Not sure where to start and who to call

[jjmmr]

While I have been handy with fixing basic appliance problems around the house, this is beyond me.  When I came home from my daughter's softball game last night is was warm and muggy, so I flicked on the A/C.  A couple hours later, my daughter complained it was still warm, so I went and check the thermostat, which I had set at 75 and it was reading 78.  So I went over to a vent a realized that there was no air pushing through.  Went back to thermostat and turned the fan to ON instead of auto and still nothing.  Then I turned the thermostat to heat and dialed up the thermostat to 85 and nothing.  I can hear the click coming from the thermostat, but nothing else happens.  I went and check the circuits and nothing had tripped.  I turned both the A/C and the furnace circuits off and on and tried everything again and nothing.

The air conditioning had been on the night before and was running and cold.

I just had a 220V circuit installed in the garage for a kiln a week and a half ago.  The air had been turned on several times since then.  I test ran the kiln on Saturday during the day and all went well with that.  But now I am worried this could somehow be related.

What should I look at next?  I think I am going to have to call in the professionals, but I don't know if I should be calling an electrician or a a/c/furnace  specialist.

[Samurai Appliance Repair Man]

Sounds like the fan is running but the compressor isn't kicking on. Usually, on these window shaker units, this problem is caused by a bad thermostat. Unplug, disassemble controls and remove thermostat so you can test continuity. With thermostat set to max, you should have continuity between the terminals.

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=49048]jjmmr[/user] wrote:

... there was no air pushing through.  Went back to thermostat and turned the fan to ON instead of auto and still nothing... 

Does the Compressor kick in when set to Cool ?

Did you check & re-set the other Breakers ?

Sometimes the 24v Transformer is on another circuit.

 

[jjmmr]

No, no fan is running  Nothing is running.  I forgot to put in that it is a Sheen

Model # RCBA-3765GG17XI

the thermostat is a Rite temp Model 8050

[jjmmr]

I turned off power to the whole house.  I don't hear anything at all turn on

[jjmmr]

Ok, maybe this is a clue. I was checking the thermostat again and I took out the batteries and was going to put them back in when everything on the panel faded....now this is hard wired so the batteries should just be a back up, not the main power source for the thermostat, right?

Oops, never mind.  Just read in thermostat manual that batteries are needed to run.

[RegUS_PatOff]

Check for 24vAC between Red:

 and each of the other wires ....

[jjmmr]

[user=3641]RegUS_PatOff[/user] wrote:

Check for 24vAC between Red:

 and each of the other wires ....

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what I am checking for. 

[RegUS_PatOff]

Thermostat wires...

 

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=49048]jjmmr[/user] wrote:

I turned off power to the whole house.  I don't hear anything at all turn on

did you re-set each individual Breaker ?

24vAC voltage test at the Thermostat wires ... do you have a Volt-Meter ?

If you have a Harbor Freight Store near you,

they have these meters, normally $ 4.99, w/battery

but sometimes on sale for $ 2.99

if on sale, print sale page and take to store

 

click on picture

click on picture

OR this one

click on picture

 

[jjmmr]

I did reset each breaker.

I just go a multimeter but I am not clear on how I test the red wire.  Can you walk me through that?

[RegUS_PatOff]

set the multimeter to the 200v  AC setting

With the house Breakers ON, and the Thermostat OFF

keep one probe on the Red wire,

and with the other probe, check each of the other colored wires...

at least one of them should read about 24v AC

 

 

[jjmmr]

Ok, I was afraid of that.  I was hoping I was doing something wrong with testing it, but it looks like I was not.  I get a reading of 0 with all wires.  In addition, there is a - sign flashing in the left hand corner

[jjmmr]

Also, looking at the furnace the "ok" LED is not on or blinking.  It seems there is no power going to the furnace at all.  How do I check for voltage at the furnace end of things?

[RegUS_PatOff]

You shouldn't have a -sign if it's set for 200v  & AC volts (not DC)

[jjmmr]

I promise I had it at AC.  I know the DC is only for constant flows of power like a battery.

[RegUS_PatOff]

It may be that the 24vAC Transformer is bad or not getting power.

Usually connected to the power at the Furnace.

Sometimes there's an ON/OFF switch near the Furnace.

Sometimes there's a ON/AUTO switch for the Fan.

 

[jjmmr]

The furnace is  in a closet in the garage and along the wall, about 7 feet up is a switch.  It is switched on.  I just turned it off and then on again.  Nothing.

[RegUS_PatOff]

You'd have to check to see if the Furnace is getting power...

maybe a nearby outlet that's on the same Breaker ?

[jjmmr]

There is an outlet in that closet right by the switch.  I plugged a lamp in there and it lit.

I pressed the white button that the panel would press against if the furnace was closed and I can hear the hum of power running, but that's it.

[RegUS_PatOff]

don't know what else to tell you ...

[jjmmr]

Darn.  I must be pretty unlucky to have two problems that no one here has been able to solve.   First my washer and now this.  Very odd that I would have such unusual problems that I haven't been able to get any concrete solutions. 

I guess I am going to have to call a repairman.

[dkpd1581]

The model number you gave looks like a Rheem model not Sheen - could be wrong.  If there is no idiot light on the furnace board then:

A. The 3 or 5 amp fuse is blown

B. The resettable fuse on the transformer is tripped

C. The windings on the transformer (most likely the High Volt side) are open

Check A and B visually FIRST. 

Check C with the new multimeter you have. With the power OFF to the furnace find the transformer.  Locate the two wires that are taking in the High Voltage 230VAC.  Disconnect them from the power wires so that all you have is the two wires of the transformer dangling in mid air touching nothing connected to nothing.  Put the meter to Ohms/Continuity (also known as the Beepie Thingie - it beeps when there is continuity below a certain ohm reading).  Touch/clip the test leads to the two hanging disconnected wires and if there is continuity your meter will read some reading.  If it says OL (meaning no continuity/infinite resistance) then your High Side windings are shot out and the transformer must be replaced.  DO NOT HOLD THE LEADS OF THE METER TO THE WIRES WITH YOUR FINGERS OR ELSE YOU WILL REGISTER SOME OHM READING THROUGH YOUR BODY. It will not hurt you at all, it will just give you a false reading.

If there is a continuity reading on the High Voltage winding side then disconnect the Low Voltage 24 VAC side and go through the exact same sequence of checking continuity.  If none then replace the transformer. 

If you have continuity through both sides of the transformer and its NOT from reading through your body then revisit A and B again and look closer.

When you discover what is not allowing the control voltage to the furnace board THEN we will look into WHY it happened.  Thats a discussion for another day.

Let us know.

[jjmmr]

I found the 3 amp fuse and it does indeed look like it is blown. So now we are on to why.

I couldn't see a resettable fuse on the transformer, what does that look like.

BTW, yes it is Rheem not Sheen....sorry for the typo.

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=49048]jjmmr[/user] wrote:

... Very odd that I would have such unusual problems that I haven't been able to get any concrete solutions....

It's hard to diagnose some problems on-line unless we're actually there doing the tests, and seeing the results.

We would know what the Transformer, Fuses,  looks like, etc, and be able to test if fully if we were there...

Not all of us are on on-line here at any given time.

Most all of us are voluteers who happen to answer some questions..

Some of us have real jobs :construction: during the day.  ... and sleep at night ... :snooze:

Some of us are more skilled in different areas (appliances, etc)

Sometimes it's hard to interpet some tests so that a novice could do them with limited test equipment.