ReplyIf it is a defective pressure switch, they should put in one that isn't defective. And York doesn't make the pressure switch.
5 or 6 in 4 years is not right.
There is some other problem.
New Guest
I've got a York Affinity 9.M furnace that was installed (brand new) in my Portland, OR home 3.5 years ago. During three of the four winters I've had it, it has stopped working at least once with the same problem: It flashes three red lights, which is code for "pressure switch stuck open."
The original installers have been good about coming out here and replacing the pressure switch for free each time, and once they replace the pressure switch, it works fine (until the next time). It hasn't cost me a dime, but it's extremely inconvenient, and it only seems to happen when we're having the coldest and/or windiest weather of the year. I've probably gone through five or six pressure switches in four years.
I was told that this is due to a defective pressure switch that York uses in their newer furnaces, and that there's nothing to be done about this except replace it when it goes bad. I find that hard to believe (and harder to believe that someone hasn't filed a class-action lawsuit against them by now if it is true). Can any pros out there lend some insight?
Professional Member*
If it is a defective pressure switch, they should put in one that isn't defective. And York doesn't make the pressure switch.
5 or 6 in 4 years is not right.
There is some other problem.
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God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
Good chance you have a condensate problem.
Professional Member
Agree with Beenthere, I have see on really cold days she is making alot of condensation floods back and gets water in pressure switch. Have him check venting and check furnace condensation draining. Should be done every year on the clean and tune.
Aint Notin Sweeter, Then A Brand New Heater!!!!!!!!!!
Professional Member*
sounds more like a defective tech than a defective part
Professional Member
In agreement with gentlemen above. Condensate drainage problem, not switches.
Professional Member
Very recently, I had a similar problem, newer unit, different model, but same manufacturer. Upon arrival to the service call, I learned that the unit (2 years old) was on its 2nd pressure switch. The pressure switch was rated 1.45 in.wc., I measured with a dwyer water tube manometer 1.4 in. differential pressure from draft motor to burner box. I measured 1.6in. from draft motor to atmospheric. The switch would make when disconnected from the burner box port. I inspected the draft motor, primary and secondary heat exchangers, collector box, gaskets, drainage system, intake and vent pipes, and found all to be ok, no loss of integrity. I contacted the factory (not much help), I told them I wanted them to warranty the draft motor even though it ran, eventually they agreed. Installed new motor, now measure 1.55 in. differential between draft motor and burner box. Same pressure switch, furnace works great.
Professional Member
PDX - York does have a problem with their pressure switches, but from what I am being told, they have it worked out. The pressure switch closes, but the contacts of the electrical portion get pitted and won't conduct the signal any more. There is also a bulletin out regarding the "routing" of the tubing going to the pressure switch. If your tech has any problems or doesn't know about the bulletin, just tell him to "call David" from York - this may take a few minutes due to the fact he is very busy, but he will return a voicemail. Any other problems, contact me through this board.
The Lord must love stupid people or he wouldn't have made so many.
Why is it that when I am in a hurry, everyone else on the road goes 15 MPH under the speed limit?
Regular Guest
I had similar problem with my Luxaire FL9C during November and again in December last year. Dealer had called February 19th (this year) to say that a new tech bulletin had just been issued. Here is a quote from the note I made after dealer was here to fix it: "new pressure switches to deal with silicone contamination from the hoses going to the switches that was causing the switches to not make electrical contact when closed". Have had no problem since, including day last week when we had 50 MPH winds. Perhaps one of the Luxaire/York/Coleman guys can find the bulletin?
Regular Guest
They would have fixed a design defect by now.Originally Posted by PDXhomeowner
Professional Member
They would have corrected it in the factory, but the ones in the field are "fix on fail".
The Lord must love stupid people or he wouldn't have made so many.
Why is it that when I am in a hurry, everyone else on the road goes 15 MPH under the speed limit?
New Guest
I have been struggling for a week along with my HVAC guy to figure out what was wrong with my York. I had the exact same symptoms as PDX...furnace 3.5 years old, and it kept going to the 3-flash, pressure switch stuck open. Every once in a while it would give me a 6 flash or an 8 flash, but they all pointed to the pressure switch. The HVAC guy even replaced the pressure switch last week, but the problem persisted.
I woke up at 4:30 this morning and the house was 59 degrees (Minnesota). I started turning the furnace off and on trying to override the failure just to get the house warmed up and that was when I got online and found this discussion. I appreciated some of the good suggestions, but I can say that we are now 100% sure we have fixed my problem and I wanted to share it.
I have had a field tech coming almost every day for the last week and he just hadn't cracked the nut, so this morning the owner of the firm came out too. What the owner knows (because I have known him for years), that the field tech and you all don't know, is that I have a 2 year old boy who likes to be a stinker. The owner showed up and didn't even bother ringing the bell. Instead he walked to the back of the house, pulled the PVC venting loose at the first corner where it came out of the house, and the problem was solved. My boy had been dropping Class V rocks down the vent all summer and it was choking off the intake! It would be like trying to run a marathon with a mouthful of marbles!! Glad to have the problem solved and thought I would share it with all of you. Enjoy.
