carbon monoxide detectors usa image
Tim J
Its a York about 30years old
Answer
If you are in the USA most gas utility companies will come out and help to re-light gas furnaces. They would rather know that the appliance is safe than risk having you do it yourself. You might call them and ask.
If you don't have one follow the other poster's advice and install a carbon monoxide detector too. That is wise advice and they can be found at a home center store for about $20.00 and since they run on batteries it is a simple installation.
Electronic ignition furnace pilot goes out when starting up?
so11eks
I have a natural gas wall furnace in my apartment. The pilot is electronically ignited so there is no standing pilot. When the thermostat calls for heat, the pilot turns on, blows really big, then goes out. It is then relit a moment later and the process repeats itself for several minutes before the main burner finally starts up. It has always done this since we moved in, but I never realized until I opened it up and looked at it that it was actually relighting the pilot over and over. Surely this can't be safe with the danger of CO or methane build up, right? What may be causing this problem? Thermocouple? Something more serious? Also, once in awhile I smell gas very faintly, surely this is the cause? I have both a CO detector and explosive gas detector and neither have gone off thus far, but this worries me.
Should I call my gas company or the landlord? The landlord seems pretty cheap about wanting to get things repaired, so would I be better off calling the gas company and letting them "red tag" the furnace for being un-safe? Do you think this problem would warrant them doing that? If so, this would force the landlord to repair it, yes?
Sorry, lot of questions, but I could really use some help...
You sure its not a safety issue? I am smelling faint gas once in awhile, like when first walking into the house I sometimes smell a faint gas smell. Also when I put my nose down by the furnace I can smell gas when the pilot blows really big. Is this to be expected?
I'm thinking if it is not a safety issue I'll probably have more trouble getting the landlord to fix it, as I'm sure he's probably aware that it does this.
Thank you for the detailed answer, thewrangler. It is vented through the roof. It's a Williams top vent model wall furnace, the kind that is installed in an interior wall and heats both sides. The pilot problem has been happening since I moved in almost 2 years ago, however I don't remember smelling gas as often before as I am now. I'm worried about that as well as CO. Should I still be smelling faint gas when I walk in even though the unit is vented?
It's not a mom and pop business, they have quite a few units, property manager, some employees, etc, but they have very cheap apartments and seem reluctant to repair things. My heater stopped working a few months back and the property manager came over and messed with the wires and got it to work while I was at work. My gf asked him about how it takes forever to start up and he didn't say much. I'm just trying to get as much info as I can so I can convince him to send a professional over and not just one of the apt. employees..
Answer
Better Questions Yield Better Answers.
There's a lot of detail you've failed to provide here.
Brand and model number of the furnace, how long its been operating like this, etc.
If this is a ventless wall unit, it is normal to notice some odor when entering the dwelling after it has been shut up for a bit.
From your description, it sounds as if the unit is not as efficient as it should be. This could be something as simple as repositioning the pilot, or replacing a regulator, or sensor.
There will be more carbon monoxide produced during the normal 'heating' phase of operation, than from the temporary pilot light. If your CO alarm does not trigger during the normal 'burn' then there won't be enough CO generated by the temporary pilot light itself to be a problem.
Obviously, we do not know your landlord. I believe though, that you should give him/her the opportunity to deal with this in a reasonable fashion. Most landlords are 'mom and pop' businesses, where they've invested their life savings in a property, and they just don't have the cash flow to spend willy nilly. In many cases, the bank loan payment is barely covered by the rent collected. Suffer a tenant or two that damages the property, or fails to make payments, and they could be in a real financial bind. I'm not a landlord, by the way, and yes, I've rented all my life, until purchasing the home I'm in now.
In most states (USA), if a landlord fails to respond in a reasonable time frame, the tenant can schedule a service repair themselves, and pay for it, out of their own pocket, and then deduct that bill from their rent. I've used this method myself to encourage slow landlords to respond faster the next time I called, hehehe. If there's nothing wrong with the unit, though, then you're out the expense. My advice would be to call the landlord, documenting the call and their response. If this were an immediate safety hazard, like a gas leak, I'd say you should shut off the gas, and vacate the premises, then call the gas company, and landlord. I don't think that's the case here, from your description. So give the landlord a chance to schedule a service provider to check the unit. Be reasonable - it may take a few days for the service provider to get you into their schedule, if they are busy. The landlord should at least be able to tell you a service call has been arranged.
Follow up any phone calls/contacts with your landlord in writing.
(A Thank You would be nice, if they respond quickly).
Good Luck
Additional:
Okidokey - with the addtional information of brand, and style, I can offer the following -
A link to the manufacturer's website -
http://e-wfc.com/
Where you can contact them directly with questions about the unit, locate contractors, or even look at the service/owner's manuals.
Also - with the information that this has apparently gotten worse over a 2 year period, then I'd say it is probably time for a 'tune-up', by someone familiar with the unit. It may need a good cleaning, or to have a sensor replaced, etc.
Anytime a furnace has a vent through the roof, there is another item to consider, and that is the vent stack itself (on the roof) - I doubt it's the problem here, but it needs to be mentioned. If the stack is too short, you can get a situation where wind will cause a backdraft down the vent, actually forcing exhaust gases back into the dwelling space, or with quick short bursts of wind, a pilot light can be blown out. Again, it sounds more like your situation has to do with the unit itself, and not the vent stack. I have seen cases though, where a vent stack was damaged by a falling limb, or a storm, and when it was repaired, it was not done correctly, and caused problems later.
Since your rental property is large enough to have a property manager, I'd suggest you put your request in writing, telling them your concerns about the pilot going out, and the apparent increase in odor. Ask specifically for a qualified factory trained service technician to look at the unit (that will mean hiring an HVAC service to come out, and not the property staff). I strongly suspect that when the last person who came out to 'work' on the unit failed to answer questions - it was because they did not know the answer - they were just fiddling with the unit to see if they could get it to work, lol, but did not want to appear as if they did not know what they were doing.
IF the property management fails to act in a timely manner, you may want to take matters into your own hands, and contact a service provider to check the unit out. Then send the bill to the property management. (You can find service contractors in your area in that link above)
Good Luck
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