Rheem Furnace - Humming a Sad Electrical Tune

[sleepdog]

Was getting pretty cool in the house and the thermostat was reading 64 degF ambient, was set at 68 on heat. The tstat was switching on/off ok, I could hear it when I switched from heat to off, back to heat. With heat switch on, went down to the furnace to discover a rather loud electrical humming noise. This is new.

I took the top cover off to try to eyeball the source of the noise and seemed like it was coming from the exhaust fan, the first component actuated in the path of electrons flowing from the control board, so it seems.

So pondering this I flipped the emergency switch a couple of times over the course of a few minutes. The last time switching on the fan kicked in and the heat is blowing for now.

Question, would it be a relay sticking that controls the exhaust fan or the exhaust fan motor? The loud hum sounds like a stuck motor. It's a Rheem 80+ 5 ton unit and is almost five years old.

Thanks for any insight, Matt

[sleepdog]

Inducer probably, I think it's also connected to a 3" round exhaust line to the chimney.

Emergency switch - the red one on the outside of the furnace that cuts the house A/C power to the unit, no danger that I'm aware of.

Yes - a five ton furnace/blower motor, I think it sucks.

Bad motor... as long as it's normal... I'm Ok with that.

Thanks!

[webmaster]

You mean the inducer fan?

Emergency switch? LOL..ok... DANGER WILL ROBINSON!

Sorry...had to..

Normally, its that POS motor. never seen a 5 ton furnace before tho....seen a 5 ton AC.....

Seriously...the motors suck on all of them..any brand....not being able to see it, you described a bad motor...its normal...

[webmaster]

Thats your draft inducer..

I was making fun of the fact you called it an emergency switch... Its a form of service disconnect if its wired correctly.

No such thing. You have a 5 ton AC unit perhaps, but you dont have a 5 ton blower. You have a particular BTU furnace, that can handle particular tonnages of AC.

It is. Most of the Rheem/Ruud units we replace are actually due to either the cage rusting off, or the plastic housing cracking...a few are due to what you describe. Depending on the model of the furnace, you might be able to get just the motor, but normally, its an entire unit, and you have to buy the sealant in addition to the motor and housing assembly. Also, keep in mind that they are not cheap....even if you buy just the assembly, you can expect most of the time over $120 for it, or somewhere in that range....and thats a wholesale price for quite a few. Some are lower, some are much higher. Be glad its not an older Carrier unit...you get to replace the control board too when you replace to a newer motor.....another $90 to $150. Rheem/Ruud likes to change out the terminals on the motors...make sure that the motor you get matches exactly, or comes with the adaptor kit...or else you may find that simply trimmin a wire and new ends just wont work....depending on the ICB you have.

[stretch]

If the hum is present all the time the furnace has power it could be the transformer. If its just on a call for heat, probably the inducer motor.

Stretch

[Paulie Points]

Many's the time I've been mistaken, And many times confused; Yes, and I often felt forsaken, and certainly misused.

But I'm allright, I'm allright. I'm just weary to my bones

Still, you don't expect to bright and bon vivant, So far away from home, So far away from home.

And I don't know a soul who's not been battered, I don't have a friend that feels at ease.

I don't know that's not been shattered or driven to it's knees.

But it's allright, It's allright.

For we lived so well so long.

Still, when I think of the road were travelling on, I wonder what's gones wrong.

I can't help it.

I wonder what's gone wrong.

And I dreamed I was dying. I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly, and loking back down at me, smiled reassuringly.

And I dreamed I was flying. And high up above, my eyes could clearly see The Statue of Liberty Sailing away to sea.

And I dreamed I was flying.

Oh, we come on the ship they call the Mayflower; We come on the ship that sailed the moon.

We come in the ages most uncertain hours, and sing a sad electrical Rheem furnace tune.

Oh, but it's allright, it's allright. You can't be forever blessed.

Still tomorrows gonna be another working day - And I'm trying to get some rest.

That's all I'm trying, is to get some rest.

Fucking furnace.

[sleepdog]

It's just humming on the heat call, no hum if I turn the t-stat off

Thanks!

[sleepdog]

Actually the furnace/blower can go up to 3000 cfm, the condenser box is a 4 ton enclosure with a 3 ton condensor inside of it

The setup is wacky, but when I purchased the units/install I didn't know anything about hvac or curb estimates. Home is 1200 sq. ft. and the blower was way oversized. So I'd be happy to junk the blower. I think the condensor and coil combo are fine.

Matt

[sleepdog]

If I post the mode/serial number would you be able to advise on whether or not I need a new blower or can get a spare inducer?

I'm really tempted to junk the blower, but was curious if this thing can be salvaged or not. Otherwise I can always make some phone calls, just thougth I'd ask.

Thanks!

[webmaster]

Yup.

