KENMORE gas furnaces

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. No one hurt

   Made Dec 31, 2012 · , sent to the company Feb 25, 2013 · , published by CPSC Mar 12, 2013

   The product, in the report: KENMORE GAS FURNACE DC90

   DEAR SIRS, I AM WRITING THIS LETTER IN REGARDS TO ISSUES I HAVE ENCOUNTERED WITH PRODUCT I PURCHASED FROM YOUR COMPANY. ON OCTOBER 26 1997 I PURCHASED AND HAD INSTALLED A PROPANE GAS FURNACE AT MY RESIDENCE AT [REDACTED]THIS FURNACE WAS INSTALLED TO REPLACE A FORCED AIR ELECTRIC FURNACE THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL SYSTEM SUPPLIED WITH THE HOUSE.IT HAS PERFORMED WELL UNTIL AS RECENTLY AS NOVEMBER 23 2009. I WOKE UP TO FIND THE FURNACE HAD STOPPED HEATING AND THAT THE BLOWER FAN WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. I CONTACTED NYE PLUMBING AND HEATING(A LOCAL COMPANY WITH GOOD REPUTATION).THEY CAME TO INSPECT THE FURNACE AND RECOMMENDED 2 PARTS BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRMAN WAS AUTHORIZED TO REPLACE THE IGNITER SENSOR AND PART DESCRIBED AS A VENDOR ASSEMBLE Y. THE COST OF THIS REPAIR WAS $360.88.THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONED WELL AFTER THIS UNTIL FEBRUARY 2 2010. ON THIS OCCASION MY WIFE [REDACTED] SAID SHE NOTICED A BURNING SMELL COMING FROM THE AREA THAT THE FURNACE IS LOCATED. UPON ARRIVING HOME THAT EVENING I FOUND THE SAME CONDITION AS STATED IN THE PREVIOUS ISSUE, THAT IS THE FURNACE HAD STOPPED HEATING AGAIN AND THE MAIN BLOWER FAN WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. THE SAME COMPANY WAS CALLED (NYE PLUMBING AND HEATING)TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. AFTER INSPECTION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A CIRCUIT BOARD WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED REPLACED.! AUTHORIZED THE REPAIR AND PAID $199.57 TO HAVE IT FIXED. THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONED WELL AGAIN. MY WIFE AND I WOKE UP ON FEBRUARY 14 2011 TO A COLD HOUSE AND DISCOVERED THAT AGAIN WE HAD A CONDITION OF THE FURNACE NOT HEATING AND THE BLOWER THAT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. AGAIN I CALLED NYE PLUMBING AND HEATING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE TECHNICIAN INSPECTED THE SYSTEM AND STATED THAT THE ROLL OUT LIMIT SWITCH HAD TRIPPED. HE SUGGESTED THAT THIS ISSUE MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE WIND. HE DEMONSTRATED HOW TO RESET THE SWITCH AND DIDN’T OFFER ANY OTHER SOLUTION. WE PAID $58.00 FOR THE SERVICE CALL. OUR MOST RECENT CONCERN CAME ON NOVEMBER 14 2012.1 AGAIN DISCOVERED THE FURNACE HAD STOPPED HEATING AND THE BLOWER FAN WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. I WAS ABLE TO RESET THE SWITCH AND THE SYSTEM STARTED TO OPERATE NORMALLY.AT THIS POINT I WAS BECOMING CONCERNED ABOUT SAFE OPERATION OF THIS UNIT AND ALSO THE POSSIBLE EXPENSE OF REPLACING IT. I CONTACTED A COMPANY FROM TIFFIN OHIO NAMED TONG A.C., HEATING AND PLUMBING INC. I DISCUSSED THE HISTORY OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE TECHNICIAN HE PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE FURNACE AND DETERMINED THAT THERE MAY BE A DEFECT IN THE #3 HEAT EXCHANGER THAT HAS CAUSED IT TO FILL WITH SOOT AND IS CAUSING THE UNIT TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSING THE ROLL OUT LIMIT SWITCH TO TRIP. HE PRESENTED ME WITH A BILL FOR $118.00 AND ADVISED THAT I CHECK ON HEAT EXCHANGER WARRANTY AND AVAILABILITY. I IMMEDIATELY PURCHASED A CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR FOR MY HOME AS TO PREVENT A POSSIBLE RISK TO MY OR MY FAMILIES SAFETY. MORE RECENTLY YET WAS AND EVENT THAT HAPPENED ON NOVEMBER 23 2012.1 RECEIVED AN URGENT TEXT MESSAGE FROM MY WIFE [REDACTED] THAT HER SISTER HAD ARRIVED TO VISIT FOR THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. THEY HAD FOUND THE FURNACE IN IT’S “DEATH” MODE AGAIN. I TRIED TO EXPLAIN OVER THE PHONE HOW TO RESET THE SWITCH ON IT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RESET IT THEY SHUT OFF POWER TO STOP THE BLOWER FROM RUNNING .I CAME HOME FROM WORK THAT NIGHT AND TURNED ON A GAS LOG FIREPLACE TO KEEP THE HOUSE FROM FREEZING.! TRIED MYSELF TO RESET THE ROLL OUT LIMIT SWITCH . AT FIRST THE FURNACE OPERATED AND HEATED LIKE IT SHOULD.! MONITORED IT FOR SEVERAL HOURS FINALLY IT KICKED OUT AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WOULD RESTART FOR ONLY A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THEN THE BOX THAT CONTAINS THE HEAT EXCHANGERS AND THE ROLL OUT LIMIT SWITCH GOT VERY HOT AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESET THE LIMIT SWITCH IT WAS TOO HOT TO HANDLE AND WOULD NOT RESET AT ALL. AFTER ALLOWING IT TO COOL DOWN FOR SEVERAL HOURS I WAS ABLE TO RESET IT AND IT HAS OPERATED NORMALLY SINCE THEN EXCEPT FOR FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30th. I HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH SEARS MAINTENANCE FOR DECEMBER 8th . I PLAN TO PRESENT EVIDENCE OF THESE ISSUES TO THE TECHNICIAN WHEN HE ARRIVES FOR THIS APPOINTMENT! REQUEST THAT ANY AND ALL CONSIDERATION BE GIVEN TO THESE ISSUES. MY CONTRACT WITH SEARS INDICATES THAT THE HEAT EXCHANGERS ON THIS UNIT HAVE A LIFETIME WARRANTY! WOULD EXPECT THAT YOUR COMPANY HONOR THE SPIRIT OF THIS WARRANTY AND NOT FIND A TECHNICALITY TO REFUSE IT. RESPECTFULLY YOURS, [REDACTED] C.C.U.S. CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20207.

   Model

   DC90

   Bought from

   SEARS

   Bought

   Oct 26, 1997

   Where

   FOSTORIA, Ohio: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand KENMORE, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources