Furnace produces explosions?

Question

Hello all,

I've got a problem with my furnace, and I hope this fine community might be able to help. Actually, it's not my furnace; I'm renting the lower half of a duplex, and the offending furnace actually belongs to the upper half, who are also renting.

The problem is this: every once in a while, the furnace produces a loud bang, and by "loud" I mean floor-shaking. And by "every once in a while" I mean one to two times a day. This was happening all of last winter and spring. The furnace hasn't been turned on yet this season, and I'm genuinely concerned for my safety.

Yes, I've read about delayed ignition, and I'm sure that's what's going on here. However, here's some more information that doesn't seem to add up:

- The furnace doesn't produce the explosion on every start (it's only 1-2 times a day)
- The furnace was examined by technicians on two occasions. Both times, it was cleaned thoroughly (according to my upstairs neighbor; I wasn't there), but it continued to produce the bang with the same frequency. The second technician supposedly said that this behavior is expected in an aging furnace (Of course I don't believe this for a second). The landlord, who lives in a different house, refuses to replace the furnace, or have any more technicians examine it.

For your viewing pleasure, I captured one of the explosions using a webcam (this was last spring):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnNv6evW9vw

My theory so far is this: When the furnace shuts off after a successful run, the gas valve closes down, but not all the way, allowing a trickle of gas to flow through. This gas gradually fills up the chamber, and the next time the furnace starts, it ignites the gas explosively. Does this sound plausible?

Does anyone have an idea of what else could be repaired / cleaned / replaced in this furnace?

P.S. It's a direct spark ignition furnace (Amana Air Command, probably from early 1980s).

tech7435 · Accepted Answer

It sounds like you may be right! Either the burners are dirty with rust or possibly  a bad burner. If this is a gas valve sticking your technicians should have found this problem. Actually they should have found it anyway. Dont wait...... This really should be adressed by someone with knowledge.  Are you in Delaware?

mlk682 · Answer

I suspect that the valve is opening but the ignition, probably dirty, is not lighting it right away allowing gas to build up , then when it finally does ignite you get the explosion, Mine was doing the same thing, cleaned the ignition and realigned it, made sure the tubes right where the ignition comes out were not plugged as this would cause the same issue. Your landlord has some responsibilities here to insure safe operation, I am certain that anyone in their right technical mind would agree that this is not the normal and acceptable mode of operation

Ken H · Answer

There is a law in place that the landlord is required for your place to be habitat.  A defective furnace is one concern. It sounds like to me is the burners are lighting up after the chamber fills up with gas.  It must be an electric igniter to not allow the gas to lite upon emission.  It is matter for adjustment for the finance repair to fix. I would consult with your gas company and they will come out for free if you feel that this is a concern for safely.  They can make the recommendations what you need to do.

Furnace produces explosions?

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