Gas Furnace - what parts to stock for emergencies?

[enottleson]

What parts are good to keep on hand for a gas furnace? I have 2 Trane/ American Standard gas furnaces in the basement, about 7 years old. I just replaced the pressure switches, and the ignitor on one of them (went bad at 6 PM on New Year's Eve...). So today I am ordering a spare ignitor, as it will fit either furnace and I DON'T want to pay another $500 emergency call-out for such a simple part. So what else should I keep on hand? I.e., what items have a fair- chance of total failure, can be installed by a DIY-er, and aren't extremely expensive? In my experience, pressure switches are pretty inexpensive, but they can be cleaned / blown out, so you have time to order a new one after they start going bad.

If you reply, I would greatly appreciate it if you could also respond directly to my email address. Thanks in advance, - Erik [e-mail]

[DerbyDad03]

However many parts you buy to keep on hand, it'll be the one you

*don't* have that will break on a freezing cold holiday weekend.

[HeyBub]

Or have an alternate heat source - the oven or clothes dryer, wood for the fireplace; $50 for a night at the motel.

[hallerb]

50 bucks for a nite at a hotel doesnt prevent frozen water sewer and toilets:(

[N8N]

Ignitor and flame sensor would be the two I'd stock. Had the same experience as you the first winter I was in my new house; was willing to pay to get it fixed right away as it went bad just as I was about to go to bed one evening, but I couldn't get a single service guy to even bother to come out (unless I had a service contract with the company, *then* they'd send someone out.) It was cold enough that I had the oven running and was also moving an electric oil-filled heater between the upstairs and the basement because I was worried that the pipes would freeze. Next morning I bought *TWO* ignitors (one to fix it, one for stock) but have not bothered to get a flame sensor yet. Probably should, as Murphy says that when it goes it will be at the least opportune time.

nate

[Big_Jake]

You'd have to have a pretty extreme climate to have the toilets freeze in 24-48 hours after the furnace craps out.

For less than $100, you could buy 3-4 cheap electric heaters, which should give you 12-24 hours (maybe more) of emergency heat.

To the OP, if you had 2 furnaces, than at least one was working at

6:00 PM on NYE. I guess you and I are really different people, but I could tolerate cold in 1/2 my house for 36 hours if it meant paying $500 for a holiday service call. Am I missing something here?

JK

[Too_Many_Tools]

Ignitor, pressure switches, blower motor, motor capacitor, thermostat.

Control board if you can justify the cost.

Bear in mind that just the basics help.

Also note that an alternative heat source is really the key...and one that will kick in automatically with you not being there.

TMT

[sligoNoSPAMjoe]

It is just not reasonable to cover all possibilities. I do keep an old vent-less gas heater. I can hook it up in short order if needed and it can provide enough emergency heat to prevent any serious issues. If the gas goes out, I have a few electric heaters that can do likewise therefore I would need both gas and electric to go out before I would have a problem.

[clare]

Just buy a third furnace and keep it "in case" That way you will have one of every part that could go bad. Replace the part at your convenience for "the next time".

[Stormin Mormon]

Let me know when you get up to the monkeys flying out of your butt (grin here). There is only just so much you can do to prepare. You're ahead of 98% of the US population, in terms of preparations. After a while, it's over kill.

[Slightly Graying Wolf]

I read this earlier today, but did not think much of it until about 2:30 this afternoon when I noticed it was getting a little chilly and went to check the thermostat. Thermostat was calling for heat but the furnace was off. It didn't take long to figure out I needed a new igniter. The problem was locating one on a snowy Saturday afternoon. After calling about 20 different companies, I finally located one about 30 minutes away.

I guess some of the smaller companies are still closed for the holidays. Several said they were out of the part, I think that was code for - "If you think I am going out in this weather you are nuts!" The prospect of having to get all the way to Monday without a furnace was a little scary. We do have a gas fire place, wood fire place, and an electric heater, so we probably would have been fine. I came close to buying and extra igniter today so that I would have an extra here if needed. I will probably pick one up in a few years (along with a flame sensor)...

Does anyone have an idea of how long the igniter (glow type) usually last? We have only lived in this house for 3 years and before that it has always been electric heat?

John

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Ignitor for sure.

[hallerb]

if the outside temperature is 20 degrees, a full heat off would freeze this place fast.

at 30 degrees it drops over 2 degrees a hour

24 hours equals near a 50 degree drop

[hallerb]

I have some 20 pound bottles of propane and I think a 30,000 BTU bullet heater.

with my emergency generator the power and gas could both fail:( yet we wouldnt freeze

[Nate Nagel]

I was just looking through receipts the other day so I can tell you at least my experiences. In my house the furnace was installed in 1994, the ignitor was replaced in 2005, and then again by Yours Truly in 2007. Those are the only receipts that I have for furnace work. I'm a bit surprised that the one ignitor apparently lasted less than two years; I wonder if it was damaged before install and/or left up against a piece of metal?

nate

[Too_Many_Tools]

In the past my first ignitor died after 15 years of service...and on the day before I would have left for travel for two weeks..during subzero weather.

Now living in an area where the climate is above zero and the furnace is rarely used, I still carry an ignitor on hand. ;

[Slightly Graying Wolf]

Its possible the installer touched the element, I was warned not to touch anything but the ceramic base as this would reduce the life expectancy.

[Slightly Graying Wolf]

I concur, personally I have a weather station that allows me to set dozens of alarms for both internal and external conditions. I have set only two; high humidity indoors; and if the indoor temp drops below 10 degrees Celsius.

[Rudy]

Thermocouple

[The Daring Dufas]

A while back I was at one of the HVAC supply houses when I saw some literature on a heavy duty long lasting igniter.

TDD