# Inducer Fan Not Turning On



## JJboy

disconnect the 2 wires connected on the pressure switch.....inducer motor should start working.....if work.....bad pressure switch


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> disconnect the 2 wires connected on the pressure switch.....inducer motor should start working.....if work.....bad pressure switch


I just tried this. I unhooked the pressure switch, then turned the furnace on and nothing happened, the inducer did not start. I tried the trick with sucking on the hose and this time that didn't work neither. I couldn't get the inducer to come on at all.


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## JJboy

You have to measure the voltage on the inducer. If inducer is getting voltage using an ohmmeter check for resistance thought the inducer draft motor winding


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## thestig3

Inducer motor energizes then closes pressure switch. Sounds like first board went bad cause high amp draw from inducer motor. With power off check to see how freely inducer motor spins, if any sort of resistance bearings would be bad, replace motor.


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> You have to measure the voltage on the inducer. If inducer is getting voltage using an ohmmeter check for resistance thought the inducer draft motor winding


Whoa, slow it down a little, getting a little beyond my knowledge. A week ago I didn't know how to open a furnace, I'm just learning as I go. I'm good with tools, I got a multimeter, what's a draft motor winding?



thestig3 said:


> Inducer motor energizes then closes pressure switch. Sounds like first board went bad cause high amp draw from inducer motor. With power off check to see how freely inducer motor spins, if any sort of resistance bearings would be bad, replace motor.


I tried this already as suggested from another forum I was reading, there's a grille over it but if I stick a screwdriver in there and flick the fan, it'll spin fine either way for a few seconds and come to a slow stop.


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## thestig3

Originally Posted by JJboy
You have to measure the voltage on the inducer. If inducer is getting voltage using an ohmmeter check for resistance thought the inducer draft motor winding
You can red motor winding resistance through the motor leads. If there is 0 ohms motor is bad.


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## biggles

tail wagging the dog....:wink:.again the pressure switch proofs out from the ID running thru the tube to give spak and main gas run...ring the motor winding meter jumps as if touching leads...then to the metal frame of the motor no reading as if your holding the leads in each hand if it rings true take an extension cord and slip the motor(no need to remove motor) leads into it if it runs the relay on the SS board is shot from amp draws over time...need to change the board


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## Deemar

thestig3 said:


> Originally Posted by JJboy
> You can red motor winding resistance through the motor leads. If there is 0 ohms motor is bad.


Sorry I don't understand, where are the motor leads?



biggles said:


> tail wagging the dog....:wink:.again the pressure switch proofs out from the ID running thru the tube to give spak and main gas run


Sorry I can't understand this, what do you mean? What's spak?



biggles said:


> ...ring the motor winding meter jumps as if touching leads...then to the metal frame of the motor


I still don't understand, how do I ring a motor? I'm not familiar with any terminology.



biggles said:


> no reading as if your holding the leads in each hand if it rings true


:huh:



biggles said:


> take an extension cord and slip the motor(no need to remove motor) leads into it if it runs the relay on the SS board is shot from amp draws over time...need to change the board


You mean take the wires coming out of the motor and put them into the slots on the extension cord? You sure?


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## biggles

no problem you have an ohm meter so what where're looking for is when you touch the probes together and when there seperated....forget the actual resistance reading when you put them one on each motor lead.disconnect the motor wires where they connect onto the relay board..that point is where the board sends the 115V to run it on a heat call(first item to run when the stat calls....now take the leads and touch one to each wire going to that ID motor if the needle or led screen moves to from 1.0 to 000 or some valve just need to see continuity again as holding the probes together....OK no to check to see if their grounded same setting on meter one to one wire then other lead to motor frame the meter shouldn't move then do the other same any value show or goes directly to .000 the motor is grounded.:thumbsup: if you have the readings i explained it might still not be the motor...take an extension cor and slid each motor lead into the cord the motor should run if its mnot mechanically fouled up......again this is all done with the motor inplace we are just working the wires....if the motor runs let it goe for 5 minutes then disconnect the cord grab the body of the motor see if its hot to touch or warm which is what we want...yes on warm the problem is the relay board.....sending 115Vs on a heat call.....get the info off the board tell you a soucre:wink:


