Wall mounted direct-venting gas-fired heating furnace questions and answers:

This article series describes wall mounted furnaces used for home heating. Usually these are gas-fired direct-vent units such as the gas furnaces described in the text below.

Wall-Mounted Gas Furnace FAQs-2

These questions and answers were posted originally at WALL-MOUNTED FURNACES - be sure to review the installation, troubleshooting, and repair advice given there.

Shown at page top is an example of a gas-fired wall furnace used for heating residential homes or in some cases mobile homes. The example furnaces shown above are Williams wall furnaces.

[Click to enlarge any image].

On 2019-02-06 by (mod) - wall gets hot behind my gas heater

Dan:

Watch out: First recognize that there could be a fire hazard - the building could catch on fire - or the heater may not be installed properly or not working properly.

That means turn the heater off until you know that it is safe.

Next: Identify the heater brand and model - check the heater's data tag.

Then give the manufacturer a call to find out if in their opinion there is a safety hazard.

While you're at it get the installation and operation manual for your specific heater to make it easy to check the installation specifications against your particular case.

If you cannot identify the heater brand and model and contact the manufacturer leave the heater off while you arrange a fire/safety inspection by a trained heating service technician for your heater type, presumably gas-fired but possibly electric or oil or other.

On 2019-02-05 by Dan

The wall on the back side of the wall heater gets very hot, what can i do about this

On 2019-01-24 by (mod) - Most wall furnaces use an air filter that needs to be cleaned or replaced.

Ads

Most wall furnaces use an air filter that needs to be cleaned or replaced. For example here's a typical quote from an Empire wall heater manual

IMPORTANT: This furnace has a washable permanent type
filter in the door which should be cleaned at least once
per year before the heating season. For dirty or high use
areas more frequent cleaning is required.

HOWEVER the specific manual for your heater does not mention an air filter.

P. 25 contains these instructions

Keep burner and control compartment clean.

Installation and repair should be done by a qualified service person. The appliance should be inspected before use and at least annually by a qualified service person. More frequent cleaning may be required due to excessive lint from carpeting, bedding materials, etc. It is imperative that control compartments, burners and circulating air passageways of the appliance be kept clean.

If you do not have the Installation and Operation Manual for your heater see

EMPIRE GRACITY VENTED SINGLE WALL FURNACE INSTALLATION & OWNERS MANUAL Model GWT-25W-2 & GWT-35W-2 [PDF]

For other heater manuals see

MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC - home

On 2019-01-23 by Ads

It's a model GWT-25W-2

Is there a filter that has to be changed in this model?

On 2019-01-26 by (mod) - pilot stays lit but gas valve doesn't open

IF the pilot stays on I suspect a bad gas valve, or as we've commented to this question elsewhere, possibly the thermopile / thermocouple far-end is not fully screwed in to the gas valve.

On 2019-01-26 by Adam

Natural Gas Wall Heater House Warmer Brand. Recently replaced the Thermopile (similar to a Thermocoupler) Rewired (18-2 wire), and replace/ relocated the New Thermostat. Heater will come on for 1 cycle for about 2-3 minutes. Ignitor works fine!

Solid blue flame on the Pilot. Pilot stays Lit! I am thinking it is now the Gas Valve!

Please reply back to this page and to me email if appropriate 1adammcqueen@gmail.com

On 2019-01-24 by (mod) -

I agree that sounds very strange, and it's not something for which I can give a simple explanation. It's also possible that your system is unsafe.

It would make sense to turn off the gas to those appliances and have a plumber trace your gas lines and check out your gas regulators and igniters on the two Appliances.

On 2019-01-24 by Ada

I have an EMPIRE gravity vented single wall furnace model GWT-25W2 GWT-35W-2 whose pilot only ignites when my gas stove is turned on. Why is this happening?

On 2018-12-25 06:07:08.030389 by (mod) -

Vic

If I understand your question correctly yes your gas heater is dangerous. There's a risk of fire or of a fatal carbon monoxide poisoning of building occupants. You should leave the heater and its fuel supply turned off.

On 2018-12-24 06:15:57.051779 by vic puglisi

Is a ruptured firebox in a gas wall heater dangerous

On 2018-06-07 17:55:26.136124 by Anonymous

Thanks again for your help.

On 2018-06-07 00:53:42.165292 by (mod) -

Sorry, no.

