Gas Furnace Troubleshooting Flash Codes - In extremely cold weather, there is nothing worse than losing your heating system. Here are some basic tips for checking basic things for the average person, to, hopefully, make a quick fix. A quick fix, so you do not have to suffer until an HVAC repairman comes.
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How to Test a Thermocouple with a MultiMeter? What is the thermocouple millivolt range for a good thermocouple? What is the thermocouple test procedure? So you have found the pilot light will not stay lit when you try to light the pilot light. You know you have gas, and everything seems to be fine so what is the problem? That will help with a furnace thermocouple test. It also is good for water heater thermocouple testing.
You ask a friend, and the friend tells you the thermocouple is bad. So, the next question, “How to Test a Thermocouple with a MultiMeter”?
So how do you test the thermocouple to see if it is bad or not? You will need a multimeter that will read millivolts (most meters read small voltage like millivolts, which is 1/1000th of a volt) and a source of fire such as a lighter or small torch. How to Test a Thermocouple with a Multi-Meter step by step:
The thermocouple fits securely in the pilot burner (pictured above)
If you test the thermocouple with the multimeter and you get a reading above 25, then you have another issue. Importantly, always make sure the tip of the thermocouple is directly in the pilot flame. If the tip is in the flame, you have held the nob on the gas valve down for longer than a minute, the pilot flame is strong and steady, and the pilot still does not stay lit, then you likely have a problem with the gas valve. Lastly, Gas valves cannot be repaired as per any manufacturer. You need a new gas valve. Finally, Good luck!
A thermocouple is a safety device for a standing pilot gas system. Originally, it had a ratio of copper and nickel and was labeled a Coppel (Copper/Nickel) element. Thomas Seeback discovered it in 1821. In the early 1900s, Honeywell applied it to the safety gas valve.
A standing pilot gas valve has two inner valves, one for the pilot light and one for the main valve. If the pilot valve is closed the main valve would not open. The thermocouple was used to hold the pilot valve open. Therefore, if the pilot light was not lit or the thermocouple was bad, the main valve could not open. That provided a means of proving the main burners would ignite when the main valve opened.
The tip of the thermocouple is called the hot junction and is where the two dissimilar metals join. A weld joins the two metals. The other part of the thermocouple tip is called the cold junction. From the cold junction, a stem runs in length from the main body of the thermocouple tip to the gas valve.
When the heat hits the hot junction or tip of the thermocouple, it produces millivolts. This fractional voltage energizes a small solenoid designed for millivolts. As long as the solenoid is energized, the pilot valve inside the gas valve remains open. That allows the main valve inside the gas valve to feed the main burners with gas.
Since this is gas and there is a possible safety issue if you feel uncomfortable doing this call a professional. Plumbers and HVAC service companies are skilled and knowledgeable with standing pilot gas systems. They can troubleshoot the problems and replace the thermocouple if necessary. If you are interested in other examples of troubleshooting standing pilot systems including thermocouples here are few resources for you:
Gas Valve Troubleshooting | How To Light a Pilot Light | Why Does My Pilot Light Keep Going Out
How to Test a Thermocouple with a MultiMeter
HVAC Definitions - In air conditioning and heating the name HVAC is often used. HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Other acronyms are less used to describe air conditioning and heating applications is HVACR or heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration and HACR or heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration. (more…)
While the three are different they all offer higher efficiencies and are both controlled by solid-state circuit boards. Many of these furnaces also have higher efficient heat exchangers.
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Geothermal heat pumps use groundwater or water circulated through pipes to exchange heat with the earth. Geothermal versus air-source heat pump systems use the earth’s natural temperature to exchange heat and provide heating and cooling. The temperature of the air varies widely with the weather. Whereas the temperature of the earth is nearly constant.
This makes the use of a geothermal system ideal for heating and cooling. It also costs less in energy use because of the constant earth temperature versus the widely varying temperature of the outside air. Consequently, geothermal systems make sense and can save lots of money in energy use.
