Perfect timing.

[Pb2au]

It is currently 3 degrees above 0, and the ignitor on furnace decided to commit suicide. It is also a quarter to 1 in the morning, so Grainger isn't open for a little while yet.
I'm really not complaining, I engaged the trusty kerosene heater and he is doing a fine job. And that poor ignitor probably has 2 zillion cycles on it.
But the lesson I have learned is that when I go and buy the replacement, I will buy an extra.....

[geargnasher]

Rule #1: If you depend on it, have a spare or a plan "B". Well, except for wimmens. :wink:

Gear

[southpaw]

My plan B requires the help of a trusty friend to stop by and put another log on the fire.

Now that you will have 2 igniters it will be something else next time. Never fails. Its always what you don't have/can't get or what you aren't expecting. But it sounds like your plan B is working.

Jerry Jr.

[762 shooter]

Two is one. One is none.

762

[btroj]

Rule #1: If you depend on it, have a spare or a plan "B". Well, except for wimmens. :wink:

Gear

You don't keep a spare wimmen on hand? Mrs Gnasher doesn't approve of preparedness? Will, I suppose that means a spare dude too. Yeah, no spare wimmen.

[crowbuster]

Wow,i must be the only one that has breakdowns on holidays or long weekends. Im lucky that way.

[Pb2au]

I checked with Mrs. Pb, and she said that having a back up wife probably would cause some problems. Upon consideration, I think she is correct. One is enough.

I got the ignitor, plus one extra, slapped it into the core and brought the whole shebang back online. So I have rejoined civilization. My cats were pretty irritated last night due to the lack of heat. But they have fur, so they had to tough it out. My wife does not have fur (thankfully), so she had to bundle up for the evening.

[CastingFool]

FWIW, I recently had problems with my furnace not cycling properly when the weather got so cold around here. I could start it by simply turning off the power switch, then back on. then it would cycle properly, and we'd be ok for a while. The whole operation was erratic, some days it would be fine, and then it would act up. A friend suggested I clean the flame sensor. did that, didn't seem to help. Replaced sensor, didn't help either. Then we had some warmer days and no problems at all. I was beginning to think it had to do with either the gas valve or the circuit board. Colder weather returned, as well as the erratic cycling. Finally realized the problem is that we run on propane. LP pressure at the tank can vary from 200psi in the summer to about 10-15 psi in the winter. At those low pressures, there is not enough propane going to the furnace, the unit senses this and shuts down. So, all in all, the unit was working exactly as it was designed. It was a worrysome situation, but I learned a whole lot about our furnace, and didn't cost me a lot of money. I figure this information may be helpful to someone else.

[geargnasher]

Build a fire under the propane tank? :kidding:

Gear

[RogerDat]

+1 on buying a spare. That part won't be what fails next time BUT that is because you have a spare. Otherwise part will keep failing until you break down and buy two. Only rains on camping trips if someone forgets poncho or rain fly for the tent. Known fact.

[Duckiller]

Only problem with a spare is where do you store it. Small spare parts regularly disappear, never to be found when you need it and appear in groups of three or four when you do a major garage cleaning. Perhaps a better solution would be to get a good estimate of how long starters are supposed to last. Write down when you are within a year or two replacing and get a new one and replace it in the middle of summer when you don't need the furnace quite so much.

[Pb2au]

I duct taped the box with the igniter in it to the access cover of the furnace. So unless the darn thing explodes, I should be good.
For sure the next thing to start under achieving will be the flame sensor, might as well get one of those too. I replaced the main blower motor last year. Why? Because I sort of murdered it by accident when I was cleaning the A coil. Long story, with a stupid ending. We shall never speak of this again.....

[C.F.Plinker]

Can you put it in a ziplock bag and store it next to the furnace filters?

[foesgth]

Only problem with a spare is where do you store it. Small spare parts regularly disappear, never to be found when you need it and appear in groups of three or four when you do a major garage cleaning. Perhaps a better solution would be to get a good estimate of how long starters are supposed to last. Write down when you are within a year or two replacing and get a new one and replace it in the middle of summer when you don't need the furnace quite so much.

I find that the extra one always does show up. Right after I give up looking and go buy another.

[Blacksmith]

If you can kill main blowers you should try your hand at the thread that refuses to die.

[smokeywolf]

Within financial practicality, I like to have a backup of most devices and gizmos that, if they fail, cause much discomfort and consternation. Because of that, the Mrs. and I are musing that when we move to our ranch/hobby farm, redundancy of certain items and appliances might be a worthwhile investment. We're looking to include a second kitchen stove, a wood fired cook stove. And, in addition to a whole house furnace, a wood fired heat stove in the family room.
Hopefully, as we study and research our move (escape) from Kali to rural America we'll be better prepared and make fewer mistakes in settling in and adjusting to a more self regulated (as apposed to government regulated), self sustaining life.

smokeywolf

[JeffinNZ]

Rule #1: If you depend on it, have a spare or a plan "B". Well, except for wimmens. :wink:

Gear

As the SEALs say, "one is none, two is one".

When it cold at home dad would have us sit round a candle to stay warm. When it got really cold, he'd light it.......

Have you tried rubbing to boy scouts together? Isn't that how you start a fire?

[lancem]

I swear that the high efficiency furnace I put in years ago in my last house cost me way more than the savings with all the **** that went out on it over the years. Igniters, computers, valves, switches, and sensors. Every year after about the third it was something and it usually happened at Christmas, usually Christmas eve or day, whichever would be most inconvenient. Glad that furnaces are pretty much a thing of the past for me...

[tomme boy]

Them flame sensors can be a real pain. If it doesn't get the right flame position on it, they will not heat up enough and cause a shutdown. Been there done that. Replaced the computer a couple times. Replaced the little vacuum sensors.

[Pb2au]

I swear that the high efficiency furnace I put in years ago in my last house cost me way more than the savings with all the **** that went out on it over the years. Igniters, computers, valves, switches, and sensors. Every year after about the third it was something and it usually happened at Christmas, usually Christmas eve or day, whichever would be most inconvenient. Glad that furnaces are pretty much a thing of the past for me...

The furnace is around 16 years old. No computer, just the relay box that handles the order of operation to bring the unit on line. At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, I prefer to have it that way. Simple simple simple. I agree that the furnaces nowadays are pretty clever inventions that are indeed pretty efficient at converting dinosaurs into heat, but it comes at a cost. They have evolved into a complex machine that is by and large beyond the common homeowner to repair.
The company I work for is a supplier of machinery to pretty much all of the major HVAC manufacturers here in the states and a large portion of foreign producers as well. I have been in most of the plants for Trane, Aaon, and Rheem. They have all gone to a more sophisticated design platform.
The funny thing is that one of my co-workers yesterday told me that I should just replace the entire furnace. I asked him why and his reply was that it was old and had broken........ So for a 45$ repair, I should spend a jillion bucks.

[10x]

My sympathy.

I had a furnace failure on a Christmas Eve several years back. The pilot light would not stay lit. We had spent the evening at my inlaws and the temperature was -35F so we came home to a rapidly cooling house. I took the thermocouple out of the furnace in my tent trailer and by 2:00 am Christmas morning I had heat again.
I can not put into words what it is like to work with metal bare handed and remove a thermocouple in the dark, laying on the cold floor of a tent trailer with about 18" of head room at -35F.

[popper]

They have evolved into a complex machine that is by and large beyond the common homeowner to repair.
Yup, just like autos.