New Guest
By the way, I realize most of the pros responding to this discussion would probably check the vent elbows (see my previous response), but I posted my example for any other amateurs and DIYers out there that might be trying to figure something like this out for the first time.
Professional Member*
Very funny. I have seen similar things before. IT is always the last thing you think of.
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Professional Member*
Also check the grade on the vent piping to make sure there is no condensate or any other material in the piping.
Blue Fox
God Speed, Jim. We'll miss you - 2-26-23
If the tech had used a manometer, he would have seen the vent was the problem, and not the switch.
New Guest
SIMILAR SWITCHES ON LUX,COLEMAN.
SERVICE INFORMATION
Unitary Products
5005 York Drive
Norman, Oklahoma 73069
1/8778747378
Date: February 5, 2009 YS00209
Revised
To: All York Distributors
All York Branches
All Field Service Supervisors
Subject: Pressure Switches PC9, PM9
We have received several product reports regarding pressure switch problems on the 40”
modulating 95% furnaces. (Switch P/N S102435308000/
SAP# 157719 upflow models &
S102435324000/
SAP# 160209 downflow models)
Investigation into these issues and analysis of field returned switches have shown that the
fault code 3 is caused by high contact resistance on the electrical contacts within the
pressure switch. On each ignition cycle, the modulating furnace control ramps the draft
inducer blower up and down and verifies the pressure sensor and switch operation by
comparing the switch opening and closing points, as measured by the pressure sensor, to
the proper switch set point for that furnace model. If the electrical contacts within the
pressure switch body become contaminated with a foreign material, the switch may close
mechanically but may not close electrically at the calibrated set point, causing the control
to detect a pressure switch that is open when it should be closed. This will result in a 3flash
error code, and the furnace control will not continue the ignition sequence.
To address this problem, the switch supplier has made a recent change to the switch
construction to add an industrial contact lubricant that prevents contamination from
adhering to the electrical contact surfaces. Testing has shown that this makes the contacts
many times more resistant to contamination by foreign substances. Pressure switches
with code dates of 0309 (third week of 2009) will have this new construction. Source 1
should begin to have a limited supply of the new switches available for shipment by
February 6 th .
The contact contamination problem will not affect any of the NG33 models, even those
without the contact lubricant on the pressure switch contacts. The contamination on the
contacts is usually silicone carbide, the source of which is the silicone hose connected to
the switch. Silicone molecules outgas from the hose and migrate to the switch contacts,
eventually affecting the electrical connection. On the NG33 models, which do not have
closed burner boxes, there is no silicone hose on the side of the pressure switch in which
the contacts are located, and so there is no direct source for silicone contamination. The
problem will also not affect previous singlestage
or twostage
models, since those
models do not have pressure sensors that compensate for vent length and firing rate so
they always provide a pressure level that insures the contacts are cleaned mechanically on
each cycle.
This YS letter will provide a replacement pressure switch and one hour labor at the
dealers registered DOA labor rate. Due to the nature of this issue, we recommend that the
dealers replace the switches now, instead of waiting for them to fail. Make sure you
reference the YS letter number when filing claims for this issue.
For any units in distributor inventory, this YS letter will allow for replacement of the
pressure switch along with a fair and reasonable allowance. Contact Mark Freund at 4054196609
for prior authorization to submit the billing for reworking your inventory.
For repair parts in distributor inventory, contact your Source 1 account representative for
a Return Authorization of switches with code dates prior to 0309.
Mark Freund Robert Cabrera
Mark Freund Robert Cabrera
Manager, Residential Field Service Director, Indoor Products Engineering
Regular Guest
Venting (length, pitch, size and amount of elbows) should be checked. Condensate drain should be checked. No way that many pressure switches goes out in such a short time frame. Tech. should also check and make sure that the intake is not pulling the exhaust when the pvc is on the outside of the house. I have seen people install intakes where they are facing down into snow.
New Guest
SEE MY ABOVE POST. THIS IS A SERVICE LETTER FROM YORK ABOUT SPECIFIC PRESSURE SWITCHES ON CERTAIN MODELS THAT CAUSE ISSUES AND WHY. I RECENTLY ALSO FOUND THE SAME PROBLEM ON A HI END COLEMAN. THE TRICK IS TO CHECK THE PRESS SWITCH PART NUMBER AND CHECK IT AGAINST THIS LETTER. ALSO CHECK THE DATE CODE ON THE SWITCH.
Regular Guest
Anyway that you could email this to my email. My company does deal with their products and I would like to talk to the MFG rep guru about this the next time that I see him.
