problems with our furnace gas valve and pilot solonoid

karyn

Hi, I had posted in a different thread about how our Carrier Weathermaker 8000 wasn't working.

I replaced the igniter as it had white on it and my husband replaced the circuit board. (It was old enough where it did not have the led signals). We still did not have heat. The other day, we had a service guy come out and he said it was the gas valve that wasn't working. He tried to remove it but it is stuck to the manifold and cannot be removed. Told us $1100 for a new furnace, which we do not have. (also, I guess he only has an old valve and that the gas valve that is in our furnace is hard to find)

Can anyone suggest how to remove this valve without damaging the furnance? We live in Michigan and it is cold here. I can handle it but have 11 yr old twins that I want to keep warm.

Thanks in advance! Karyn

how

Post a photo of the gas valve on the manifold. I've never seen a gas valve that could not be removed with the studious placement of two well positioned pipe wrenches to prevent stressing the manifold. Extensions on the wrenches will provide what ever extra torque is needed. The worst that could happen (& I 've never seen it) is that he's right and you will need a new furnace if that manifold breaks and isn't available BUT Do not use that gas fitter to do the work.
Somebody just wants to sell you a furnace.
You might want to check what his evidence is that the gas valve is faulty?
A common sign would be that that you know you have gas, you measure 24Volts at the gas valve when the igniter is hot and the valve isn't opening.

yuri

I agree. All valves can be removed.
Does the igniter glow red when it starts its sequence. If not then we can backtrack from there. Don`t let this guy back in.

Post a picture of the valve, does not have a pilot solenoid on all the weathermakers I see, the older SX units have, but that is the old 3 wire pilot burner setup.

__________________
"Cut it twice and it is still too short".
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

ben's plumbing

yes picture please....ALL gas valves that I have ever seen in 37yrs can be replaced....agree don't let him back in..also ask for your money back..ben sr

karyn

Here is what the service guy said was stuck. Jim said that he watched the guy and they could not get it off.

Jim said that yes, the igniter does glow, he does smell gas when it turns on but the pilot is not lighting. In order for the furnace to flame up, he needs to bang this with a wrench.

oh and the guy did not charge for a service call when he came out. I did ask my husband why we do not get another guy out and he said that he did see the guy, as well as himself, try to remove this piece and believes the guy is telling the truth.

whatever. I just want heat like a normal person. Thanks for any help!

Attached Thumbnails

 

JJboy

Maybe he's talking about "gas valve is stuck closed" If this is the case, you need to replace the gas valve.

__________________

**Always kill the power ** Hot air rises, but heat will always move from higher to lower temperatures. ** Real man shoot in manual. ** If it ain't grounded, it ain't dead.

Marty S.

Sometimes they're a bear. Just got home from one that wouldn't budge with pipe wrenches. Some well placed heat broke the bond though.

yuri

Very rare that they cannot be removed but it is possible. The threads may have been slightly too large from the manufacturing process and or they did not put enough pipe dope on and the soft metal of the valve is seized to the burner manifold. I have had those valves develop intermittent sticking problems after 13-15 yrs so it may be true. Got nothing to lose if it breaks and I would want to make sure Carrier has the manifold in stock before he really torques on it. Whacking any gas valve is VERY dangerous as it may now be not opening properly or supplying enough gas pressure and you can get a serious dangerous case of delayed ignition. Get it repaired or if it was my unit I would buy a new furnace as the heat exchangers fail a lot on those. Get cracks in the dimples by the limit control and the circuit boards had problems with bad solder joints also. Could be a money pit to repair IMO.

__________________
"Cut it twice and it is still too short".
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

ben's plumbing

that type of valve assy needs to be removed from burnner assy because they are very tight ...4-screws---2 on left ---2 on right.. remove piping and valve at same time take to vise remove valve install new valve reinstall to burner assy ...done...ben sr