(Edit: Repaired) Gas Furnace Went Out

[Letfreedomring]

I must have jinxed myself by replying to this post. I just finished cutting my drain line because it froze up outside again. It felt cool in my mancave I set the thermostat up to 70 and it never kicked on. My thermometer read 59 degrees, so I knew what to check first. The drain line runs down my garage wall so, I cut it (PVC) and stuck a bucket under it. I'll empty buckets until it warms up enough to get outside and fix it right.

Wonder if you could snake some automatic heat tape through the inside of the repaired pvc pipe to keep it from freezing up.

 

[Profreedomokie]

Wonder if you could snake some automatic heat tape through the inside of the repaired pvc pipe to keep it from freezing up.

It is a 3/4" line with several 90 degree fitting at the lower end where it freezes up. I'll have to check on the heat tape. Thanks.

 

[bushmaster06]

One of ours went out on Saturday and it was from the drain getting frozen and backing up. HVAC guy put on some heat tape, but it's still too cold for the heat tape to keep up so every few hours a have to go into the attic to suck water out of the pipe. At least the unit didn't catch on fire like last year.

 

[bushmaster06]

This why i always keep several propane bottles and a propane heater sitting around for these kind of emergencies, its not the best but wont freeze to death.

I see a Mr. Heater in my future.

 

[John6185]

My ignitor went out and I called a guy to replace it and was charged $75.00 which isn't that bad. It went out again and the same guy came in a new van with his name on it and charged me $146.00. so I ordered a couple of ignitors and tacked them up on a support in the attic near the furnace. I'll do it myself from now on. I don't mind a partial payment on his van but I sure am not pleased to pay the additional fee.

 

[bushmaster06]

I will say that our Lennox attic units have been problematic. One rusted out internally and had to be replaced. Last year on December 23 the other unit wouldn’t turn off so I killed it at the breaker. When smoke started coming out of the vents I knew there was a problem so I took a fire extinguisher up and sure enough the inside was on fire. Lennox replaced that one for free and took the burned one back to see what caused it to catch on fire.

One would think that the HVAC installers would be able to install the plumbing so it wouldn’t freeze or get clogged, but I guess not because every winter the drain freezes up. Apparently the foam pipe insulation isn’t enough. Maybe using a couple of 45* elbows would be better than a single 90* to help keep the water flowing, but I know that I shouldn’t have to run a couple of space heaters nonstop in the attic.
First world problems I suppose.

The outside units have been trouble-free though.

 

[Profreedomokie]

I got the fittings and fixed my problem with mine freezing up. The line is inside the garage (which is heated) and freezes up where it goes through the wall or just outside the wall. I had cut the line inside the garage, and it was draining inside a bucket. I put a tee in the vertical line and ran a horizonal line over behind a small table that is on casters. I put a 90 ell there with a valve. I leave the valve open with a bucket under it. Now if the line freezes up the water will back up and drain out horizonal line into a bucket.