Rheem Natural Gas Furnace Problems

[NegroTundra]

Hi all. New here, hoping for some help, as it's getting COLD out there! Have a Rheem Criterion Furnace Model # RGDG-075AUER with a Honeywell gas valve model # VR8200H 1004. It is a standing pilot system and while the pilot light is lit and remains lit, the main burners will not ignite. I am very green to this stuff, so bear with me.

Things I've noted:

-Last winter towards the end of the season I noticed the burners seemed to turn on and off a lot while the blower was running, before the thermostat was satisfied.

-After I disconnect/reconnect power to the furnace, the main burners will sometimes light. When this happens, I hear a *click* from the gas valve. However, the burners only stay lit for a few minutes before shutting off. Most of the time they don't light and I do not hear this *click*.

Ive done as much research as I can, and I'm thinking ignition control module or gas valve. However, I cant even find an ICM on this unit, and really don't want to just throw a gas valve in there since they are expensive and installation seems a bit tedious. ANY help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[paul52446m]

Natural Gas Furnace Problems

Hi all. New here, hoping for some help, as it's getting COLD out there! Have a Rheem Criterion Furnace Model # RGDG-075AUER with a Honeywell gas valve model # VR8200H 1004. It is a standing pilot system and while the pilot light is lit and remains lit, the main burners will not ignite. I am very gree to this stuff, so bear with me.

Things I've noted:

-Last winter towards the end of the season I noticed the burners seemed to turn on and off a lot while the blower was running.

-After I disconnect power to the furnace, the main burners will sometimes light. When this happens, I hear a *click* from the gas valve. However, the burners only stay lit for a few minutes before shutting off.

Ive done as much research as I can, and I'm thinking ignition control module or gas valve. However, I cant even find a ICM on this unit, and really don't want to just throw a gas valve in there since they are expensive and installation seems a bit tedious. ANY help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

to start with make sure your pilot is burning blue and clean. Make sure
the flame is not lifting off the pilot burner head. In that pilot you have a flame rod, that looks like a nail. Take the flame rod out and clean it with some emery cloth. Now with every thing clean try firing it and tell me what it does?
Make sure the wire is fastened to the flame rod. . It would help to have some
pic. of your pilot and controls. Paul.
paulm989@hotmail.com

[NegroTundra]

The flame rod is the part that is the final terminal extension of the thermocoupler, right? I have cleaned this already, as that was the first thing advised to me by a coworker. Yes, the pilot appears blue and clean. I will get pics soon.

Of note, I just removed the lower access panel on the furnace to look at the control board to make sure all the solders on the board looked good. I didnt notice anything awry. I then noticed the lower panel has a safety device on it such that the panel must be in place for the furnace to work (the main blower is behind there so this seems fitting). I'm thinking this may also act as a reset button? I tried firing it up after I depressed this button and voila, she's fired up again and has been going for 10 minutes now (at least the house is up to 61 now!).

I also noticed the gas valve operates at 24V when the main burners are on. Otherwise it reads 0. I don't expect this small miracle to last...pics soon.

[paul52446m]

Natural Gas Furnace Problems

The flame rod is the part that is the final terminal extension of the thermocoupler, right? I have cleaned this already, as that was the first thing advised to me by a coworker. Yes, the pilot appears blue and clean. I will get pics soon.

Of note, I just removed the lower access panel on the furnace to look at the control board to make sure all the solders on the board looked good. I didnt notice anything awry. I then noticed the lower panel has a safety device on it such that the panel must be in place for the furnace to work (the main blower is behind there so this seems fitting). I'm thinking this may also act as a reset button? I tried firing it up after I depressed this button and voila, she's fired up again and has been going for 10 minutes now (at least the house is up to 61 now!).

I also noticed the gas valve operates at 24V when the main burners are on. Otherwise it reads 0. I don't expect this small miracle to last...pics soon.

Sometimes it is a simple thing that makes a furnace mess up. If that door switch is lose it can make and break like that. Paul

[NegroTundra]

Tried to get close ups of the pilot system but camera wasn't cooperating so much. Thanks for any help.