On 2018-06-06 17:37:42.503175 by Anonymous

Thanks I agree
Now to find a decent gas appliance service tech.
Can you reccomend any in the LA Area?

On 2018-06-06 00:18:36.933233 by (mod) -

My opinion Is a decent gas appliance service tech is needed. We don't know if the problem is an adjustment, a need for cleaning, an unsafe, leaky, or blocked chimney, or something else.

The technicians job is to diagnose the cause of the problem and then fix it.

The important thing for you to understand is that a gas burner that is not burning correctly is unsafe. Itmproper gas combustion can produce fatal carbon monoxide gas that can kill people in the building.

On 2018-06-05 20:25:58.107695 by Leonard Williams

Thanks . I contacted the gas co after I posted this. And I had to get to a supervisor who was a bit less vague.

These are his words :its not burning correctly"

so I said

"is it like a carburetor mixing gas in car?"

He said "that`s a good analogy..
O.K. Got any idea of where I go from here?
Thanks

On 2018-06-04 by (mod) - smothered flame?

Leonard

I would be most grateful and you would be helping others if you called your gas company and ask them to Define the phrase smothered flame since it's not one that appears in texts or expert documents on gas burner flame adjustment.

I suspect but do not know that what the technician meant was that there was lack of combustion air.

Watch out: That condition is very dangerous, produces carbon monoxide, and can kill people in the building.

so leave your Appliance off until it's correctly diagnosed and repaired.

See COMBUSTION AIR REQUIREMENTS

On 2018-06-04 19:34:54.479883 by Leonard Williams

I have a single and double older Williams wall mounted units. The gas company inspected the units.

Their finding was:"smothered Flame" the units are vented to the outside

How can I fix the problem? I don`t have a problem calling a technician. I just want to know what is the problem.

On 2018-05-31 01:43:48.670599 by (mod) -

Tom

I'm not sure just what reset button is being activated. Is this a carbon monoxide detector or spill switch? IF so the vent exhaust may be unsafe or the heater may not be working properly.

I wouldn't assume it's nearby smoking. A mistake could kill someone.

On 2018-05-30 00:24:41.411678 by Tom

I have a tenant where the wall heater stops working. Replaced couple in few months. Last found out that reset button get activated . So now it does it again. The tenant smokes a lot in the house . This is small one bed room house. Is that cussing the reset bullying to activated and now they say it is not working again.

On 2018-01-10 20:52:20.418105 by (mod) -

I suspect that there is an ignition or combustion air problem that is giving a delayed ignition. When ignition is delayed a bolus of accumlated gas is set off as a small explosion. If that's what's happening the system is unsafe and needs repair or adjustment. I can't know from your text if the root problem is a gas leak, a bad igniter, bad pilot, or something else.

On 2018-01-10 19:04:46.690838 by steve

My Empire wall mounted gas heater often 'burps' loudly just after being turned on, loud enough to scare the pets, and also, puts significant gas out in the room, so I have to shut it down and open all the windows to clear the gas. What is causing this?

...

Continue reading at WALL-MOUNTED FURNACES - topic home, select a topic from closely-related articles below, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

Or see these

Wall-mounted Furnace Articles

• CARBON MONOXIDE WARNINGS: HOME HEATERS
• COMBUSTION AIR REQUIREMENTS
• DIAGNOSE & FIX HEATING PROBLEMS-FURNACE - home
• DIRECT VENTS / SIDE WALL VENTS
• FURNACE DIAGNOSTIC CHECKS, GAS
• MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC - home
• NO HEAT - FURNACE
• WALL-MOUNTED FURNACES
• WALL-MOUNTED FURNACE CLEARANCES

Suggested citation for this web page

WALL MOUNTED GAS FURNACE FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to HEATING FURNACES

Or use the SEARCH BOX found below to Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Ask a Question or Search InspectApedia

Try the search box just below, or if you prefer, post a question or comment in the Comments box below and we will respond promptly.

Note: appearance of your Comment below may be delayed: if your comment contains an image, photograph, web link, or text that looks to the software as if it might be a web link, your posting will appear after it has been approved by a moderator. Apologies for the delay.

Only one image can be added per comment but you can post as many comments, and therefore images, as you like.
You will not receive a notification when a response to your question has been posted.
Please bookmark this page to make it easy for you to check back for our response.
Our Comment Box is provided by Countable Web Productions countable.ca

Citations & References

In addition to any citations in the article above, a full list is available on request.

---

ADVERTISEMENT

---