[?] Subscribe To This Site

Electric Furnace Sequencer Replacement, Do It Yourself And Save...

Translate this pageMicrosoft® Translator

With this electric furnace sequencer replacement guide, you will be able to diagnose, select a suitable replacement, and replace a faulty electric heat relay. The typical cost for an hvac service company to perform this would be over $100. We will help you to keep most of that money.

**NOTE** ONLY YOU CAN ASSESS YOUR ABILITY TO PERFORM THIS TASK. THIS IS A GUIDE AND CANNOT PROVIDE ALL OF THE DETAILS FOR EVERY SITUATION.

An electric furnace sequencer is a device that turns one or more heating elements on and off. This is necessary to limit the electric current spike that occurs when an electrical device is energized. If all the elements in a unit were energized at the same time, the current surge would probably cause the breaker to trip or the fuse to blow.

The heat relay consists of a heater coil, a bimetal switch, and connections for wires. The heater coil on modern units is powered by 24 volts from the furnace control board. On older units, some of the coils were powered by 120 or 240 volt power. When power is supplied to the heater coil, electric current flows and produces heat in the relay. This heat causes a small piece of metal in the bimetal switch to deform and close the contacts of the switch. When the contacts close, power is supplied to the electric elements.

When the power to the heater coil is interrupted, the small piece of metal cools off and goes back to it's original shape. This causes the contacts to open and interrupts power to the elements.

If you suspect that a sequencer is bad, you should test it before replacing it. To do this, you should begin by shutting off the power to the furnace and verifying that it is off with an electric test meter. Then, you should disconnect the wires from the coil terminals and measure the resistance of the coil. This will normally be around 20 ohms. If the reading is zero or considerably higher than 20, you should continue with electric furnace sequencer replacement.

To select a replacement, you should obtain an exact replacement if possible. The relay will have a manufacturers part number on it. If there is not a part number on it, you should match the heater voltage, the length of on/off timings, and the number of switches. The on timing will normally look something like H1-20 which means that the switch will close between 1 and 20 seconds after power is applied to the heater. The off timing will usually look similar to C40-110 which means that the switch will open between 40 and 110 seconds after power is removed from the heater coil.

If you require a replacement part, you can click on the BUY NOW button. You will be taken to GOOGLE CHECKOUT where you can order the part. Then, you can come back here and fill in as much information as you can in the request form. We will find your replacement and ship it to your door. If we cannot find a suitable replacement, you will not be charged and we will advise you of that by email.

To remove the old unit, start by labeling all of the wires that are connected to it and where they are connected. Then, removal is usually accomplished by removing a mounting screw.

To install the new relay, you simply mount the switch and reconnect the wires.

Then, you can turn the power back on to the unit. To complete your electric furnace sequencer replacement, you should observe a complete heating cycle to verify proper unit operation.

Return from electric furnace sequencer replacement to home

footer for electric furnace sequencer replacement page