[NegroTundra]

Sometimes it is a simple thing that makes a furnace mess up. If that door switch is lose it can make and break like that. Paul

Hmm I wish. It didnt last long. And I just tried "resetting" it again and no burner ignition this time. I think its noteworthy that my voltmeter is showing 0 when the burners should be on. Thoughts? And thanks for your quick responses!

[paul52446m]

Rheem Natural Gas Furnace Problems

Hmm I wish. It didnt last long. And I just tried "resetting" it again and no burner ignition this time. I think its noteworthy that my voltmeter is showing 0 when the burners should be on. Thoughts? And thanks for your quick responses!

now that i have seen your pic. we will go through the order of things when you have a call for heat. First thing that happens is the little inducer fan starts, then the pressure switch on the left has to make, then the gas valve is powered.
How many wires are on that pressure switch?
You have that little switch on top of the burners with a red button on it Sometimes those little switches get bad points in them. When she won't start wiggle those wires This little switch and the limit switch just above it in the furnace have to be made before anything can happen.. Paul

[NegroTundra]

now that i have seen your pic. we will go through the order of things when you have a call for heat. First thing that happens is the little inducer fan starts, then the pressure switch on the left has to make, then the gas valve is powered.
How many wires are on that pressure switch?
You have that little switch on top of the burners with a red button on it Sometimes those little switches get bad points in them. When she won't start wiggle those wires This little switch and the limit switch just above it in the furnace have to be made before anything can happen.. Paul

Yes draft blower always starts up first.
Please advise as to where my pressure switch is. You say on the left...
Not sure what "little switch on top of the burners" you refer to. If its the one that you can see in the broad picture (pic 1) with two wires going to it, I am assuming thats a heat sensor (to tell the blower to come on after the furnace is to a certain temperature).

Lastly, where and what is my limit switch?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm handy at everything but HVAC, haha.

[paul52446m]

Rheem Natural Gas Furnace Problems

Yes draft blower always starts up first.
Please advise as to where my pressure switch is. You say on the left...
Not sure what "little switch on top of the burners" you refer to. If its the one that you can see in the broad picture (pic 1) with two wires going to it, I am assuming thats a heat sensor (to tell the blower to come on after the furnace is to a certain temperature).

Lastly, where and what is my limit switch?
Sorry for all the questions, I'm handy at everything but HVAC, haha.

Pic 001 pressure switch is bottom left under inducer, rd silver about 3"rd.
"little switch on top of the burners, pic.001 between the two black pipes has two red wires on it. this is a roll out limit switch in case the flame rolls out the front. The main blower comes on from a electronic board in the blower compartment. . Show me a pic. of this board in the blower area. Paul

[ge01734]

Additional Info

Pic 001 pressure switch is bottom left under inducer, rd silver about 3"rd.
"little switch on top of the burners, pic.001 between the two black pipes has two red wires on it. this is a roll out limit switch in case the flame rolls out the front. The main blower comes on from a electronic board in the blower compartment. . Show me a pic. of this board in the blower area. Paul

Hi,

I too have the same Rheem system. I read the part number on the board and mine shows a part number of 47-22827-03. It crosses to another number, but it looks the same as the one that I have. It can be found at the the following website:

Oops, because of the these rules I can't mention the website to get the control board.

I have a similar problem but I can control the burner light-off by simply pressing in and pulling out on the large white main plug at the bottom of the board.

Paul, Can you tell me which pins in that large square plug (blue or Purple) would be the power to the gas valve? When I press in on the valve it makes or breaks something. So I'm thinking that if I turn the system on, the inducer draft motor runs, but I don't hear the gas valve click, and I check power out of the board to the valve and it is there, it is definitely a control board. Would that be a safe assumption?

Thanks

[paul52446m]

Rheem Natural Gas Furnace Problems

Additional Info
Hi,

I too have the same Rheem system. I read the part number on the board and mine shows a part number of 47-22827-03. It crosses to another number, but it looks the same as the one that I have. It can be found at the the following website:

Oops, because of the these rules I can't mention the website to get the control board.

I have a similar problem but I can control the burner light-off by simply pressing in and pulling out on the large white main plug at the bottom of the board.

Paul, Can you tell me which pins in that large square plug (blue or Purple) would be the power to the gas valve? When I press in on the valve it makes or breaks something. So I'm thinking that if I turn the system on, the inducer draft motor runs, but I don't hear the gas valve click, and I check power out of the board to the valve and it is there, it is definitely a control board. Would that be a safe assumption?

Thanks

I can't see how many wires are on that gas valve., but if power only goes to gas valve one time, and on a call for heat you get 24 volts to the valve then the board is doing it job. How many wires are on that valve?
Some valves have to have 24 volts going to them all the time. I would have to see you wiring diagram to tell. Paul

[ge01734]

Rheem Natural Gas Furnace Problems

Hi Paul,

Thanks for responding.

The Main Gas Valve has a blue wire and a jumper wire going to one side of the valve and a yellow wire going to the other side of the valve. The jumper wire is coming from one side of the NPC switch. I've broken each wire down in the plug and where they go to in the following paragraph.

There are nine wires going to P1. Pin 6 is ground (black), pin 1 is pwr supply (white), Pins 2 and 9 go to the induction draft motor, Pin 4 (red) goes through the Main limit control, rollout control, and vent safety control switches and connects to pin 5 (red). Pin 3 (purple) goes through the Heat Assisted Limit Control (HALC) (DOWNFLOW ONLY) switch to one side of the Negative Pressure Control switch (NPC). Pin 8 (blue) goes to one side of the Main Gas Valve along with a jumper wire (brown) which goes to the other side of the NPC switch. Pin 7 (yellow) goes through the closed contact of the HALC switch to the other side of the Main Gas valve.

The schematic I am looking at came in book form with the furnace and it shows one schematic for North America (mine) and one for Canada. It shows two nine pin connectors (P1, P2). P1 plugs into P2 which appears to be stationary on the board. I unplugged P1 from the P2 and checked for loose/burnt pins but didn't see any.

I tried to locate the drawing number (90-22885-01), but to no avail.


Thanks for the help.

Don

[paul52446m]

Rheem Natural Gas Furnace Problems

Hi Paul,

Thanks for responding.

The Main Gas Valve has a blue wire and a jumper wire going to one side of the valve and a yellow wire going to the other side of the valve. The jumper wire is coming from one side of the NPC switch. I've broken each wire down in the plug and where they go to in the following paragraph.

There are nine wires going to P1. Pin 6 is ground (black), pin 1 is pwr supply (white), Pins 2 and 9 go to the induction draft motor, Pin 4 (red) goes through the Main limit control, rollout control, and vent safety control switches and connects to pin 5 (red). Pin 3 (purple) goes through the Heat Assisted Limit Control (HALC) (DOWNFLOW ONLY) switch to one side of the Negative Pressure Control switch (NPC). Pin 8 (blue) goes to one side of the Main Gas Valve along with a jumper wire (brown) which goes to the other side of the NPC switch. Pin 7 (yellow) goes through the closed contact of the HALC switch to the other side of the Main Gas valve.

The schematic I am looking at came in book form with the furnace and it shows one schematic for North America (mine) and one for Canada. It shows two nine pin connectors (P1, P2). P1 plugs into P2 which appears to be stationary on the board. I unplugged P1 from the P2 and checked for loose/burnt pins but didn't see any.

I tried to locate the drawing number (90-22885-01), but to no avail.


Thanks for the help.

Don

I work on too many units, i can't follow all that with out a wiring diagram. Paul

[ge01734]

Understood. Thanks anyway.

[ge01734]

I work on too many units, i can't follow all that with out a wiring diagram. Paul

Paul, I have a picture now. How do I upload it to the post?

Thanks.