Who can I trust???

[Tinkerin_wit_tools]

I remember last year when I had the same issue and called three different local companies to check out my furnace. I am sure everyone has had this issue: it is now fall and the nights are growing cooler/colder. Time to get the furnace working, but the pilot light won't go on. I have tried all the same tricks I tried last year, did research online including forums and youtube, yet cannot troubleshoot. Anyway, last year, the first place I called came out and barely took a minute or two to even look inside the panel and told me that he recommends a whole new system due to it being as old as it is. Paid 100 bucks for that; nice! Next tech( and I use the term loosely) actually did look inside for a few minutes and did actually do some testing with a multimeter, but the same was told to me. This only cost $50; what the hell, people! Last one, after getting advice from someone about a part to check/maybe change, actually came out and recommended the same thing, but never showed the next day with the part! Guy stiffed me! Got a hold of a friend of a friend of a friend, whose neighbor does a little work.......you get the idea, told me to check a couple of things. Ordered a part online, I believe it was called a vacuum switch, and it perked right up and started blowing nice, comfy heat. Now, it will not light again for the start of the season, and have been up to the thermostat, down to the breaker box and underneath to try the furnace, over and over, in all combinations. I do not want, nor can I afford to have a completely new system installed, so what do I do? Tired of calling HVAC "salespeople" and no technicians showing up. I am getting uncomfortably cold at night and am out of ideas. Who can I call? Who can I trust? I live in the Northwest GA area.

[HayZee518]

can you supply me with a schematic diagram? go buy a cheap multimeter if you don't already have one. I'll look through the diagram and give you ideas to check.
the thermostat is just a switch, nothing really complicated with it. a flame rod is a flame detector. it will shut down the burner if no flame. do you have a standing pilot?

[Tinkerin_wit_tools]

can you supply me with a schematic diagram? go buy a cheap multimeter if you don't already have one. I'll look through the diagram and give you ideas to check.
the thermostat is just a switch, nothing really complicated with it. a flame rod is a flame detector. it will shut down the burner if no flame. do you have a standing pilot?

I do have a decent multimeter, I just don't know what to check and what settings to use. I am completely ignorant on using it outside any kind of automotive testing. I don't know if I am unable to find a schematic, but would a make and model do? The specs aren't with me, but I can get them for you later today and post tomorrow if need be. Do know that it is a Goodman, though. Flame rod? Is that the same as the thermocouple? I believe that from what I found on that, that it is a good idea to disconnect and clean it. Have already done that. As far as the pilot light, I wish it was the same as the one I have on my hot water heater (another story), but it just has an "On" and Off" to turn the knob to. The water heater has a "Pilot" on the knob so I can physically hear if gas is flowing and the pilot needs to be lit. From what my wife researched the other night, she looked up one video which talked about the blinking light on the board and what that may mean. The only thing that came up from that research is that it blinks three times real fast, which from what the webpage mentions is Diagnostic Mode. Maybe that can help you diagnose my issue.
I appreciate your response and will do what I can. Fortunately, it will go into memory bank, but no matter what I do to fix anything on the car or house, something new always pops up at the most inopportune moment that I have never encountered before which makes it that much harder for me to try and troubleshoot.

[HayZee518]

If you know how to use the multimeter with automotive, you're halfway there. A lot of people don't even know how to turn the thing on!
For voltage AC go to a range one step higher than what you think you are going to measure, same with DC - only difference is AC has no polarity, DC does.
Amperage - most meters limit you to 10 amps max and increments lower than 10. Amps are measured in series with the load.
Resistance or continuity for you will be R times 1. Any other value R X 10, R X 100, R X 1000, R X 100MEG. are purily for electronics measurement of resistance or impedance [also measured in ohms]
A standard Honeywell or Robert-Shaw thermostat uses a bi-metallic switch or a mercury switch in the Honeywell.
Electronic will use a relay or a magnetic reed switch.
Induced fan and exhaust duct will use a sail switch, normally open unless an air flow is detected, then it closes.
High limit switch is normally closed and opens when its limit is reached, May be mechanical and physically opens a set of contacts or a bi-metal which springs open under high heat. [automatic reset]
get me the model and any other numbers you can find. I'll see what I can find.

[Tinkerin_wit_tools]

If you know how to use the multimeter with automotive, you're halfway there. A lot of people don't even know how to turn the thing on!
For voltage AC go to a range one step higher than what you think you are going to measure, same with DC - only difference is AC has no polarity, DC does.
Amperage - most meters limit you to 10 amps max and increments lower than 10. Amps are measured in series with the load.
Resistance or continuity for you will be R times 1. Any other value R X 10, R X 100, R X 1000, R X 100MEG. are purily for electronics measurement of resistance or impedance [also measured in ohms]
A standard Honeywell or Robert-Shaw thermostat uses a bi-metallic switch or a mercury switch in the Honeywell.
Electronic will use a relay or a magnetic reed switch.
Induced fan and exhaust duct will use a sail switch, normally open unless an air flow is detected, then it closes.
High limit switch is normally closed and opens when its limit is reached, May be mechanical and physically opens a set of contacts or a bi-metal which springs open under high heat. [automatic reset]
get me the model and any other numbers you can find. I'll see what I can find.

Here is what I wrote up on the Goodman:
Model GMPN060-3
Power Supply of 115 Volt 1PH 60 Hz
Heat input of 60,000 BTU
Output of 54,300
Temp Rise of 35-65


Hope that is enough to at least get this thing rolling. I appreciate this help more than you know.

[HayZee518]

I typed in your model number into google search and found a youtube video that should help you. It is at:

Gas furnace won't stay lit. cleaning the flame rod - YouTube

Please take a look at it.

