to get warm eventually
- Both main intake and vent tubes seem okay. (I cannot access or remove them, but I can feel the air being pulled in and expelled through them, respectively.
- House vents and return are verified open
Thanks.
#2
01-10-17, 06:44 PM
Group Moderator
Welcome to the forums.
That needs a lot of clarification.
A rollout switch is over the burner to monitor for flames out of the burner chamber.
Do you mean the blower door safety switch ?
Gets warm eventually. What gets warm?
You do understand that a furnace is not a "buy it and forget it appliance"? It is supposed to be checked and cleaned every year. That series of furnaces had issues with problem heat exchangers. That may be an unsafe furnace to be running.
The thermostat calls for heat.
The draft inducer comes up to speed.
Approx 15-20 seconds later the igniter heats up.
If you are getting the draft inducer running but no igniter....then you need to look into a plugged condensate line or even a problem vent/flue line.
You can also remove the rubber line from the inducer and make sure the tiny hole is not clogged into the inducer. You can use a very tiny drill bit or the bristle from a wire bruch works good too.
Inducer motor does come on when I push the rollout switch. It spins fast enough to get warm eventually
A rollout switch is over the burner to monitor for flames out of the burner chamber.
Do you mean the blower door safety switch ?
Gets warm eventually. What gets warm?
You do understand that a furnace is not a "buy it and forget it appliance"? It is supposed to be checked and cleaned every year. That series of furnaces had issues with problem heat exchangers. That may be an unsafe furnace to be running.
The thermostat calls for heat.
The draft inducer comes up to speed.
Approx 15-20 seconds later the igniter heats up.
If you are getting the draft inducer running but no igniter....then you need to look into a plugged condensate line or even a problem vent/flue line.
You can also remove the rubber line from the inducer and make sure the tiny hole is not clogged into the inducer. You can use a very tiny drill bit or the bristle from a wire bruch works good too.
#3
01-11-17, 10:38 AM
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Thanks, Pjmax, for replying. You wrote,
That description matches my situation. The first two things happen, the third doesn't. I've checked all the condensate lines, removing them and blowing through them. They all seem fine. The exterior vent/flue lines seem fine, too, and the vents are not blocked in the home. I'm intrigued by the next thing you say:
Not sure where the "tiny hole" into the inducer is, exactly. In fact, I don't see any rubber lines running into or out of the inducer. Not the inducer motor, anyway. You must be referring to something else. I've checked all the lines and inlets and the only one that seems blocked is the one I've circled in the attached photo (it's toward the lower left, the upper part of the pressure switch).
Thanks,
Franz
The thermostat calls for heat.
The draft inducer comes up to speed.
Approx 15-20 seconds later the igniter heats up.
If you are getting the draft inducer running but no igniter....then you need to look into a plugged condensate line or even a problem vent/flue line.
The draft inducer comes up to speed.
Approx 15-20 seconds later the igniter heats up.
If you are getting the draft inducer running but no igniter....then you need to look into a plugged condensate line or even a problem vent/flue line.
You can also remove the rubber line from the inducer and make sure the tiny hole is not clogged into the inducer. You can use a very tiny drill bit or the bristle from a wire bruch works good too.
Thanks,
Franz
#4
01-11-17, 10:56 AM
If the port on the pressure switch is blocked it will need to be cleared. Also check where the hose goes into the bottom of the burner box.
#5
01-11-17, 01:18 PM
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The burner box outlet is clear. I checked it. But the circled inlet feels not blocked by crud but by an intentional metal piece on the inside. Inserting a paper clip, it feels as if the end of the clip brushes up against a smooth, flat obstruction. I could insert something firmer and work it around, I guess, but it really doesn't feel like a blockage. Still, if the inlet is supposed to be open, then I have to open it.
#6
01-11-17, 07:02 PM
Group Moderator
The blockage doesn't usually occur at the pressure switch. It occurs at the ends away from the pressure switch.
As a servicing tech.... I hook a manometer into the pressure line and I know instantly if the vacuum I'm looking for is there...... or not there..... or close.
Your only option is to make sure everything is clean and open.
As a servicing tech.... I hook a manometer into the pressure line and I know instantly if the vacuum I'm looking for is there...... or not there..... or close.
Your only option is to make sure everything is clean and open.
#7
01-13-17, 05:51 PM
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Well, Pjmax, it's all, as you say, "clean and open." I'm afraid I'm out of ideas. Perhaps a part has just died.
I felt all bright and bold because, coincidentally, both my washer and dryer broke this week and I was able to fix both of them. But they broke in the most obvious to diagnose (and easy to fix) ways; it seems the furnace did not.
If anyone has any other ideas, I'm all ears.
Franz
I felt all bright and bold because, coincidentally, both my washer and dryer broke this week and I was able to fix both of them. But they broke in the most obvious to diagnose (and easy to fix) ways; it seems the furnace did not.
If anyone has any other ideas, I'm all ears.
Franz
