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Boozecamp's avatar
Boozecamp
Explorer
Jan 05, 2015

Suburban Furnace stopped working

Furnace has been working fine up thru last night. This morning I get up and it's 35 outside, 43 inside, no wind, and furnace will not kick on. Checked the easy stuff first, Propane tank is half full, no breakers tripped. When I get home from work this evening, I'll check fuses, change over to the second propane tank which is full. Anything else I can do myself before calling the $$$ tech guy out for a house call? I did try cycling the system off, waited a few minutes, then turned it back on, no go! Is there a pilot light, or is it electronic ignition?

13 Replies

  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    If you are camping off the power grid it could be your battery is low... As stated above you have to hear the blower work first before it will fire the propane...

    If you have only one battery the golden rule is one battery one night when camping off the power grid and having to run the furnace...

    Another quick check is to use the stove top for a few minutes to ensure the propane is working...

    Roy Ken
  • Does the air blower run, but the propane doesn't ignite? If so, it could be your out of propane or it could be the sail switch went bad. If it is the sail switch the unit will have to removed to replace it. The sail switch tells the operating mechanism that yes there is air flow the propane can be ignited. If the sail switch is inoperable the propane will never be ignited.
  • If you have never had to light the pilot before then it is electronic ignition. Can you hear the clicking of the electronic ignition? If not then it is not getting a signal from the thermostat or not acting on that signal. If it is clicking then it is a problem in the ignition. If you can see the spark then it is a fuel problem. May be no fuel or may be a valve not opening and getting a signal.

    Is the fan coming on prior to the ignition sequence? If not then the purge sequence is not happening and that will stop ignition.

    Think through the steps that need to happen, what you have heard in the past, and see where the steps stop and start looking from that point on.

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