Electrical Power

ophnurse

We are in the middle of the ice storm in Oklahoma and a lot of the power lines are down (not anticipated to be restored for 7-10 days). I have partial power (110 volts, since one leg of feed is down) and have heat in my home. I was trying to be a good neighbor and ran and extension cord to the neighbors Heil gas fired central heater to try to get them some heat. However, the heater will not even try to start. The homeowner called the guy that installed it to see if something had to be reset and he told him that the unit will only run on power from the house it is installed in. Is this true? I am not the brightest bulb in the box but I don't see how the unit knows where power is coming from. Is there something I can do to help (resets or something) I don't know the model of the unit, just that it is a Heil unit.

Thanks
Russell

mickeyco

Yes those furnaces are equipped with robots that come out and check to see where the power is coming from.


It's a crock, you need three wires if it's 120V unit, a hot, a neutral and a ground, without the ground some of those unit's igniters won't work and if you reverse the polarity they won't ignite either.



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__________________
Some people climb mountains. I take out the trash. But we both do it for the same reason.

slick870

Depending on the lenght of the extension cord,you might be loosing voltage. Also polarity is very important. If it has diagnostic lights check the code.

hf05

hee hee.I want a robot

snapperhead

with the cord run into the friends house,and plugged in at your house...check to a plumbing pipe for the hot side of the plug(1 lead into the plug other to the pipe) that has to go to the black on the furnace 1900 box on the side...the ground will be the plumbing pipe in his house,and the white neutral will come from your place along with the black hot!if you verify the hot side of the extension cord going to the pipe or the other side of the plug should show 115V.if their is no action the stat might of drained the backup battery/and default setting with the storm.pull the stat off the wall with the subbase showing jump (R or RH) to W for heat first thing you will hear is the spark for the pilot then the burner then the fan.if the stat crapped out put a toggle switch in for now between the jump you did....24Volts no swet up a the stat... at his furnace disconnect the exsisting coming over or you will feed that side of his circuit breaker panel

HeatPro

If you try to attach the safety ground wire from the third round prong on the plug to the plastic plumbing pipe supplying water to the house ...
instead switch it to connect to the grounding rod driven into the ground near the panel box.

ophnurse

Thanks for all the help. Neighbor decided not to mess with central heat and just wanted to use a space heater!! ( His choice) We just got power back on today!!

Thanks again