uh oh...heat's buggered?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

so my heat keeps dropped 4 or 5 degrees below the thermostat setting before it comes on or I convince it to come on.

I'm worried one of these times it won't come on at all.

Anyone know about this stuff? Is it likely an issue with the furnace or the thermostat?

The furnace has a blinking light that's supposed to tell me error messages. It's blinking normal. But i don't know hoe 'smart' that system is.

I don't want to call a furnace guy just yet because...well frankly because I'm sure they won't walk in my house without intended to replace some $500 part come hell or high water. And if it's just the thermostats I can replace that I'm sure.

Anyone have this issue before?

[ricosuave]

normal or programmable thermostat? how new of furnace?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

programmable, though we don't use that feature. It's pretty standard builder issued.

The furnace is ~6 years old.

[ricosuave]

maybe try programming some sort of setpoint in and running it? checking to see if the time is set OK? making sure the batteries are fresh? and the wires behind it are tight?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Jeez I didn't even know it had batteries.

ok, tried all that. checked the connections etc. The heats on now. If it stays on I'm set.

Thanks for the help.

[ricosuave]

no problem. you can also go online with the make and model number and find the website - sometimes they have troubleshooting tips

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

hmmm. no dice. the heat's still tanking.

How do I know if it's the thermostat or the furnace?

(it seems to be the thermostats since it just doesn't kick in as it should, but what do i know)

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

hmmm. no dice. the heat's still tanking.

How do I know if it's the thermostat or the furnace?

(it seems to be the thermostats since it just doesn't kick in as it should, but what do i know)

Buy a new one? How many wires are coming out of the wall?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

3 wires. Green, black and red.

[ricosuave]

i think home depot and superstore and some others have cheap ones for like $20 each - may be worth it to try another one?

i had one that was at the end of its life, started to act flaky too - replaced it, and havent had a problem in 3-4 yrs

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

turns out is was the thermocoupler in the furnace. Had a 'dead spot'. Worked sometimes, not others.

I got a great tip to basically arc the current inside the thermostat, using a pair of pliers to touch the two leads. That bypasses the brains of the thermostat and just flips the switch.

If it works, the thermostat is dead. If not, the furnace is not firing.

Turned out to be correct for me, so I thought I'd pass it along.

Oh, and a chilly saturday service call for a $20 part and 4 mins of time costs $285. Beat's freezing.

Thanks all for the help.