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## Deemar

biggles said:


> no problem you have an ohm meter so what where're looking for is when you touch the probes together and when there seperated....forget the actual resistance reading when you put them one on each motor lead.disconnect the motor wires where they connect onto the relay board..that point is where the board sends the 115V to run it on a heat call(first item to run when the stat calls....now take the leads and touch one to each wire going to that ID motor if the needle or led screen moves to from 1.0 to 000 or some valve just need to see continuity again as holding the probes together....OK no to check to see if their grounded same setting on meter one to one wire then other lead to motor frame the meter shouldn't move then do the other same any value show or goes directly to .000 the motor is grounded.:thumbsup: if you have the readings i explained it might still not be the motor...take an extension cor and slid each motor lead into the cord the motor should run if its mnot mechanically fouled up......again this is all done with the motor inplace we are just working the wires....if the motor runs let it goe for 5 minutes then disconnect the cord grab the body of the motor see if its hot to touch or warm which is what we want...yes on warm the problem is the relay board.....sending 115Vs on a heat call.....get the info off the board tell you a soucre:wink:


I can do this but maybe I don't have to, let me know if this means anything........when I suck on the vacuum tube to close the pressure switch, the inducer fan starts right up no problem. I left it running about 10 seconds and when I touched it, it was hot. Does that mean anything? Wouldn't it be normal for it to be hot where it's a motor and running so close to the flame? If that doesn't tell you anything then I'll try what you suggested.

Oh, also I replaced the control board yesterday with a brand new unit straight from a supplier. Model number in my first post.


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## JJboy

post some images, so we can show where are all parts


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## Deemar

The old control board, does it look burnt on the left side? Is that bad?










The new control board hooked up.


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## thestig3

If your meter has the ability to check amperage then do a check. Clamp around 1 of the motor leads. If you have any amperage greater than listed on the motor then motor is bad. Oh yeah all this while equipment is running or attempting to anyway.


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## Deemar

Where's the motor lead? Where it connects to the board?


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## thestig3

Yes the wire or wires from motor to the control board. Clamp around only one of those wires with the system energized. You should have something if the motor has voltage. By the way the discoloration on the board is common around resistors and capacitors. When they go bad they have burnt spots the pic didn't look all that bad.


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## biggles

so the motor runs with sucking on the PS but that isn't the sequence might be something thru the boars can somebody kick in that:huh: so the motor runs the pix is showing the atmospheric side of the unit basement temps no heat is rising there it all is going out with the ID presurizing the chamber.....so the motor was hot afttr 10 seconf soo hot you couldn't keep your hand on it?if so the motor is going off on internal thermal so it needs change out.call for the heat with the motor cool tell back if you get a sequence start to heat forget the readings and the meter might be worn bearings doe it spin free or does it brake after spin attempt....if the motor ran even with the PS tube trick the board is supplying 115V as should .....but maybe somebody can enlighten me on why it controls the ID should be the other way around


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## Deemar

biggles said:


> so the motor runs with sucking on the PS but that isn't the sequence might be something thru the boars can somebody kick in that:huh: so the motor runs the pix is showing the atmospheric side of the unit basement temps no heat is rising there it all is going out with the ID presurizing the chamber.....


Not really sure what all that means.....I guess?



biggles said:


> so the motor was hot afttr 10 seconf soo hot you couldn't keep your hand on it?


