Internet as a tool(long)

[SkipperII]

As one of the original;" Computers, I'll never use one" types, I've come a long way.

Got up yesterday, about 24 deg., outside, not much warmer inside, and the furnace blower was running, with no heat. Ran the thermostat setting down, the furnace shut off. Raised the setting, furnaced fired up, ran about 5 seconds, then the flame shut off, tried it again, same result. Grabbed my little electric heater out of the shop, so the Mrs. would have a little heat when she got up. Got on the laptop, entered the symptoms, it says possibly the flame sensor (electronic). A couple you tube sites pop up, so I watch, the guy show about where it should be located, and explains that they carbon up, and can be cleaned, Huh!, that sounds logical. Decide I need a second opinion, so I watch the next one. This buy is a bit more refined, says to use a brass brush, or one of the plastic pot scrubbers, but not to use steel wool, or anything else that will scratch it. Ok; armed with this information, time for some surgery.. Of course, I have to have, the model that the sensor is behind the gas pipes, and a transformer. After trying every 1/4" socket and universal that I own, I finally find a long end wrench, and unscrew the little 1/4" head sheet metal screw, and get the sensor out. It doesn't look like much carbon build up, just like a piece of steel rod that has been in a clean flame. Oh, well, I guess I won't loose much, but a few minutes, to polish is, and put it back in, Grab the abrasive pad the Mrs. uses to clean her polished stainless pans, without her looking. I give the sensor rod a good polishing, and put it back in. Now; how do I get the little screw back in the hole, and started, it's in a really tight spot for 78 year old fingers. I remember that I have a set of magnetic sockets for my electric screw driver, it worked. Go in the house, turn up the thermostat, and it fire up, and stays running. Now today, I have to reprogram the stupid thermostat, because I changed the batteries, and lost the programming. Back to the computer for instructions with letters big enough for old eyes.

 

[GChief]

You Tube University can often save the day.

 

[muleboss]

Had the same thing happen about a month ago. Cleaned it and now works great. Was this a Coleman furnace?

 

[Geo-TH,In]

As one of the original;" Computers, I'll never use one" types, I've come a long way.

Got up yesterday, about 24 deg., outside, not much warmer inside, and the furnace blower was running, with no heat. Ran the thermostat setting down, the furnace shut off. Raised the setting, furnaced fired up, ran about 5 seconds, then the flame shut off, tried it again, same result. Grabbed my little electric heater out of the shop, so the Mrs. would have a little heat when she got up. Got on the laptop, entered the symptoms, it says possibly the flame sensor (electronic). A couple you tube sites pop up, so I watch, the guy show about where it should be located, and explains that they carbon up, and can be cleaned, Huh!, that sounds logical. Decide I need a second opinion, so I watch the next one. This buy is a bit more refined, says to use a brass brush, or one of the plastic pot scrubbers, but not to use steel wool, or anything else that will scratch it. Ok; armed with this information, time for some surgery.. Of course, I have to have, the model that the sensor is behind the gas pipes, and a transformer. After trying every 1/4" socket and universal that I own, I finally find a long end wrench, and unscrew the little 1/4" head sheet metal screw, and get the sensor out. It doesn't look like much carbon build up, just like a piece of steel rod that has been in a clean flame. Oh, well, I guess I won't loose much, but a few minutes, to polish is, and put it back in, Grab the abrasive pad the Mrs. uses to clean her polished stainless pans, without her looking. I give the sensor rod a good polishing, and put it back in. Now; how do I get the little screw back in the hole, and started, it's in a really tight spot for 78 year old fingers. I remember that I have a set of magnetic sockets for my electric screw driver, it worked. Go in the house, turn up the thermostat, and it fire up, and stays running. Now today, I have to reprogram the stupid thermostat, because I changed the batteries, and lost the programming. Back to the computer for instructions with letters big enough for old eyes.

I sometimes use caulking or bubble gum to help hold a screw to a 1/4 socket,
Use 1/4 inch extensions to get the screw in places my fingers can get to.

 

[Brown David]

You Tube University can often save the day.

True, but as with many other things, you have to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Along with helpful stuff I've seen many things on there that made me shake my head in amazement.

 

[GChief]

True, but as with many other things, you have to separate the wheat from the chaff.

Along with helpful stuff I've seen many things on there that made me shake my head in amazement.

Luckily with my background even if it's something I have never worked on that's an easy day for me.

"Hummmm , that looks/sounds like BS"

 

[kencombs]

Luckily with my background even if it's something I have never worked on that's an easy day for me.

"Hummmm , that looks/sounds like BS"

Yep, sorting the fly specks from the pepper requires some knowledge and experience.

 

[kencombs]

I sometimes use caulking or bubble gum to help hold a screw to a 1/4 socket,
Use 1/4 inch extensions to get the screw in places my fingers can get to.

A dab of tape works too. Sticky side to the socket. Makes the screw head a wedge fit but doesn't stay with the screw. But I really like my magnetic drivers. Normally sold to gutter installers as they shoot 1/4 or 5/16" head screws daily. They have hex shanks so can't be used directly with ratchets and extensions, but a 1/4" hex socket will adapt them if needed, but I prefer to use them in my drill. Also have a 1/4" hex driver extension with a locking 1/4" hex female if needed.

Wife thinks I may have more tools than any sane person needs. She's probably right, about the sane part.

