Furnace on the Fritz

The other day, we had a really cold day and the girls were carrying heating bags around the house with them. I was running around and didn't notice until I sat down that night. 

I was FREEZING. I had heard the furnace pump going the night before and hadn't noticed that the furnace hadn't kicked on. 

I still didn't know why the house was so cold and kept piling on jackets. I went to the basement to put something away and I heard a beep like a smoke detector does when the battery is getting low. I opened the door to the furnace to find the red alarm light on the pump flashing. 

I went to find the owners manual and there were all sorts of alarms going off as it will flash once for this problem, twice for this etc. It was flashing all types of numbers. The book said something about a power surge so I flipped all the breakers trying to re-set the furnace. The thermostat was black unless I turned it to the "cool" setting. It said it was 63 in the house but I had a hard time believe that as we were all very cold. 

I was worried about pipes freezing and had purchased the little heater at the top for Princess Four for Christmas to take with her to college this year. 

I pulled it out of her gifts and put it in the basement in the laundry room to keep the pipes down there from freezing. 

I then started calling all the heating and air people in town and surrounding area. Most had no emergency number and the one that did, didn't answer. At this point it is 11 p.m. and the house is REALLY cold. I called a disaster clean up and carpet cleaner I know asking about space heaters. He said his were all in use but since I have wood stoves, I could use both of those and put fans in the halls to pull the air from that side of the house to the side with all the plumbing pipes. They are at opposite sides of the house. 


I told him I thought that the pump was the problem and that I think the drain hose they put in the attic was frozen. He suggested that I drain the pump and see if the furnace went back on.

I pulled off one of the little plastic covers and could see the pump reservoir was full. I didn't know that I could have pulled the top off and used a glass to drain it so I found a squirt bottle and spent almost an hour draining the pump.  My hand and arm ached.

After finishing that, it was full again in less than two hours. I was up all night draining the pump so the York furnace would continue to work and keep the pipes from freezing as it was COLD. 

The installer has been here twice and is coming again in the morning as there isn't and easy fix for the problem. I am hoping if we extend the drain hose down into the house area instead of out to the air that it will keep the drain hose open. We are going to try and insulate it with foam tomorrow. 

The little gallon reservoir to catch the water is so small that I finally got a five gallon bucket in there so I can only drain it a few times a day depending on the temp outside.

The windows in the house have been getting icy each night and the temperatures have been quite low. I am SO grateful that I can keep the furnace going and the pipes from freezing. I've learned to drain the containers quite quickly. The drain pump works when it is warm outside but a few hours after dark, the hose freezes again. I didn't have this problem that I know last year but it has been happening nightly for a week now as of today. 

The worker has been great trying several different things but lets pray this last resort works before they have to mess with electricity or finding a new drain. 

Who knew that furnaces made so much water. My old furnace never did have the pump or any water that I could see. 

Kinda makes me miss my old furnace. I never had any problems with it but it was getting old and they thought it had some cracks in it. 

Pray for the repair man! The whole thing makes me appreciate electricity, furnaces, and repair men!