I'd have to fire it up again to see, want me to do that?




biggles said:


> if so the motor is going off on internal thermal so it needs change out


So the motor would be bad? Are you saying the motor needs replacing if it's too hot to touch?



biggles said:


> .call for the heat with the motor cool tell back if you get a sequence start to heat


I might be misunderstanding you but when I turn up the thermostat and make the call for heat, nothing happens. No clicks, no motor, no relays, no flame. Nothing. The only thing I do get is 4 blinks out of the light on the control board indicating "Control is in lockout due to air not circulating (overheated)." But this doesn't make any sense, the unit's cold from being off all night (even the breaker is flicked off in the wall panel), and it doesn't even attempt to start up. When I turn the furnace back on, I get these 4 blinks less than 1 second later. And it's not continuous, only once.

Also after about 10 seconds I get the 2 blink code from the furnace itself, telling me the pressure switch is open and it should be closed. Same thing that started this mess.




biggles said:


> forget the readings and the meter might be worn bearings doe it spin free or does it brake after spin attempt....


The inducer fan? Spins pretty freely if I stick a screwdriver in through the grille and flick it. I can tell it's not completely resistance free, it does slow down kind of half fast but it definitely doesn't come to a dead stop. It seems to me like it spins fine.

Thanks for continuing to help me out, sorry I'm having trouble understanding some of this.


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## bob22

Biggles, your messages (helpful) would be a lot easier to understand if you threw in a period now and then. They are no cost on my keyboard.


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## ben's plumbing

this may sound different but trace orange hose from pressure switch to draft inducer to small nipple take off hose and clean this port and start over see if works after you start system....pressure switch must reset after each cycle


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## Deemar

ben's plumbing said:


> this may sound different but trace orange hose from pressure switch to draft inducer to small nipple take off hose and clean this port and start over see if works after you start system....pressure switch must reset after each cycle


I read this on another forum so I already tried that and was looking around for something skinny to poke into the hole.....at my feet was a 12 inch piece of copper wire with the perfect diameter to fit in there. Obviously this has happened to the previous owners before I guess. So I stuck the wire in and it went in an inch. I pushed in and out as hard as I could while trying not to bend the wire and it now goes in about 2 inches before hitting something. I kept jamming it in and out as hard as I could but the wire kept bending so I assume that's as far as it'll go? 2 inches? Is that what you mean and did I do it right?


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## Doc Holliday

I don't think you can get around replacing the inducer motor.


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## JJboy

I think you need to measure all safety switches first

http://s3.pexsupply.com/manuals/1257434354611/18944_PROD_FILE.pdf


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## Deemar

Doc Holliday said:


> I don't think you can get around replacing the inducer motor.


Do you know for sure it's toast? How do I tell?



JJboy said:


> I think you need to measure all safety switches first
> 
> http://s3.pexsupply.com/manuals/1257434354611/18944_PROD_FILE.pdf


I got the physical copy of that here in my hands. What do you mean by measuring safety switches?


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> Do you know for sure it's toast? How do I tell?
> 
> 
> 
> I got the physical copy of that here in my hands. What do you mean by measuring safety switches?


The safety switches ( limit switch, roll-out ) are in series. If one switch is open, furnace won't start

Do you have multimeter? why did you replace controller board?


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> The safety switches ( limit switch, roll-out ) are in series. If one switch is open, furnace won't start


Yes, thank you....where are these?


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> Yes, thank you....where are these?


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## Deemar

I just checked Google to see what they look like, apparently the limit switch doesn't affect the lighting, only turns off the gas after a few seconds if they are open. I looked for a reset button on the roll out switch but I really don't think there is one. I see nothing that looks like a button resembling a nickle.

If you'll give me 10 minutes, I'm just uploading a video to YouTube. It shows everything.


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## JJboy

Sounds good, but to test these components are not that bad


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> Sounds good, but to test these components are not that bad


Thanks for hanging around and posting those pictures. The inducer connectors are nice and tight. The limit switch is in the ON position, I even flicked if off and on again. And the roll out is actually that thermal thing that hangs in front of the flame to tell the furnace if it lit or not. I cleaned that thing off last fall, that was the last issue I had, it was dirty and not reading right so the flame used to go out after a few seconds.

Here's the video I took, please help!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcSzvNU7HeU


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## JJboy

When you disconnect the pressure switch hose does the inducer motor run?


