We have heard of several incidents where Sun City residents have been charged outrageous amounts to repair furnaces and air conditioners. In one case one of the Woodchucks checked on a neighbor’s furnace after a repairman told her the furnace was shot and needed to be replaced. He found a wire in the furnace disconnected, something that only could have been done by the unscrupulous repairman.
The furnaces in Sun City homes have a diagnostic indicator built in to them. They do a self diagnosis, and when a problem is discovered, it informs by a series of flashes of the diagnostic indicator light. To see what these codes mean remove the front panel of your furnace by pulling up and then out. On the back of this panel is a list of the meaning of the flashes.
Diagnostic indicator light codes
LED on constant: replace control
Rapid flashing: low flame sense signal
1 flash: lockout caused by flame sensed
2 flashes: Pressure switch stuck closed
3 flashes: Pressure switch stuck open
4 flashes-High Aux / spill limit switch open
5 flashes-Rollout switch open/rollout sensed
6 flashes-Lockout caused by pressure switch
7 flashes: Lockout caused by no ignition
8 flashes: Lockout caused by loss of flame
9 flashes: 115V power leads reversed
11 flashes: replace control
If you see one of these codes flashing, you can Google that code to get more information on what is involved with the repair. Many of these searches will take you to a YouTube video that will show you how the repair is done. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DO THESE REPAIRS YOURSELF. After you have read the diagnostic indicator and searched the repair on the Internet, you should tell the repairman, for example, that you are seeing 3 flashes indicating that the pressure switch is stuck open. After you tell him that you know what the problem is, he will be less likely to mess with you by telling you some major part is defective.
There certainly are some unscrupulous or incompetent repair people working but there are many excellent repair people; you just need to find them. You should ask your neighbors who have had repair work done who they would recommend. Picking a repairman blindly for a major system like your heating or air conditioning can be very expensive and even dangerous.
If you have suggestions for future tips or have questions about maintenance around your home submit them to ask.the.woodchucks@gmail.com.
