Help - desperate furnace question

[Iambjm]

I heat with propane and my tank is down to 40%, while having my septic system thawed out today (another nightmare) the furnace quit working. We got the oven lit, but the stove burners wouldn't light could it be the propane?

[leech~~]

It sounds like your gage is off and you are out if both the oven and furnace are not working. Or who ever did you septic broke or kinked your line closed maybe? I would get the gas guy out pronto as it's going to be way below zero at night all of this week and broken pipes can be a mess.

[fastkaw]

Check the regulator on the side of the house. Make sure the vent is not

frosted or covered with snow

[Big Dave2]

It sounds like your gage is off and you are out if both the oven and furnace are not working. Or who ever did you septic broke or kinked your line closed maybe? I would get the gas guy out pronto as it's going to be way below zero at night all of this week and broken pipes can be a mess.

But he said the oven is working. I don't see how it could be an empty tank or supply line problem? Puzzling that the oven would work and not the stove or furnace?

[leech~~]

But he said the oven is working. I don't see how it could be an empty tank or supply line problem? Puzzling that the oven would work and not the stove or furnace?

I missed that "She" said the oven did light. Good point.

[rundrave]

Check the regulator on the side of the house. Make sure the vent is not

frosted or covered with snow

I had ice cover my regulator outside once and had similar symptoms. Furnace wouldn't ignite but oven would. My gas fireplace had flames but flickered and didn't burn right.

I carefully had to knock the ice off the regulator and all was good again.

[harvey lee]

If you got the oven lit and not the burners, it could also be a pressure issue. Could you lit the burners and if so, would the oven then go also or not?

Is your regulator under the dome on like a 500 gallon tank protected from the elements?

If the tank was lower than the 40%, yes, the oven could lit and nothing else as there would not be enough pressure when it gets this cold with the sub zero temps.

I would call a LP service tech and have him check your pressure with a manometer, this will let you know if you have enough pressure from your tankl to run your appliances. If you had a bent line that was not allowing a flow of gas, the furnace may not light. or, maybe one appliance may but nothing else. This manometer is the only way to rteally know.

Check the vent under the dome on the regulator also.

[Pinusbanksiana]

Call Jake at MR. Furnace, he will get it fixed right. Good luck on the septic, seems early for that kind of problems.

[low277]

I have also had the regulator vent partially freeze and it produced some strange symptoms. I have two regulators in my system, that the propane provider installed, one at the tank under the dome and the other at the house. The one at the house has a vent hole on the bottom with a screen, a few years ago I had some strange furnace operating problems and eventually tracked it to this regulator, the screen was partially iced over, basically held my thumb on it to melt the ice and it was good the rest of that winter.

I now check this screen a couple of time a winter and have occasionally found a small amount of ice but it easily melts from my thumb, no problems since.

[Surface Tension]

Barb, what is the make and model number of the furnace?

I need to say this. Do Not use the stove top or oven for heat.

Get some electric space heaters till the furnace is fixed.

Having a furnace repairmen come out is what you should do.

[311Hemi]

It sounds like your gage is off and you are out if both the oven and furnace are not working. Or who ever did you septic broke or kinked your line closed maybe? I would get the gas guy out pronto as it's going to be way below zero at night all of this week and broken pipes can be a mess.

Tap on the side of the gauge lightly with the back side of a screw driver to see if it moves, this certainly could be your issue.

You should not have temp related pressure issues on a 500 gallon tank. Everyone in my neighbor has 500 gallon tanks, and have no issues down to 5-10% (granted, running that low is probably not wise)

[hunterlaker]

I bet its your vent pipes covered with snow dig them out. had the same issue yesterday

[nobody05]

40% is no big deal. If you have a tank at 85% and a tank at 5% they both are going to have the same tank pressure. Sounds like a regulator issue

[Tom7227]

So, OP, what was the problem?

[Pinusbanksiana]

I'm sure she knew what her tank level was, at least everyone I know understands the difference between zero and 40. Hope she got it fixed.. supposed to be cold tonight. -34 last night.

[Hoey]

Is it possible that the septic system work included use of hot water or steam and that some of this got onto the regulator and froze it up?

[Iambjm]

I heat with propane and my tank is down to 40%, while having my septic system thawed out today (another nightmare) the furnace quit working. We got the oven lit, but the stove burners wouldn't light could it be the propane?

I hate to even admit what the furnace problem was, I had gone outside to check how much propane we had left. There was a ton of snow on the top of the tank, brushed it off and noticed a handle like you see on an outside faucet and it was loose so I thought I had brushed it open when I brushed the snow off so I shut it. DUH.....I shut the gas off. By the way the frozen septic ended up costing me $895.

PS sorry I didn't post this earlier, I was totally frazzled by the cost

[nobody05]

how do they thaw out a septic drain field?

[Iambjm]

how do they thaw out a septic drain field?

Wasn't the drainfield, I live in a doublewide and the pipes froze below the house. Naturally they froze solid on the opposite side of the house where the access is. They even had to take the toilet off in one bathroom to see if they could get at that way, which didn't work so the had to crawl under the house and get to it through one of the clean outs. It was frozen so bad they had to use a hammer and chisel to break some of it up so they could steam jet it.