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> You need to close the door safety switch.


There's no safety switch for the top, only for the bottom which I have closed.


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> There's no safety switch for the top, only for the bottom which I have closed.


When you disconnect the pressure switch hose does the inducer motor run?


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> When you disconnect the pressure switch hose does the inducer motor run?


You mean disconnect it from the pressure switch side and see if it starts normally?

I disconnected the hose from both ends and turned the breaker back on. Nothing changed, same symptoms.


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> You mean disconnect it from the pressure switch side and see if it starts normally?


1. A call for heat
2. Inducer motor starts
3. Vacuum proves inducer motor ( close switch )
4 Igniter lights up/ simultaneously 24 v is sent to the gas valve and releases gas and furnace lights.
5. Flame rod proves flame to the board
6. Thermostat is satisfied/ blower runs as timed and cuts off.


The inducer motor should be the first thing to run.....If is not the problem should be.....controller boar, Inducer motor, or wires connections.

Do you see the inducer motor running when you made the furnace working


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> 1. A call for heat
> 2. Inducer motor starts
> 3. Vacuum proves inducer motor ( close switch )
> 4 Igniter lights up/ simultaneously 24 v is sent to the gas valve and releases gas and furnace lights.
> 5. Flame rod proves flame to the board
> 6. Thermostat is satisfied/ blower runs as timed and cuts off.
> 
> 
> The inducer motor should be the first thing to run.....If is not the problem should be.....controller boar, Inducer motor, or wires connections.
> 
> Do you see the inducer motor running when you made the furnace working


Yes, the blades were spinning just fine. When I shut it down, they came to a slow stop. The blades, that's what you mean right? Right where the vacuum tube is connected in the black frame.


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> Yes, the blades were spinning just fine. When I shut it down, they came to a slow stop. The blades, that's what you mean right? Right where the vacuum tube is connected in the black frame.



You need to use your multimeter in VAC and connect on the back of the inducer connector...( I think are Black/write wires). Let me know the voltage

The led code error you need to look at controller board. I think you are looking at at gas valve.


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> You need to use your multimeter in VAC and connect on the back of the inducer connector...( I think are Black/write wires). Let me know the voltage
> 
> The led code error you need to look at controller board. I think you are looking at at gas valve.


The black/white wires from the inducer fan are showing 122 volts while it's on. I let it run for about 2 minutes and I was wondering if it was hot so I tried to touch it.....WOW, this thing was scorching hot. I mean I touched it for barely a second and my finger's going to swell up, it's burning.

1 second after I turn the furnace on, the controller board flashes 4 lights, then gives me the heartbeat. They can't be an error code because it's literally 1 second after I turn the furnace on, it doesn't wait at all. And since I'm getting the heartbeat afterwards I assume there's no error code at all. However, 4 lights does correspond to an error in the manual: "Control is in lockout due to no air flow (overheated)" Again, how can it be overheated if I get this flashing 1 second after turning on the furnace?


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> The black/white wires from the inducer fan are showing 122 volts while it's on. I let it run for about 2 minutes and I was wondering if it was hot so I tried to touch it.....WOW, this thing was scorching hot. I mean I touched it for barely a second and my finger's going to swell up, it's burning.
> 
> 1 second after I turn the furnace on, the controller board flashes 4 lights, then gives me the heartbeat. They can't be an error code because it's literally 1 second after I turn the furnace on, it doesn't wait at all. And since I'm getting the heartbeat afterwards I assume there's no error code at all. However, 4 lights does correspond to an error in the manual: "Control is in lockout due to no air flow (overheated)" Again, how can it be overheated if I get this flashing 1 second after turning on the furnace?



You have to measure 120VAC even the inducer motor is not running. I do not want you do the trick to make the furnace work .... I'm trying to see if the controller is giving voltage to the inducer.

