what parts to keep on hand for your furnace

Dan has been in the HVAC industry for 23 years with experience ranging from installation and service to sales and distribution.

Are You Prepared for Winter?

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Preparing for Winter Furnace Repairs

There'southward no getting effectually the fact that wintertime is on its mode. Though we have some time left before the snow flies, now is the fourth dimension to prepare for the utilise of our furnaces and the potential breakdowns that come up with them.

Getting away from the normal talk about changing furnace filters and preventative furnace maintenance, which is of course still of import, I've compiled a listing of a few cool gadgets and universal replacement parts that you lot maybe haven't heard of earlier. These items go across the typical bones tools for HVAC piece of work.

These are most useful to an HVAC service technician notwithstanding some could be found useful for homeowners to continue on paw and perform small-scale repairs for themselves. Specialized gadgets can make furnace repairs easier to perform for a technician while universal parts assist provide immediate service for homeowners without heat and reduce vehicle inventory.

Permit's take a wait at a few, shall we?

Furnace Door Switch Magnet Photo (The Old Switcheroo)

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Furnace Door Switch Magnet

This piffling guy is similar having a 3rd arm. If you've worked on HVAC units, you know that trying to work on a furnace or air handler while holding in the door switch for power can exist hard to say the least, often resorting in the use of electrical tape that won't hold or trying to exercise things with one hand that would exist much easier with two.

The tee shape is significant because at the meridian of the "T" is the magnet going beyond where it will stick to the furnace panel while y'all tin can turn the branch up or downwards to depress the button while yous run electrical tests to see what'south happening in the air handler or furnace.

For those who aren't familiar, the furnace door switch works similar to the light in your refrigerator except that instead of turning a low-cal on, it shuts the power downwards so you can't accidentally be injured while working on the unit.

Hands worth the few dollars to keep this stuck to the side of your toolbox the next time yous need an actress hand.

three-Amp Circuit Tester Photograph (LI'Fifty POPPER)

iii Amp Circuit Tester

Since I mentioned electrical excursion testing let'south take a look at a couple of items that can help with that also.

Often times when troubleshooting a furnace in that location is a short excursion involved. Though nosotros'd all like to find the source of the brusque on the kickoff attempt, that's not always the case and in the procedure of testing a service tech can blow more than than 1 3 amp fuse located on the circuit board while working out the problem.

This is of course a waste of fuses and can be frustrating if you should happen to only have i or two handy. Not anymore. This circuit testing gadget tin be plugged into the fuse slot on the board while running these tests and if it pops, tin can be reset until the problem is solved. Again, a fourth dimension and money saver for any HVAC technician that will quickly pay for itself in the toll of blown fuses.

Examples of Motor and Low Voltage Tester and Protection Devices

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Motor and Low Voltage Excursion Testers and Protection Devices

Equally the technology in the HVAC industry advances these types of diagnostic tools and circuit protection devices are becoming more useful everyday. More and more furnaces and air handling units are utilizing high tech blower motors with control modules than ever before and high tech control boards to run the show.

Tools and devices like these Zebra examples tin make testing and protecting these variable speed blowers, modules, and control boards a much less painful process. Especially testing since accessorizing an HVAC system has never offered more options than it does today and many of them are tied into the low voltage side of the organization for control then any help to make that easier is welcome.

While in that location is a whole other commodity that can exist written on how the circuit testers work and what they tin can practice, this is more of a professionals tool and a significant amount of base of operations knowledge would exist required prior to that so I won't be delving into that here. For you techs, merely know that this gives yous a mode to test and command low voltage circuits from 1 spot and more accurately diagnose motor failures vs. module failures with these ECM units.

Inline surge protection is much easier to explain however. These are basically fuses designed to fit the wiring connectors that feed the motors and boards to protect those components specifically. It's still not necessarily a device for homeowners to install themselves initially, just you lot could probably take your technician selection the right one for your unit of measurement and evidence you how to supervene upon it should it short out. Whether you're comfortable with that or prefer he come back if needed, you would save on higher parts and labor costs of repair.

Universal Hot Surface Igniters

Hot surface igniters are 1 of the most ordinarily failed parts in a furnace making these universal igniters a practiced find for homeowners and service techs alike. Trying to comport an igniter for every brand out in that location on a service truck is impossible for HVAC techs.

So finding a good universal role or 2 is of import to quick service in many cases. Nigh homeowners on the other paw can likely handle an igniter replacement and then finding one for your unit and keeping it on hand might not only mean getting the heat back on rapidly only too helps avoid costly after-hours service calls.

The couple examples I've provided here are of the more than popular styles considering of their commonality in mod units notwithstanding if you're a homeowner just remember, not even these can be used in every furnace. Inspect your particular parts design and voltage to be sure you don't have another failure.