[gofish]

I would say that if he has a five ton condenser and a 5 ton ac coil, in all likelihood he has a five ton blower as well, ie a blower wheel and motor combination that will move approx 2000 cfm.

[webmaster]

Chris..is a berring, like a herring, or did you again mean BEARING?

Humm....Bearings in an inducer....interesting concept...most use bronze inserts....a couple have rollers...a couple use balls on the rear of the shaft...

Now...on that note...how many do you see with a bad START capacitor? Newer units, that would interesting..as they DONT HAVE ONE.

Please..if you dont know, and you dont....dont be handing out the info that you think you know.

[webmaster]

Actually....wrong again.

An inducer runs to to induce draft. While its true it runs only when there is a call for heat, it does not run FOR heat. It runs so that a draft is induced in the heat exchanger...

Techinically, it would run only while there is a call for heat to the unit. On many Rheem/Ruud units in question, it will run after the call for heat is over, until the ICB shuts the blower off after the call is over.

[Stormin Mormon]

Inducer motor runs only for heat.

[Stormin Mormon]

At this point, I'm thinking dried berrings or perhaps a bad run capacitor. For the inducer blower.

Yes, inducer blower motors are replacable.

[HvacTech2]

Hi [e-mail], hope you are having a nice day

On 17-Apr-05 At About 01:35:55, [e-mail] wrote to All Subject: Re: Rheem Furnace - Humming a Sad Electrical Tune

S> From: " [e-mail]" S>

S> "Stormin Mormon" wrote in S> message news:Vxt8e.2750$ [e-mail]... >> Inducer motor runs only for heat.

S> Actually....wrong again.

S> An inducer runs to to induce draft. While its true it runs only when S> there is a call for heat, it does not run FOR heat. It runs so that S> a draft is induced in the heat exchanger...

S> Techinically, it would run only while there is a call for heat to the S> unit. On many Rheem/Ruud units in question, it will run after the S> call for heat is over, until the ICB shuts the blower off after the S> call is over.

Now steve, don't go confusing him with pre and post purge :)

-=> HvacTech2

[TURTLE]

" [e-mail]" wrote in message news:ezu8e.729$ [e-mail]...

This is Turtle.

First your making a cheap shots at Stormy by way of being technically speaking in your words. He is Dead right in the common language spoke in the HVAC business but with your twisting of the words you can call him wrong. I really don't know if he should be here or not but maybe you can blackmail him like Paul tried to do to me.

Secondly I looked up at the name of the newsgroup and say alt.home.repair which is for everybody that is on the internet and not like alt.hvac which paul has brought it to the knees by wanting only the ones he wants there posting. Is the alt.home.repair your group that you want to control like Paul controls alt.hvac ?

Thirdly Well this is just nothing but a thought of when you want to put someone down. Don't do it with material that other sees as nothing to speak of and you speak of it. A Smart man would laugh at you but a dumb fellow would cheer you. Stormy make plenty of blunders and just wait for them and not try to make up a blunder from nothing.

TURTLE

[TURTLE]

" [e-mail]" wrote in message news:mwu8e.728$ [e-mail]...

This is Turtle.

Paul Started out just like this getting rid of who he did not want in the newsgroup --- Good or Bad.

TURTLE

[sleepdog]

Hello Steve,

Just getting my ducks in order over here... it's a Rheem Criterion II, model# RGPH-12EARJR. The inducer motor is a Jakel, Inc.

Everything seems to be working for now, but probably just a matter of time until it fails entirely. Options will be 1) replace inducer or 2) replace furnace.

If I have to replace the furnace my conundrum is do I replace the already way oversized 120,000 BTU unit with the right sized unit of

60,000 to 75,000 BTU unit, or replace it with another oversized unit in anticipation of an addition being planned for next year. I have one heating season to go before I can do a load calc on the "new" home to figure the right size. It would be ideal is this unit could hold out until next year. Then it would make a nice dust collector in a wood shop.

Thanks!

[webmaster]

I am not Paul.

I defended you for a time, out of pity, and out of respect for someone that befriended you.

Now, explain to me how someone like Chris, that would like for everyone that reads his bs, to think hes in the trade, when you yourself have blasted him in the past.

Terry...or should I call you Charles? since in your own words, if I call you Charles, I dont know you at all....and all I know about you right now, is that you are now on nothing but a "I hate everyone that ever liked Paul" crusade.

Chris is a hack. Chris is a danger to those that might follow, and Chris is a danger to himself. It might not be rocket science, but Chris isnt past thermodynamics 101, 9th grade edition.

I left alt.hvac....other than a few crossposts, and wont be back till you kiddies calm down, if at all. I took a good hard look and said, now, what would everyone think of this?

I know now...

Terry...dont start with me...its a fight you wont win, because there isnt anything to win. Dont look as retarded as the rest....even if you spell that way.

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