If there is 120V at the inducer connector.....the inducer is bad, you still can confirm this troubleshooting by measuring the resistence


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> You have to measure 120VAC even the inducer motor is not running. I do not want you do the trick to make the furnace work .... I'm trying to see if the controller is giving voltage to the inducer.
> 
> If there is 120V at the inducer connector.....the inducer is bad, you still can confirm this troubleshooting by measuring the resistence


It read 0 the whole time, no voltage at all. That was with letting the furnace try to start itself normally.


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> It read 0 the whole time, no voltage at all. That was with letting the furnace try to start itself normally.


Ok, there are two problems ... inducer motor hot when is running and controller board is not providing 120V to the inducer.

You already disconnected the wires from the pressure switch? still the same problem.....


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## Deemar

JJboy said:


> Ok, there are two problems ... inducer motor hot when is running and controller board is not providing 120V to the inducer.
> 
> You already disconnected the wires from the pressure switch? still the same problem.....


Yes, with wires disconnected from switch, same symptoms, nothing changed. Except then when I suck on the hose, I can't get the furnace to come on.

Any ideas why a (supposedly) functioning board and also a brand new board would not be sending 120 to the fan?

Please leave any additional information for me to see in the morning, I have to go to bed now, very late here. Thanks for helping me tonight.


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## JJboy

Ok, let me think more about this problem:thumbsup:


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## Patrick Eubanks

*motor*

for the love of all things holy, you got your answer 150 replies ago. Get a new inducer assembly, not just the motor. The visible blades turning from the rear have nothing to do with the impeller (air moving device).
If you have 120 volts going into the motor and its not running, its the motor


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## Doc Holliday

Patrick Eubanks said:


> for the love of all things holy, you got your answer 150 replies ago. Get a new inducer assembly, not just the motor. The visible blades turning:thumbup: from the rear have nothing to do with the impeller (air moving device).
> If you have 120 volts going into the motor and its not running, its the motor


:thumbup: i was thinking the same but didn't know how to say without being rude. Open, you're making this much more complicated than it needs to be.


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## Deemar

Patrick Eubanks said:


> for the love of all things holy, you got your answer 150 replies ago. Get a new inducer assembly, not just the motor. The visible blades turning from the rear have nothing to do with the impeller (air moving device).
> If you have 120 volts going into the motor and its not running, its the motor


At no point is there voltage going to the motor and the motor does not come on.


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## Doc Holliday

Deemar said:


> At no point is there voltage going to the motor and the motor does not come on.


 
Then how can you suck on the pressure switch hose and then have the inducer stay running?


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## Deemar

Doc Holliday said:


> Then how can you suck on the pressure switch hose and then have the inducer stay running?


When I suck on the hose, voltage is somehow sent to the inducer and keeps sending to it after I stop sucking. What I'm saying is anytime voltage is sent, the inducer comes on.


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## Doc Holliday

http://www.asi-heating-airconditioning.com/About_Furnace_Inducer.html

http://www.hvactechsupport.com/furnace-hotsurface-ignition.asp#Induced_Draft_Motor_Will_Not_Run

scroll down to draft inducer section.
http://arnoldservice.com/Troubleshooting_Heating_Problems.htm


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## Deemar

Doc Holliday said:


> http://www.asi-heating-airconditioning.com/About_Furnace_Inducer.html
> 
> http://www.hvactechsupport.com/furnace-hotsurface-ignition.asp#Induced_Draft_Motor_Will_Not_Run
> 
> scroll down to draft inducer section.
> http://arnoldservice.com/Troubleshooting_Heating_Problems.htm


I read through those, the only part I found odd was the first link:


> When a gas furnace heating unit has 24 volt power applied to the “W” terminal at the furnace and the negative side of the circuit is present ion the “C” terminal (usually this is wired to ground or some metal part) the unit will start the heating sequence.


Is this referring to the C in the thermostat wires? I have C G Y W R on the thermostat and the same on the control board. Nothing is wired to C on either of them. Should something be? It wasn't in the past and this was working last spring.

