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Top Rheem Furnace Troubleshooting Tips By The Experts
If you live in the East Valley and have been a resident for a while, you know we don’t have any problems cooling our homes in the summer.
But what happens when it gets cold in the desert? Don’t sweat it, especially if you have a Rheem furnace.
Rheem manufactures some of the highest-quality furnaces in the country.
Even the best furnaces need a little push in the right direction at one time or another.
We’ve put together an expert guide to Rheem furnace troubleshooting.
Keep it handy so that next time you experience furnace problems, you can quickly get to the bottom of the issue.
Rheem Furnace Troubleshooting Codes
Most modern furnaces come with a diagnostic display — usually a sequence of flashing LED lights.
Rheem designs their units with a 7-segment display, which gives you simple codes to use as a troubleshooting guide.
Here are a few of the fundamental error codes:
- 0 – unit is on standby
- F – continuous fan
- H – furnace is heating
There are codes for just about every component.
If you’re a DIY type of homeowner, you’ll want to keep a code guide handy so that you can either fix the problem yourself or at least have a knowledgeable conversation when you call for service.
No Heat on a Chilly Evening
While winters in Phoenix and the surrounding area are not as cold as in Flagstaff or other more northern cities, we still have cool temperatures, with averages between 55-46 degrees.
You will want your furnace on in the evenings and early mornings.
When you turn on a Rheem furnace and don’t get the expected warmth, there are several components that could be the culprit, including:
- Ignitor
- Flame sensor
- Control board
- Gas valve assembly
- Draft inducer motor
- Flame rollout limit switch
- Pressure switch
Your furnace troubles could also result from a gas supply issue, airflow problem, or it could originate with your power supply.
Whatever the case, if you don’t have heat, contact your HVAC technician so that they can troubleshoot quickly and fix the furnace.
Why Does Your Furnace Short Cycle?
Cooler weather puts your furnace to the test. Suddenly, after months of inactivity, you’re asking it to work overtime.
While it should cycle throughout the day, clicking on too frequently may indicate a problem.
When a furnace works correctly, it cycles on and off three to eight times every hour.
When a furnace short-cycles, it turns on and off before reaching the set temperature on the thermostat.
The number of times your furnace runs depends on a lot of things.
Your home’s insulation, characteristics of the house, outdoor air temperatures, and even the age of your furnace all play a part.
Frequent cycling may also indicate a system issue.
Before you call your favorite HVAC tech, try troubleshooting the following:
- Install a clean air filter
- Replace thermostat batteries
- Check for airflow at the heating registers
If a new air filter or thermostat battery doesn’t fix the problem, you may need to replace the thermostat. You could also have a faulty blower motor.
Tip: Rheem furnace error code 61 indicates a problem with your blower.
Your Pilot Light Will Not Stay Lit
On older Rheem furnaces, the pilot light the burns continuously.
You likely have a bad thermocouple if you can’t get the pilot light to light and stay lit.
There is a caveat.
Before calling your service technician, check the thermocouple and pilot light’s alignment.
If they’re not correctly aligned, the pilot light’ flame cannot light the end of the thermocouple.
Without the subsequent electrical current, there will be no flame.
Now, if realigning the stars doesn’t light the pilot light, your HVAC tech can install a new thermocouple.
Rheem error code 13 often indicates a broken thermocouple. Or a dirty flame sensor.
The Noisy Furnace
When all you want is a little peace and quiet on a cozy winter evening, the last thing you want to hear is a strange sound coming from the furnace.
Most of the time, your furnace will hum along quietly in the background.
You’ll get used to the noises it makes when cycling on and off.
However, even the slightest change in the sounds your furnace makes should make your ears perk up.
When a Rheem furnace begins to make unusual noises, the first thing you should suspect is the blower fan and blower motor. You may have fan bearings ready to fail.
You may also have a problem with the motor itself.
Let a trained, and qualified Rheem furnace technician help determine the fix for a furnace that’s disturbing the peace in your home.
Your Spark Is Gone
One thing most homeowners and HVAC contractors like about newer Rheem furnaces is that they use an igniter rather than a pilot light.
The reason is two-fold.
First, igniters are safer, and second, they’re more economical than pilot lights.
When the furnace starts to cycle, you can quickly check the igniter by removing the service panel and watching it.
You can see a small spark pass from the end of the igniter to the burner if it’s working.
When the igniter activates, you may hear a sharp click.
If you don’t see a spark or hear a click, you’ll need to do some further troubleshooting on the igniter.
However, if the igniter appears to work, yet you still can’t get the burners to light, suspect a control board problem.
Your HVAC service company can help!
What To Do When Your Furnace Quits
If humans can quit a job without giving notice, why wouldn’t a furnace have the same privilege?
There are several reasons why a furnace might stop running, including a power outage, a tripped circuit breaker, or a faulty thermostat.
Lack of routine maintenance is another reason.
The best way to start your furnace back up is to press the reset button.
All furnaces have a reset button. The reset button is considered a safety feature.
You’ll use it for an immediate furnace shut-down if you have a serious problem.
If you’re curious about your Rheem furnace reset button location, the exact location depends on the year and model of your system.
Look for a red or yellow button located in the blower compartment.
If you can’t find the button’s location by reviewing your owner’s manual, it’s a great time to contact your HVAC company.
Need More Help With Rheem Furnace Troubleshooting
We’ve covered a few of the most common furnace problems and offered some of our best Rheem troubleshooting tips.
Whether you have a failing igniter, damaged pilot light, or problems associated with a bad blower motor, you can start troubleshooting on your own.
Our team can then come in and help pin down the issue and provide the fix.
Don’t let cooler temperatures and a problem with your furnace get you down.
Reach out and request service today!
Looking for a trusted Rheem heating repair company? Contact your 5-star, emergency HVAC experts at Mark Daniels Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve been serving the Valley Since 1996. Call (480) 571-7219 or request service online today!
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