Q: I’m looking to replace the disposable filters in my furnace with a permanent washable filter.
Anyone have any recommendations of filters and/or online stores that sell them? The dimensions I need are 16”x20”.
A: I purchased mine at Lowes or Home Depot. Not sure how well they work compared to the disposable ones. I have an odd-shaped intake that regular filters didn’t fit.
A: I had my filter replaced with one of those electronic filters (Trane brand) and love it. I notice less dust in my house. I was skeptical that it would make that much difference but it really does seem to keep the air cleaner and do a better job than regular filters. Expensive, but I think worth it now that I have it and have noticed a difference.
A: The only downside I’ve found to the electrostatic filters is that they do generate ozone. Most people don’t notice it or care, but some people can be sensitive to it and get headaches. I never was able to find a published acceptable limit on ozone levels in interior living spaces.
I have had a Honeywell electronic filter installed and love it. Given all the dust on the elements (simple to clean), it is working rather well. Almost 14 years and never a problem.
A: The levels of ozone you’ll get out of one of these mounted filter things is wayyy less than you’ll get out of a portable air thing, like those fans they sell at Sharper Image. Those things dump ozone like there is no tomorrow, and are the things that are most likely to make people feel blah.
Showing posts with label Furnace. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Furnace. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Furnace Trane XE 80 not firing up
Q: This morning I foud my heater is not blowing hot air. Thermostat kicks it on, I hear a fan starts spinning. I then hear a few clicking sounds (relay switch type) and furnace does not fire up. After 1 minute the fan stops. The loop start again after a few seconds. I have looked at the controller inside the furnace. It's status says "normal. call for heat". Any idea why furnace is not firing up?
pls r me also.
A: Sounds like the igniter isn’t working. That’s what was broken in ours last time, it ended up being a quick but expensive part to replace.
A: That is also my guess. I had opened covers and let it run in the next trial. Unfortunately, this time igniter glowed on and furnace started. I was not able to determine if igniter failed in previous attempts. Anyway I will look closely when it fails next time.
Is ceramic igniter expensive? It looked like an easy part to pull out. Why was it expensive?
A: I have no idea why the part was expensive, maybe it is made out of adamantium ;)
A: A few years back I had the same thing happen during a bad snowstorm and went without heat for a few days before paying someone too much for a $27 part and 15 minutes of labor.
You can buy the parts online (just look up the model number of your furnace and/or pull your igniter and get the part number off and search on it). I’ve had to replace a bad igniter myself since then (bad igniter Karma I guess). Just make sure to cut the power to your furnace first. Takes about 15 minutes to replace it and it’s worth knowing how.
A: One of the people I had out doing an estimate for furnace replacement touched on this subject (ceramic glowplugs) – his claim was that the part is easy to replace but difficult for a homeowner to order, so you have to go through a heating company and have them order the part and replace it and you get a nice labor charge. He also mentioned a newer type of glowplug being used more recently that doesn’t have the cracking issues the ceramic ones do.
I’m having a Trane installed in about two weeks – here’s hoping for the best!
pls r me also.
A: Sounds like the igniter isn’t working. That’s what was broken in ours last time, it ended up being a quick but expensive part to replace.
A: That is also my guess. I had opened covers and let it run in the next trial. Unfortunately, this time igniter glowed on and furnace started. I was not able to determine if igniter failed in previous attempts. Anyway I will look closely when it fails next time.
Is ceramic igniter expensive? It looked like an easy part to pull out. Why was it expensive?
A: I have no idea why the part was expensive, maybe it is made out of adamantium ;)
A: A few years back I had the same thing happen during a bad snowstorm and went without heat for a few days before paying someone too much for a $27 part and 15 minutes of labor.
You can buy the parts online (just look up the model number of your furnace and/or pull your igniter and get the part number off and search on it). I’ve had to replace a bad igniter myself since then (bad igniter Karma I guess). Just make sure to cut the power to your furnace first. Takes about 15 minutes to replace it and it’s worth knowing how.
A: One of the people I had out doing an estimate for furnace replacement touched on this subject (ceramic glowplugs) – his claim was that the part is easy to replace but difficult for a homeowner to order, so you have to go through a heating company and have them order the part and replace it and you get a nice labor charge. He also mentioned a newer type of glowplug being used more recently that doesn’t have the cracking issues the ceramic ones do.
I’m having a Trane installed in about two weeks – here’s hoping for the best!
Monday, October 15, 2007
Low air flow from forced air furnace?
Q: Hi, As the weather getting colder, I start to use the furnace (forced air) to heat my house. However, I notice the air flow from the second floor outlets from the furnace is smaller than before. Last year I could feel the air blowing from those outlets, but now the flow is quite small (the air flow is strong on the first floor though). The difference this year from last year is that I open up all the outlets on the first floor, while last year at least half of them were kept closed. My question is: Besides closing some outlets on the first floor, is there any other ways (like to get the furnace and air duct serviced?) to boost up the air flow for the second floor?
Many thanks!
A: Have you changed the furnace filter recently? They need to be changed periodically, every 30-90 days depending on what kind of filter and other factors.
A: If this is occurring only for second floor outlets, something could be blocking them. When I got duct cleaning done, two rooms magically started getting more air. If the second floor main pipe is blocked, ur first floor vents should be blowing more air now so check if that has happened. If that is the case, get ducts cleaned. However if it is a furnace specific issue like what Mike mentioned below, you should see a reduction in all ur vents (not only second floor).
Though closing 1st floor vents may get you more air on 2nd floor, I don’t think this should be used as a permanent solution if it involves closing several vents at the same time . I used to regularly close a few vents until the furnace person at my place recommended against it claiming it pressures outgoing airflow for the furnace and reduces its life (I guess it is probably still ok to close one or two vents but if you are planning to wipe out the entire 1st floor, then you may want to reconsider it over long term)
Many thanks!
A: Have you changed the furnace filter recently? They need to be changed periodically, every 30-90 days depending on what kind of filter and other factors.
A: If this is occurring only for second floor outlets, something could be blocking them. When I got duct cleaning done, two rooms magically started getting more air. If the second floor main pipe is blocked, ur first floor vents should be blowing more air now so check if that has happened. If that is the case, get ducts cleaned. However if it is a furnace specific issue like what Mike mentioned below, you should see a reduction in all ur vents (not only second floor).
Though closing 1st floor vents may get you more air on 2nd floor, I don’t think this should be used as a permanent solution if it involves closing several vents at the same time . I used to regularly close a few vents until the furnace person at my place recommended against it claiming it pressures outgoing airflow for the furnace and reduces its life (I guess it is probably still ok to close one or two vents but if you are planning to wipe out the entire 1st floor, then you may want to reconsider it over long term)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)