Also I put the multimeter on the W wire on my control board and it's getting 28 volts when I flip the breaker back on and it tries to start up. So voltage is going to the board from the thermostat, why wouldn't it be going from the board to the inducer?


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## Deemar

I found some more troubleshooting on Google which reads:



> Find the blower relay, one side of which is connected to the thermostat. Set a multimeter to the 50 volts AC range. Put one of the leads on the terminal labeled G - this is one of the blower wires. Put the other one on C which is one of the transformer terminals. Set the thermostat as high as it will go. The furnace should light, the meter should read about 24 volts, and the blower should start up in a few seconds. If not, replace the thermostat.


The furnace doesn't light, the meter reads 0 and the blower does not start up in a few seconds. I replaced the thermostat with a much cheaper, much simpler one that was also working previously (older one I used to use) but I still get the same symptoms. Nothing changed.



> Turn the power to the furnace off at the circuit breaker box. Set a multimeter to the ohmmeter setting. Put the leads on the relay's G and C terminals again. The readout should be 0 when you touch them and 1 when you separate them. If not, the relay is faulty. Label the wires so that you know where each one goes and then remove and replace the relay.


If it's talking about the thermostat wires on the control board (C G Y W R) then I tried this and it always reads 1, it never changes to 0. How do I change a relay? Where is it?


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## Doc Holliday

You do realize that all 115 volt motors you can simply wire straight to see if it comes on, don't you? Use the main power going to the furnace and wire it straight to the inducer blower motor, black to black and white to white. Cap the ground on the incoming, you don't need it for this test. Flip the breaker back on (obviously you need to turn the breaker to the furnce off before unwiring the furnace) and if the inducer motor comes on then we know it's not the inducer. 

We do this all the time, very helpful diagnostic "tool".


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## Deemar

Doc Holliday said:


> You do realize that all 115 volt motors you can simply wire straight to see if it comes on, don't you? Use the main power going to the furnace and wire it straight to the inducer blower motor, black to black and white to white. Cap the ground on the incoming, you don't need it for this test. Flip the breaker back on (obviously you need to turn the breaker to the furnce off before unwiring the furnace) and if the inducer motor comes on then we know it's not the inducer.
> 
> We do this all the time, very helpful diagnostic "tool".


Where's the wires for the main power going to the furnace? What do they look like?


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## Doc Holliday

Deemar said:


> Where's the wires for the main power going to the furnace? What do they look like?


Uh oh. 











It looks like electrical wire. The white rubber cased wire coming into the furnace on top, next to the metallic flex gas line to the left, is called romex. In that romex are the hot (black), neutral (white) and ground (bare) electrical wires. This romex electrical wire could be entering the furnace on top as in the pic of this system I worked on yesterday or it could be on the bottom. It could even come in through a side.

All you are doing by wiring it hot is bypassing all system control componentry, the control board and the stat, and giving it a straight feed to see if it comes on. All a control board does is send that same voltage to the inducer via the stat.

Btw, you may or may not have a light switch by your furnace where the wire comes from the electrical service panel and then through and then to the furnace, If you do then you can simply turn that off to kill the power to the furnce instead of the breaker but make certain it is the right switch first.


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## Deemar

Doc Holliday said:


> Uh oh.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It looks like electrical wire. The white rubber cased wire coming into the furnace on top, next to the metallic flex gas line to the left, is called romex. In that romex are the hot (black), neutral (white) and ground (bare) electrical wires. This romex electrical wire could be entering the furnace on top as in the pic of this system I worked on yesterday or it could be on the bottom. It could even come in through a side.
> 
> All you are doing by wiring it hot is bypassing all system control componentry, the control board and the stat, and giving it a straight feed to see if it comes on. All a control board does is send that same voltage to the inducer via the stat.
> 
> Btw, you may or may not have a light switch by your furnace where the wire comes from the electrical service panel and then through and then to the furnace, If you do then you can simply turn that off to kill the power to the furnce instead of the breaker but make certain it is the right switch first.


