my nordyne/frigidaire furnace won't ignite and fire up
Hey doityourself forum... I'm brand new to this forum and would love to receive some much needed help with my home furnace. I have a NORDYNE/FRIGIDAIRE, Model #FG6TA-100C-VB Furnace. (I believe it's a TA Series 80+ High Efficiency Upflow/Horizontal Two-Stage Furnace. Last year it also didn't light, and someone told me to use steel wool and clean off the flame sensor. I did this, and it started! I was hoping this year the fix was that easy, but after cleaning off the sensor, it still doesn't ignite. Then I noticed that the bank of red led lights are flashing 3 blinks repeatedly. According to the label on the inside of the door, that means the pressure switch is closed with inducer off Any suggestions? mgjhmusicguy Somewhere on that furnace should be an air activated switch which has a small hose going to it. These switches are usually round but not always. Attached to said switch should be at least two small wires. With the power turned off, disconnect those two wires check for continuity between the terminals to which they were connected. If you do not get continuity, the board is likely bad. If continuity is present, the switch is stuck. thanks Grady... I'll look for this air activated switch and get back to you! If I'm not sure what it is, could I attach a photo and you could point it out? Photos are almost always a help. More is better both from a distance relatively close up. The easiest way for us to see pix is to post them on photobucket.com or similar site provide a link to the album here. The plastic pressure switches can resemble a hockey puck.
Thanks Houston. Try as I may, I couldn't find a picture or drawing of that furnace with the front panel removed. Sorry I haven't been on top of this thread! I teach fulltime and simply havent had time to spit! Yes... the illustration is almost exactly what the inside of my access panel looks like! and the hockey puck pressure switch is right where the illustration places it. Now... what can i do to solve my problem? Should I assume that since I have 3 blinking lights from my led light bank, that it is in fact a stuck pressure switch? If so, is there anything I can do to unstick it? or must I purchase a new one? Again, the message reads, pressure switch is closed with inducer off Thanks again for your replies Grady and Houston204. If you have a multimeter know use it see post #2. As kind of a desperate measure you can tap on it firmly with a screwdriver handle. Don't beat on it just tap firmly. Sometimes you can unstick them this way but chances are it will stick again. hey Grady, Sorry about my slow-reply time! ugh...: In post #2 you told me to check the continuity of the air activated switch on my furnace panel. So... I attempted to do this. Please check my work... I found the hockey puck looking air activated switch (mine looks exactly like the one you posted earlier in this thread)... and disconnected both the electrical wires. Then, I checked continuity by touching the 2 leads on the switch and had continuity. My voltimeter jumped all the way to 0. In post #2, you mentioned that if I had continuity, most likely my switch is stuck. you mentioned that I could lightly tap it to unstick it. I have not done this yet. When I tap it, how will I know if it's unstuck? Will the red LED lights stop blinking in 3 blinks pattern? Thanks for your help. I'm assuming if I get it unstuck, the lights will stop the 3 blink pattern and my furnace will ignite and work? Rick Three hands helps, but you need to keep the ohm meter on the terminals and then tap the pressure switch. If the meter swings the other way, the circuit is opened. If you are lucky enough to get the switch to open, then disconnect the rubber hose from the inducer housing. Suck on it while the ohm meter is connected and you should have continuity. Stop sucking and the switch should open. If all works well, replace the hose and turn off the 120 to the furnace and then turn it back on. That should reset the board. or you can check for continuity again and verify the switch is open with the furnace off. (I'm calling the air activated switch a pressure switch here...). My wife helped me... I held the 2 leads of the voltmeter on the 2 terminals of the disconnected pressure switch and, after some tapping, got some continuity. Then I turned the power back on the furnace, hoping to reset the circuit board. But... alas, the lights continued blinking 3 times repeatedly... ugh... I did not disconnect the tube, suck the air out, and re attach the tube as was suggested 2 posts back.. Have I come to the end of my abilities... and do I need to call in a technician? Rick you should not have continuity (infinite resistance) with the pressure switch disconnected from the furnace. With the switch installed (wires off, but hose hooked up and switch bolted in) and the inducer running then you should have continuity through the switch. I'm amazed... My wife and I worked together, tapping the pressure switch, but the LED lights continued to blink 3 times repeatedly. I closed up the panel door, thinking I had come to the end... (I had forgotten to turn off the furnace since it wasn't going to work.) Then, a few minutes later, I smelled heat, the first heat of the season smell I always smell. Needless to say, I'M THRILLED! THANKS YOU GUYS! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE SOLUTION WAS TO HIT MY FURNACE!!! Thanks so much... Rick RICK, you need to replace that switch. It is not reliable, getting it unstuck was only for temporary heat. Replace the switch. it stuck once, it will do it again. Rick, Hvactechfw is 100% right. Get a new pressure switch install it 'cause it's going to stick again you can bet it will be at the most inopportune time. 1. any suggestions where to buy the pressure switch? online/local? 2. is the # listed on the switch's isbn tag, 632385, the part #? 2. it looks simple to replace and install. Do I have to do anything special with the tube connected on the bottom of the switch? thanks again. Rick ps. I agree totally. It will malfunction when the temp drops down here in MN! I found one online but the price was outrageous, I recommend contacting a local Nordyne supply house and seeing if the will sell to you. If not contact a nordyne dealer and have them procure the part for you. I need to throw out a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this post. You have saved my family from a cold night by sharing this information so that I could get my furnace running, and tomorrow I will order my new switch!
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