Electric Furnace Help
December 2, 2004 8:42 PM Subscribe
Electric Furnace Help My parents' furnace began acting funny tonight. (More Inside...)
When we power it up, we hear a fan turning slowly and the lights on the thermostat flicker. It sounds like the fan is trying to get started but it never does get going. In addition, the lights and fans in each bathroom flicker dimly, like in a brown-out. However, when we turn off the furnace, we have no power in the bathrooms whatsoever. I seems that the furnace and bathrooms are on the same circuit. I checked the circuit breakers and no switches were flipped. I reset the main breakers for the house and no change. My parents' home was built in 1982 and the furnace and A/C are handled by the same system. It is an electric furnace with a fan/pump unit located outside of teh house. The outside unit was replaced a few years ago. I think it may be a General Electric. The thermostat is a GE Weathertron, but I'm not sure if that is the make and model of the furnace.
Google is not giving me any results other than electrician referrals. Any tips what our problem could be? (Note: I promise not to mess with any wires or risk injury or fire based on advice given me here.)
Oh, now it seems that one of the bedrooms is also without power.
When we power it up, we hear a fan turning slowly and the lights on the thermostat flicker. It sounds like the fan is trying to get started but it never does get going. In addition, the lights and fans in each bathroom flicker dimly, like in a brown-out. However, when we turn off the furnace, we have no power in the bathrooms whatsoever. I seems that the furnace and bathrooms are on the same circuit. I checked the circuit breakers and no switches were flipped. I reset the main breakers for the house and no change. My parents' home was built in 1982 and the furnace and A/C are handled by the same system. It is an electric furnace with a fan/pump unit located outside of teh house. The outside unit was replaced a few years ago. I think it may be a General Electric. The thermostat is a GE Weathertron, but I'm not sure if that is the make and model of the furnace.
Google is not giving me any results other than electrician referrals. Any tips what our problem could be? (Note: I promise not to mess with any wires or risk injury or fire based on advice given me here.)
Oh, now it seems that one of the bedrooms is also without power.
Response by poster: Err...well we have turned off the furnace, of course, and will call the utility tomorrow. My parents came home and told me that when something similar happened over a year ago, (similar but affecting different parts of the house) the power compay came and fixed something on the side of the house near the meter.
Should I turn off the breaker switch labeled "Heat" just to be safe?
posted by mds35 at 9:14 PM on December 2, 2004
Should I turn off the breaker switch labeled "Heat" just to be safe?
posted by mds35 at 9:14 PM on December 2, 2004
If nothing else in your house is dimming or flickering, and if you've tried replacing the bulb, it's almost undoubtedly the switch. Turn off the current to that circuit, and replace it as your first step. If it's not the switch, then most likely it's the socket.
Both things are easily replaced - just be sure you shut off the power! You are turning off the correct breaker switch when the light goes out.
posted by jasper411 at 10:35 PM on December 2, 2004
Both things are easily replaced - just be sure you shut off the power! You are turning off the correct breaker switch when the light goes out.
posted by jasper411 at 10:35 PM on December 2, 2004
Response by poster: Turns out everything was fine. The problem was with something outside of the house. The next day, the power company came and dug up the yard to fix it.
posted by mds35 at 7:21 AM on November 30, 2005
posted by mds35 at 7:21 AM on November 30, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Keyser Soze at 8:45 PM on December 2, 2004