Cool, how do I access the wire? I don't want to strip the jacket back nor do any cutting. The other end seems to have a metal tab on it that plugs into the control board and wouldn't connect in any way with the motor wires. Do I need to insert a piece of wire between them?


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## Doc Holliday

You pull the service panels off of the furnace, the doors. The furnace itself will have it's own wires, connected to the control board, coming through the door switch, that the incoming romex will be wire nutted to. Most likely this connection will be in a box small metal box in the furnace. You disconnect those wire nuts and pull the wire over to the inducer motor which you'll have to unhook from the control board and possibly strip the terminals off of so as to wire nut them to the incoming main power wires. You may have to pull the incoming wires all the way out of the furnace so that they reach over to the inducer. Remember, the door switch and all will now be bypassed and the inducer will be controlled ONLY by way of breaker or light switch.

Just remove the doors and trace that wire down. You can't miss it, it'll stare you in the face.


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## Doc Holliday

Concerning a previously mentioned question concerning a wire on a common terminal, you do need one for cooling mode. It attaches directly to the outside condensing unit, but not for heating mode.

Now if you don't have cooling and only heating then this message will self destruct in five seconds.


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## JJboy

Doc Holliday said:


> Concerning a previously mentioned question concerning a wire on a common terminal, you do need one for cooling mode. It attaches directly to the outside condensing unit, but not for heating mode.
> 
> Now if you don't have cooling and only heating then this message will self destruct in five seconds.


LOL:thumbsup:


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## Deemar

Got someone coming to look at it Tuesday, can't come fast enough.


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## JJboy

Deemar said:


> Got someone coming to look at it Tuesday, can't come fast enough.


can't wait to see what was the issue.....inducer, pressure switch or controller board.:thumbsup:


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## Deemar

I will let you know for sure. I'm pretty sure it's not the inducer because anytime power is sent to it, it comes on. I'm pretty sure it's not the controller board because I swapped it with a new one and that did the same thing. I'm pretty sure the pressure switch is toast since I sucked on it pretty hard but that was after I started having this issue. I'm thinking it's the Honeywell Smart Valve because:

1. The board is getting power and the relay clicks like it's supposed to.
2. The board is sending out power on the inducer line (I think).
3. This wire goes into the Smart Valve which then sends it out to the inducer and also has a line going to the pressure switch.
4. There is no power going from the Smart Valve to the inducer unless the pressure switch opens, either with my mouth or by other means.


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## Doc Holliday

It sounds like the pressure switch is it.


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## Marty S.

Pressure switch proves the the inducer is running not the other way around. Sounds like a smartvalve problem to me.


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## Deemar

It was the pressure switch. The guys replaced it and it works fine now.

Service call: $130
Pressure switch: $150

Thanks everyone.


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## JJboy

strange how you could not identify the problem even after we talk about the test procedure.....I was very curious about this issue


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## Doc Holliday

Deemar said:


> It was the pressure switch. The guys replaced it and it works fine now.
> 
> Service call: $130
> Pressure switch: $150
> 
> Thanks everyone.


 
Glad to hear you got it fixed. Thanks for letting us know.


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## Deemar

It was working great so I paid the guys and they left and I turned it off again because it was kind of warm here all day. I'm going to bed and wanted to be warm when I woke up so I tried turning it on........no dice. It's doing the exact same thing again. They didn't fix anything, I'll have to get them back out here again.


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## Deemar

Okay, who wants an update?

The guy took a look at it and determined the old control board was toast and the new one is not compatible with my furnace. So I pulled out the manual for the control board and showed him how this new board is a direct replacement for the old board. Great.

So he kept working and told me it is likely the Smart Valve that is gone but without knowing if the control board is for sure compatible, he can't troubleshoot. I have to call the furnace company and ask them if it's compatible. No, I asked him to determine for me if the problem is from the board or from the Smart Valve.