[Tinkerin_wit_tools]

I typed in your model number into google search and found a youtube video that should help you. It is at:

Gas furnace won't stay lit. cleaning the flame rod - YouTube

Please take a look at it.

Will be out of town until next week and take a look at it then. I appreciate your time and help and will keep you posted. At least where I will be going
will have HEAT, so I am not going to worry about it until I get back.

[Tinkerin_wit_tools]

I typed in your model number into google search and found a youtube video that should help you. It is at:

Gas furnace won't stay lit. cleaning the flame rod - YouTube

Please take a look at it.

Cleaned and re-installed. Tested with NO luck! I wish it would have been that easy.
What should I do next? Have been trying to ask people around work that know a friend of a friend,
and so far, no luck on that either. Maybe if there are some youtube videos that I can look into, any recommendations
are very appreciated. Already looked and did some of what I found in some of those videos if it doesn't light, but looks like
now is the time to test and get into the nitty-gritty of parts and possible replacement(just assuming).

[HayZee518]

If you had the schematic it would have been much easier to give you an idea what to look for. So, we'll be shooting in the dark!
If there is an exhaust blower, check for a set of normally closed contacts when blower is operating - air proving switch. looks like an aluminum pancake with tubes running out of it to the stack and two wires on it.
Next is a high limit - this would be on the plenum somewhere and would be normally closed when furnace is operating = opens on high temp.
Rollout switches - has to do with the burner
Flamerod you already know about.
Gas pressure pressure switch - detects gas pressure
Inline glow heater - glows when calling for a start - mounted near gas tube
The remainder has to do with temperature and circulating fan.

[Tinkerin_wit_tools]

If you had the schematic it would have been much easier to give you an idea what to look for. So, we'll be shooting in the dark!
If there is an exhaust blower, check for a set of normally closed contacts when blower is operating - air proving switch. looks like an aluminum pancake with tubes running out of it to the stack and two wires on it.
Next is a high limit - this would be on the plenum somewhere and would be normally closed when furnace is operating = opens on high temp.
Rollout switches - has to do with the burner
Flamerod you already know about.
Gas pressure pressure switch - detects gas pressure
Inline glow heater - glows when calling for a start - mounted near gas tube
The remainder has to do with temperature and circulating fan.

Final post on this one! Glad I can finally put it to bed!
Out of the four recommendations I had gotten from the co-workers of my wife, one paid off. For a meager amount, a local HVAC tech came out and checked my system. I told him everything I had done and checked already, but it still doesn't hurt to have someone go over the same stuff in case something was missed. From the signal the board was giving off, it said the pressure switch wasn't allowed to open. He tested my old switch and even put a new one in. Continuity and everthing was fine, and still gave the same signal. My board was only a year old and he could tell, but still decided to switch it out. Same signal? YUP! My old board and switch went back in. Then he looked at the wiring to see if it was losing something in translation. New spade connections that went to the switch and "tweaking" the yellow wires that went into the harness that connected to the board later, it was still getting the same outcome. The burners and blowers were on two seperate platforms, so the wiring went into a harness that clipped in between them. Finally, here was the issue! He said that once or twice, he has come across a Goodman that came straight from the factory where the wiring wasn't snug, and this was one. Tugged on one wire.....good. Tugged on the other, came right out! Twisted it back down into the harness and heard a "snap". That did it! Has been working ever since. Was quite the learning experience for both of us, but it just goes to show that you should always take a look at the simple things first before changing parts out.
I thank you for your time on trying to help me, but with this helpful gentleman coming out to help fix my unit, it has taught me alot.

[mrcaptainbob]

I've been following this thread. Seems like we all learned something. I can apply this to many other issues now. Thanks for posting the results.

[KDGrayson]

I remember last year when I had the same issue and called three different local companies to check out my furnace. I am sure everyone has had this issue: it is now fall and the nights are growing cooler/colder. Time to get the furnace working, but the pilot light won't go on. I have tried all the same tricks I tried last year, did research online including forums and youtube, yet cannot troubleshoot. Anyway, last year, the first place I called came out and barely took a minute or two to even look inside the panel and told me that he recommends a whole new system due to it being as old as it is. Paid 100 bucks for that; nice! Next tech( and I use the term loosely) actually did look inside for a few minutes and did actually do some testing with a multimeter, but the same was told to me. This only cost $50; what the hell, people! Last one, after getting advice from someone about a part to check/maybe change, actually came out and recommended the same thing, but never showed the next day with the part! Guy stiffed me! Got a hold of a friend of a friend of a friend, whose neighbor does a little work.......you get the idea, told me to check a couple of things. Ordered a part online, I believe it was called a vacuum switch, and it perked right up and started blowing nice, comfy heat. Now, it will not light again for the start of the season, and have been up to the thermostat, down to the breaker box and underneath to try the furnace, over and over, in all combinations. I do not want, nor can I afford to have a completely new system installed, so what do I do? Tired of calling HVAC "salespeople" and no technicians showing up. I am getting uncomfortably cold at night and am out of ideas. Who can I call? Who can I trust? I live in the Northwest GA area.

The induced draft proving switch you mentioned attaches to the induced draft assembly via a rubber tube, the barbed port on the assembly will obstruct with carbon and does require reaming out periodically.

[aradralami]

I typed in your model number into google search and found a youtube video that should help you. It is at:

Gas furnace won't stay lit. cleaning the flame rod - YouTube

Please take a look at it.

I just found this video all these years after he posted it. This guy knows what he is talking about. I had the exact symptoms he induced here, and it literally took me longer to find a short enough screwdriver than it did to fix the furnace. AND IT WORKED! House was at 57° and going down. Now the temp is going up. THANK YOU!