 

[Watthour]

Having a "library on a wire" can be a great benefit, but as BD remarked, the information available really needs to be filtered. It was astute of you to seek a second resource as confirmation.

It's a far cry from the Cro-Magnon man seeking support to get his fire kindled while having a dead iPhone battery. "Grog! How I rub sticks to make fire big?"

 

[Mule Meat]

"Back to the computer for instructions with letters big enough for old eyes.."

Holding down Ctrl and pressing the + key the font or words will enlarge making them easier to read. Ctrl and - will make them smaller. If you have a mouse. Pressing the wheel down and rotating it at the same time will also increase or decrease the fonts size..

Edited to add: on an android phone. You can touch the screen with two fingers and slide them apart to increase the size of words. Slide them back together will decrease their size.

Just letting ya know if case you didn't.

 

[scootergmc]

You'd have to be stubborn, ignorant, or naive to think the Internet is not a tool these days.

 

[Brown David]

You'd have to be stubborn, ignorant, or naive to think the Internet is not a tool these days.

For sure.

 

[Charlie M]

I look up a lot of stuff like that on You tube. Most is pretty good, some not so good. Last week I looked up how to install a toilet. I've done a few but always a pain to lift the toilet and get the bolts to stand up straight and go into the holes. Guy on you tube said to put a set of nuts on the bolts holding them to the flange, then set the toilet and bolt it down. It was the best tip I've had in a long time.

 

[WI Dan]

As one of the original;" Computers, I'll never use one" types, I've come a long way.

Got up yesterday, about 24 deg., outside, not much warmer inside, and the furnace blower was running, with no heat. Ran the thermostat setting down, the furnace shut off. Raised the setting, furnaced fired up, ran about 5 seconds, then the flame shut off, tried it again, same result. Grabbed my little electric heater out of the shop, so the Mrs. would have a little heat when she got up. Got on the laptop, entered the symptoms, it says possibly the flame sensor (electronic). A couple you tube sites pop up, so I watch, the guy show about where it should be located, and explains that they carbon up, and can be cleaned, Huh!, that sounds logical. Decide I need a second opinion, so I watch the next one. This buy is a bit more refined, says to use a brass brush, or one of the plastic pot scrubbers, but not to use steel wool, or anything else that will scratch it. Ok; armed with this information, time for some surgery.. Of course, I have to have, the model that the sensor is behind the gas pipes, and a transformer. After trying every 1/4" socket and universal that I own, I finally find a long end wrench, and unscrew the little 1/4" head sheet metal screw, and get the sensor out. It doesn't look like much carbon build up, just like a piece of steel rod that has been in a clean flame. Oh, well, I guess I won't loose much, but a few minutes, to polish is, and put it back in, Grab the abrasive pad the Mrs. uses to clean her polished stainless pans, without her looking. I give the sensor rod a good polishing, and put it back in. Now; how do I get the little screw back in the hole, and started, it's in a really tight spot for 78 year old fingers. I remember that I have a set of magnetic sockets for my electric screw driver, it worked. Go in the house, turn up the thermostat, and it fire up, and stays running. Now today, I have to reprogram the stupid thermostat, because I changed the batteries, and lost the programming. Back to the computer for instructions with letters big enough for old eyes.

It's truly amazing how much knowledge is available at our fingertips.

 

[Hobo,NC]

As one of the original;" Computers, I'll never use one" types, I've come a long way.

Got up yesterday, about 24 deg., outside, not much warmer inside, and the furnace blower was running, with no heat. Ran the thermostat setting down, the furnace shut off. Raised the setting, furnaced fired up, ran about 5 seconds, then the flame shut off, tried it again, same result. Grabbed my little electric heater out of the shop, so the Mrs. would have a little heat when she got up. Got on the laptop, entered the symptoms, it says possibly the flame sensor (electronic). A couple you tube sites pop up, so I watch, the guy show about where it should be located, and explains that they carbon up, and can be cleaned, Huh!, that sounds logical. Decide I need a second opinion, so I watch the next one. This buy is a bit more refined, says to use a brass brush, or one of the plastic pot scrubbers, but not to use steel wool, or anything else that will scratch it. Ok; armed with this information, time for some surgery.. Of course, I have to have, the model that the sensor is behind the gas pipes, and a transformer. After trying every 1/4" socket and universal that I own, I finally find a long end wrench, and unscrew the little 1/4" head sheet metal screw, and get the sensor out. It doesn't look like much carbon build up, just like a piece of steel rod that has been in a clean flame. Oh, well, I guess I won't loose much, but a few minutes, to polish is, and put it back in, Grab the abrasive pad the Mrs. uses to clean her polished stainless pans, without her looking. I give the sensor rod a good polishing, and put it back in. Now; how do I get the little screw back in the hole, and started, it's in a really tight spot for 78 year old fingers. I remember that I have a set of magnetic sockets for my electric screw driver, it worked. Go in the house, turn up the thermostat, and it fire up, and stays running. Now today, I have to reprogram the stupid thermostat, because I changed the batteries, and lost the programming. Back to the computer for instructions with letters big enough for old eyes.

Let hope that got it. It sounds like the vent on your gas regulator is stopped up are restricted BTDT with the same symptoms.

 

[SkipperII]

Let hope that got it. It sounds like the vent on your gas regulator is stopped up are restricted BTDT with the same symptoms.

That fixed it, works fine now. Thanks for the additional tip.