So he kept working. He tells me because there is power coming from the control board to the Smart Valve but no power going from the Smart Valve to the inducer motor, the Smart Valve has to be gone. There's no way the inducer motor can turn on without power going to it, the board inside the Smart Valve must be gone. So he tried to bill me $130 for the service call since the previous issue was the pressure switch and the new issue is the Smart Valve. No, now I'm thinking my old pressure switch is still fine and it was the Smart Valve the whole time.

I mentioned to him if you blow into the pressure switch, everything comes on. He tells me this is impossible, he owns a furnace company and has never seen that (he's an older guy), it's not possible for the inducer to come on with no power going to it. So I showed him the video I took which I posted here and he was amazed, never seen anything like that.

So he kept working. He blew into the pressure switch, nothing happened. He blew and sucked, nothing happened. He blew and sucked really quickly and everything turned on, he was blown away that was actually possible, he had no idea why. Neither of us could make sense of it but he said he's 90% sure it must be the Smart Valve because that's the only thing wired to the pressure switch and the inducer motor.

He said it's close to $1000 for a new Smart Valve and he'll take off the $150 I paid for the pressure switch and he won't charge me for this service call.

Sound right?


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## Doc Holliday

Sounds dyslexic. 

I like the fact that he's going to deduct the cost of the switch, that sounds right.


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## Marty S.

Might want to shop around a bit. We're not cheap and a smart valve is about $300 installed. The valve and a manometer to set the gas pressure will run you around $150 with DIY labor.


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## JJboy

"he said he's 90% sure it must be the Smart Valve because that's the only thing wired to the pressure switch and the inducer motor."

I think smart valve controls igniter and flame sensor .... I haven't seen smart valve controls pressure switch and inducer yet........ What does the controller board control then?

Could you post the smart valve model#?


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## Marty S.

Smart valves power the inducer too JJ.


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## JJboy

Marty S. said:


> Smart valves power the inducer too JJ.


Cool, thanks:thumbsup:


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## Deemar

I need to call the manufacturer for my furnace to describe the symptoms and ask them if it can be the Smart Valve. Who do I call for a Ultra V Tech 80 furnace?


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## Marty S.

Deemar said:


> I need to call the manufacturer for my furnace to describe the symptoms and ask them if it can be the Smart Valve. Who do I call for a Ultra V Tech 80 furnace?


Ultra V tech 80 is not a brand. Might be armstrong but I'm not sure. If they take your call have the complete model and serial number handy. Honeywell made the gas valve, write down that model number too.

The on site tech already confirmed a call for heat and the valve was not sending power to the inducer right? Replace the valve already and get some heat on.


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## Deemar

Marty S. said:


> Ultra V tech 80 is not a brand. Might be armstrong but I'm not sure. If they take your call have the complete model and serial number handy. Honeywell made the gas valve, write down that model number too.
> 
> The on site tech already confirmed a call for heat and the valve was not sending power to the inducer right? Replace the valve already and get some heat on.


For $1000 I would like to be totally sure that is the poblem.


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## Marty S.

http://www.forwardthinking.honeywel...ion/universal_smart_valve/install/69_2014.pdf


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## Deemar

The guy just replaced the Smart Valve for $577 including all taxes and labour. Now it finally is working perfect.


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## Doc Holliday

Minus pressure switch?


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## Deemar

Doc Holliday said:


> Minus pressure switch?


No, it was over $700 originally and then he removed the cost of the pressure switch to make it $577.

Then as he was doing the invoice after it was all done he said, "Oh, I just remembered I didn't charge you the service fee last time so I have to add that, I need to make a living too, you know." So I again said no and explained the first guys that came out should have done this the first time, the 3 visits weren't required if it was done right the first time. He agreed and didn't charge me for the service call.

Problem is he doesn't work for the company I called, they subcontracted my job to him so he only gets the hourly pay from the company and no service call fee. So he did it for almost nothing I assume. I'm going to call the company Monday and explain that the first guys that came out should not have been paid anything and this guy should get the service charge I originally paid to them. I want him to get paid.....unless he ripped me off on the parts and labour which I have no idea about.


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