These two here are a silicon carbide and are meant for 120V ignitions. The Glowfly is a good replacement for a simple ane screw mount, stick type igniter while the TrueStart is a bit larger "fork" fashion igniter that may be mounted in dissimilar ways depending on your unit.

That is why this particular replacement comes with various mounting brackets and fifty-fifty different wiring connectors as well equally wire basics in instance none of the connectors match. Many techs I piece of work with carry the True Start on their trucks because information technology is then mutual. I too have used them many times and even go along one on hand in my dwelling.

Universal Pressure level Switch

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Universal Pressure Switches

Another common furnace failure HVAC technicians see is in the pressure level switch. These sense that the furnace is venting properly past measuring negative force per unit area in the flue created by the inducer fan.

Again, there are so many different pressure switches a furnace tin can use it would be very cumbersome for service techs to bear them all. This type of universal furnace pressure level switch tin be set up to diverse pressure readings as well as handle single and two-stage units making it useable in just about any size or make of unit of measurement.

If you're a more than mechanically savvy homeowner who will read how to install and adjust this part to work for their specific unit, this is a repair you tin can probable handle however I stress that you exist comfortable in doing and then. If yous're not, please call a professional or you will simply create more bug and though not likely, a potentially dangerous situation.

High Speed Flare and Swaging Bit Set up

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High Speed Flaring and Swaging $.25

These new flare and swage bits are some of the best new gadgets I've seen for installers and technicians in the HVAC industry.

If you've ever had to flare or swage copper tubing you know how much of a hurting it tin can be at times, swaging in detail. Consider those days gone. Simply place one of these bits in the end of your drill and voila, swage in seconds.

The flaring $.25 are nice too merely are more than useful in some situations than others. You may want to stick to more traditional methods if you're working on a system that requires precision. The speed of the flaring tool can make it easier to warp or wave a flare that needs to exist perfect.

I know what y'all're thinking..."You said this article was for furnace repairs?". Well, if you've had to work on a heat pump system in the winter, you know there is the chance you lot'll be running into a situation where y'all'll exist hooking upwardly new units to erstwhile copper or vice-versa and if so, this volition exist a bully fix of bits to add to your collection. The all-time part is that y'all're right, you'll exist able to apply these all twelvemonth long so you're getting fifty-fifty more blindside for your cadet!

Stride Bit (Vari-Bit)

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Step Bits

Drilling the right-sized hole will never be easier. Whether it'due south heating or cooling flavour, there is about e'er the need to drill a pigsty in a unit for some reason or another. The e'er-changing globe of HVAC technology has created the demand for diverse sized holes in units to add things like the wiring for a humidifier or wiring for your smart devices that are run through your thermostat and much more.

This tool makes a nice, groomed, perfect diameter pigsty and one bit can ofttimes make half dozen dissimilar sized holes. Buy a set up of iii and you tin drill well-nigh any mutual size you need without carrying a twenty piece drill set and constantly changing bits.

Each "step" on this flake is a different size. Simply identify in the end of your drill, observe the step that equals the diameter of the hole y'all need, and begin to drill at what volition exist the center of that pigsty. The bit is "self-tapping" so a tremendous corporeality of force per unit area on the drill is not needed. It does its own piece of work with only a piffling effort on your part.

NOTE: This tool is not exclusively designed for HVAC and tin can have uses for all sorts of people for all sorts of projects.

Small heaters can put off a lot of heat in emergency situations. If your rut goes out and the repair tin can't be made that mean solar day, having one in your abode may merely go you through the night

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HVAC Preparations for Winter

I hope this commodity has been helpful and possibly turned you on to a tool or part that y'all weren't aware was on the market that tin can make your job easier and more efficient for both you and/or your customer.

In parting, I leave you with these few tips on preparing yourself and your HVAC system for wintertime.

• Brand sure your filters are changed or clean.
• Make sure your system is cleaned. If the blower compartment and wheel as well as the evaporator coil (if y'all take an A/C or heat pump) are clogged or starting to be, it will limit airflow and cause a great opportunity for parts to overheat and breakup.
• Burn down up your heating system before you demand it so that if in that location are issues, you have time to get them resolved without the high cost of emergency service calls and before it's -20 degrees outside
• Invest in a small space heater only in instance you exercise lose heat at some point
• Install a carbon monoxide detector. (Note: Identify them in the living area, non in the basement.)
• When all else fails, get under some blankets with your loved ones and bask each other's warmth and company!

Thank you for reading my article! We're all in this together!

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This article is accurate and true to the best of the author's cognition. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes just and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters.

© 2018 Dan Reed

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Source: https://dengarden.com/home-improvement/HVAC-Tools-Cool-Gadgets-and-Universal-Replacement-Parts

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