Furnace Help PLEASE

[Wolf22]

If anyone has the time - I could use some guidance/help with a 6yr old RUUD Achiever Plus High EFF. Furnace.

The darn thing is wreckin the holidays and no one seems to know what is wrong.......

If anyone is a "shark" with RUUDs.......and willing to help. PLEASE PM me.

SD and winter tend to be poor times to have an intermittent furnace.


(Issue that's continuing - drop temp to 67, then raise to 71 on return from holiday party......furnace runs for 10-15mins then the valve starts glitchin, then finally flames out and goes into "fault" lock out mode. NOTICED water coming from the bottom of the blower housing ????? Temp never raises more than a degree or two before it craps out. At times it will start glitchin, flame out, restart, run a few mins, and then crap out into lock out/fault mode. The repairs have been a new thermostat/new flame sensor and general cleaning/checking. High and low press tubes are clear. New Valve too.

The furnace runs fine and maintains a constant 70. But when asked to run for longer periods it craps out/acts stupid.

Not sure this helps - if anyone wanted some initial info. Again, a newer High Eff. Ruud furnace that is vented to clear air on the E side of the house, no blockage. Fresh air was done cheaply and is taken from the furnace room and not the outside as 'supposed too", as I am told now.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[SDWhirlwind]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

I am not a Ruud guy and haven't been in the heating business for 10yrs but will take a shot at some possibilities.....

Can you disconnect chimney at furnace? If so see if it will run with it disconnected. Perhaps it has a sag/low spot and water has accumulated? Possibly not enough slope and water isn't condensing and draining all the way back to pump/drain? Water in the fan suggests that it is a drainage issue and pressure sensors are detecting insufficient exhaust and going in to lock up??? Is there a screen on the outlet to eliminate bird, mouse etc from getting into the exhaust vent? Have had wasp hives built in exhaust over summer but didn't block pvc completely until some ice/water showed up. Don't take much of a pressure change to trip safety etc.

Just some guesses which is all anyone can do via the net or a phone!

 

[oldgrayone]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

If it is getting through the initial purge and ingition phase, you sound good on the pressure switch but if it is running and heating then leaking condensate from the fan I would suspect a blocked drain and water is getting back to one of the pressure sensors and causing a lock out.

As Dennis stated it is hard to trouble shoot on the net but a good place to start is with the drainage path and make sure it is clear. Then pull the small rubber hoses off of the connections and see if any water has accumlated in the sensing lines.

Another idea may be your float trap on the drain is not opening causing a backup of condensate. Or try to bypass the drain and run it to 5 gallon bucket and see if that helps. It almost has to an issue with condensate backing up causing an incorrect pressure if you actually have condensate dripping out of the blower.

 

[Wolf22]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

Points noted and I will try to examine the PVC tubing for the drains......

The odd thing is the furnace is running fine holding 70 deg. Things get funky when it really has to work going from 67 68 to 70 or 71.

Thanks y'all I'll keep diggin into the unit in hopes of not wasting more $$$ needlessly.

The rubber press. tubes were clear.,

any ideas help since I am tired of service people coming in, not listening, and going Oooop you need this, $$$$ didn't work, Ooooop you need this then.......$$$$

 

[brian64x]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

I am not a furnace mechanic but I had the same problem you had and I fixed it all by myself. On my unit, inside the control box is two green lights. These lights are for trouble shooting the system. Turn the unit on and watch what they do. Somewhere, either on the cover of the control box or in your owners manual is a trouble shooting guide with a chart that tells you what the lights actions are telling you. Weather they are solid lights, one blinking and one solid or visa/versa. It will then tell you what the problem is. My problem was the condensation drain was blocked. On the bottom of my unit there is this little black box that the rubber drainage tubes lead to. On the bottom of the box is a rubber slip on plug. I took the plug off and blew into it and viola!!! Water drained out, put the plug back on and its been working fine ever since.
Also check the exhaust line on your unit. I have found that mud dobbers like to make nests in them in the summer time partially blocking the flow of the exhaust. Hope this helped you, I hate paying a repair man several $100's when all they do is something as simple as what I described. Have a good one...and stay warm!!

 

[oldgrayone]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

Wolf,
What I am thing is that during the short run time to maintain temp you are not building up a lot of condensate like you will during a long run time. I think the air flow sensor may be getting wet making the furnace think you have lost the blower and it is locking out to prevent excessive heat build up from lack of air movement.

Brian W is spot on with the LED trouble indication.

You may also be able to take you model number and google for a manual that will talk about the start sequence and all of the problems that can cause one of the so called smart units to fail.

 

[Wolf22]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

Brian and Old G - sure appreciate it. The drains are what I am focusing on, they did hard fittings to the dumb 'sumps' and such, so I am trying to figure out how to crack the egg.

Beyond that - I want to kick the local installers in the Junk!!

 

[Wolf22]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

WELL - we may have some success. Thanks to y'all and my Dad reinforcing the pressure issues.

I forced apart the drain lines from the exhaust vent and blower........sure enough, the small black can was full and had some milky looking water.

Then the fun started. the upper line from the bottom of the Vert. exhaust vent kept leaking, ultimately coughing up some 'crushed concrete' like junk. While playing with that to determine the substance the line coughed up a dark fiberous plug and the rest of the water. Almost seemed like fiberglass.......

SO - I THANK YOU for the ideas and affirmation. It frustrates the crap out of me that none of the Repair persons even checked those.....

 

[brian64x]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

Sounds like you found the problem. Just drain that box once or twice a season. And remember to change your filter. Have a good one...

 

[Wolf22]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

Thanks Brian -

Always been good about filters........just never woulda thunk the lines would get such crap into them.

CHEERS -

 

[Wolf22]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

Thanks Brian -

Always been good about filters........just never woulda thunk the lines would get such crap into them.

CHEERS -

 

[oldgrayone]

Re: Furnace Help PLEASE

If the repair man fixes it before the third try he can't make as much money.

Happy it is resolved. Turn it up and enjoy the rest of the winter.