# Electric Furnace problem



## kriswoodzmeg (Jul 27, 2010)

I have an electric furnace in my doublewide and I just noticed that it was having trouble going off today. I went off but it hesitated. It would go off, on,off,on, before it went off. I was wondering if it might be the thermastat? Any help would be appreciated.


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

It could be either the thermostat or the main contacter inside the furnace. I'd look at the thermostat first.


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## paisanol69 (Sep 7, 2005)

kriswoodzmeg said:


> I have an electric furnace in my doublewide and I just noticed that it was having trouble going off today. I went off but it hesitated. It would go off, on,off,on, before it went off. I was wondering if it might be the thermastat? Any help would be appreciated.


...and welcome to the TSG website!

You will need to add a few details concerning your furnace.

It appears that you may live in the U.S. ( the term doublewide) so I am curious as to why your furnace is even coming on at this time of year?

Also, if you can, give a model/make of the furnace, and the thermostat.

Best of luck, and once more..Welcome !


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## kriswoodzmeg (Jul 27, 2010)

My heat pump is a miller and the furnace is a Norydne. The themostat is not digital it is an older brown looking type. Not sure the brand name of it. I do live in America in Virginia and it is so hot here. My furnace runs alot for a/c. I am thinking of ordering me one of the digital thermostats but was just wondering if this might fix my problem, too. I heard they save you alot of money. Anyone have anymore help I would appreciate it. Thanks


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

You said electric furnace, but now say heat pump. Huge difference; they are not at all the same thing. And why would you have a heat pump with a furnace? I would expect conventional air conditioning set up. Cheaper, more reliable, longer lived, and avoids redundant capacity.

Probably the problem is a bouncing contact in the thermostat, but could also be hanging contacter in the furnace for the blower.


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## kriswoodzmeg (Jul 27, 2010)

I have a heat pump for a/c and a furnace for heat. I think it is the thermostat is loose. you can touch it and it moves. My husband is going to level it and tighting up the screws. I think that is it. We are going to try that.


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## paisanol69 (Sep 7, 2005)

kriswoodzmeg said:


> I have a heat pump for a/c and a furnace for heat. I think it is the thermostat is loose. you can touch it and it moves. My husband is going to level it and tighting up the screws. I think that is it. We are going to try that.


......will be a very good start towards fixing your problem.

One word of warning, if/when you do purchase a new, digital thermostat, you will need to know absolutely, the brand of your old thermostat, if you are planning on installing the new one yourself. Heat Pump/central heating/cooling systems can become a bit difficult to upgrade, if you do not have all the information on the individual components available to you beforehand.

I would recommend having a qualified installer put in your new thermostat, if you are not real sure of what you are doing, since this will be a really rotten time of year, to have to go without your cooling system.

below is a link to an old thread/post here at TSG, which may help you to understand a few of the problems you might encounter while changing out a thermostat on a heat pump/central heating system. We eventually got this members system working, but it took a while, and covered the same problems you will probably encounter, so it is definately worth a read!

Good Luck, and please let us know how it turns out for you, or if you need further help!
http://forums.techguy.org/do-yourself-projects/828410-solved-ac-programable-thermostat.html


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## paisanol69 (Sep 7, 2005)

jiml8 said:


> You said electric furnace, but now say heat pump. Huge difference; they are not at all the same thing. *And why would you have a heat pump with a furnace*? I would expect conventional air conditioning set up. Cheaper, more reliable, longer lived, and avoids redundant capacity.
> 
> Probably the problem is a bouncing contact in the thermostat, but could also be hanging contacter in the furnace for the blower.


...future reference, a heat pump can/will cool as well as heat a home.

As far as being cheaper, that depends entirely on where you live, with regards to the average ambient temp, the cost of locally supplied electricity, and the mean average of the below ground temperature. In most cases, it is cheaper to utilize a heat pump/ central heating/cooling system, than to use an air conditioner, central heating system, in the south, anyway!


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

paisanol69 said:


> ...future reference, a heat pump can/will cool as well as heat a home.


Don't be obtuse. That knowledge is quite evident in my response.



> As far as being cheaper, that depends entirely on where you live, with regards to the average ambient temp, the cost of locally supplied electricity, and the mean average of the below ground temperature. In most cases, it is cheaper to utilize a heat pump/ central heating/cooling system, than to use an air conditioner, central heating system, in the south, anyway!


Evidence?

Cost has to include cost of purchasing/installing/servicing heat pump, not merely cost of energy. Heat pumps are more complex than air conditioners, have more failure modes than an AC, last fewer years than an AC, and have a replacement cost that is typically about double that of an air conditioner. In the north, I have seen many air conditioners go 30 years and 20 years is typical. I have seldom seen a heat pump go more than 10-11 years. In the south, air conditioners will go 15 years anyway and heat pumps are still 10 or so.

Further, in common usage the "emergency heat" (which is an auxiliary resistive heat electric furnace) is considered part of the heat pump and would not ordinarily be referred to as a separate entity. And, in conditions where it is cold enough that the emergency heat is needed, the cost of the heat pump system skyrockets past any other type of furnace. And, I would submit, in any climate where it gets cold enough that the emergency heat would often be needed, a heat pump is a seriously sub-optimal solution for heating based upon both cost and efficacy.

OP's usage suggests separate furnace with heat pump deployed as AC. In this case, the devil is in the details, but I would be truly amazed if it can be shown that over the lifecycle the cost of running a heat pump as an AC is less than the cost of a conventional AC.

In the south, heat pumps often make economic sense because heating is seldom needed and, when it is needed the need is minimal, and the ambient temps never (or almost never) get outside the efficient range of a heat pump. Hence, only one system need be deployed, rather than deploying a separate heating system as well.

Oh, and before we go any further, I guess I should tell you that I'm fully certified to service air conditioners and heat pumps. I used to own hundreds of 'em myself.


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## jiml8 (Jul 3, 2005)

kriswoodzmeg said:


> I have a heat pump for a/c and a furnace for heat. I think it is the thermostat is loose. you can touch it and it moves. My husband is going to level it and tighting up the screws. I think that is it. We are going to try that.


Yeah, that's almost certainly the problem.


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