| The universal replacement modules of the kind you describe are usually quite good, I used them as a matter of routine because one could be made to work on many different furnaces.
But their very flexibility requires some judgement to use them.
I would expect you would solve any of those problems, but you might have to puzzel through one or two.
Figuring out how to change the connections from the old to the new module would be among those challenges. Most are going to be fairly straightforward (such as connections to the hot surface ignitor) but they may be labeled somewhat differently.
As I said, I think you would figure those out without too much difficulty.
It sounds like the burner assembly is designed to be pulled out as a unit, but that the installer didn't leave a union in the gas line to make that practical to do.
That's the mark of a carless installer. It's easier to just start piping away from the furnace, and it's unlikely anyone is going to catch that carelessness and make him repair it.
The way I'd correct that is to shut off the gas to the furnace, at the furnace shutoff valve if possible or the gas meter.
Hacksaw through the gas supply line near where it threads into the furnace burner assembly. Unthread the remaining stub to the burner assembly and the other stub going to the first fitting toward the gas meter.
Then connect a coupling to the burner assembly and a pipe nipple to the supply side, of suitable length so that you can install a union to connect the two pipe nipples. Hopefully the furnace shutoff valve is upstream of the union or I'd consider installing another valve so that you can shut off the gas while you are at the furnace, open up the union and pull out the burner assembly easily.
Is that clear?
---gas supply pipe--- shutoff valve--- union---burner assembly
And yes, you can use teflon tape to seal the pipe threads.
You can use water and dishwashing liquid to soap out the fitting with a small paintbrush, but use a lot of detergent, which increases the sensitivity by making it easier for the solution to bubble.
The only other mystery would be the union. Buy the size you need (probably 1/2" Iron Pipe) and look it over to figure it out.
The basic idea is that it allows you to connect two iron pipes without turning either one. You'll figure out why that is an advantage.
The only other thing I'd recommend is using two wrenches when installing iron pipe fittings, one to back up the pipe you don't need to turn and the other to turn the fitting you do want to turn.
Good luck!  |