"shotguning" Having Nothing To Do With Firearms

[tinkerfive]

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the term "Shotguning".

It's when you get something repaired and they replace the 3 most likely things to cause your symptoms, not necessarily

the the 1 thing really causing the problem.

 

About a month ago this little saga began. The wife said that her sinus's were bothering here and that when the furnace was

running she hasn't seen any water coming out of the humidifier overflow pipe. Our humidifier is supposed to have more

water run through it than will evaporate to keep it flushed out and clean.

 

So I started poking around and found that there was no voltage coming out of the 24V transformer and that the primary

side was open. I got the ratings off of the humidifier and found a compatible transformer available from the local HVAC

supply. It came in in about a week. When I went to put the new transformer in,' no joy ' the old water flow solenoid

started to hum and vibrate. Now I know why the transformer was burned out. So back to the parts catalogs I go. The

original equipment solenoid list prices at $119 and it is a little plastic piece of crap. So I find an industrial solenoid that is

only going to cost me $42 and it is at least 4X better than the original equipment. of course it isn't exactly the same configuration as the original equipment so I spent the better part of today fabricating a custom bracket to mount it.

So now with the humidifier back in operation I realize that an experienced HVAC tech might have replaced both the

solenoid and transformer and I'd have been bitching that the "shotguned" the job rather than figure out which

one was actually bad.

 

I was so happy when I found the bad transformer and so mad when I found that the solenoid was bad too.

In the course of all of this I found 2 places where the water flow was obstructed due to mineral deposits.

Now I'm just tired and glad that it is working again.

 

Breathing easier now.

Tinker

[Doble Troble]

Nice fix & fab, tinker. I usually *try* to fix this type of thing, but the double failure can be a real bear. Sounds like you've got it running for several more years.

[AzRednek]

I used to see allot of shotgunning in auto repairs back in my auto parts days in the late 60's through mid-70's. Typically a gas station with a half-assed mechanic would sell a battery, voltage regulator and alternator to cure the red light on the dash. Starters would be sold with solenoids, clutch master and slave cylinders and thermostats with fan clutches. Some repairs, shotgunning is a necessary evil. A labor intense job like a worn clutch disc. It would be foolish not to replace the pressure plate, throw out bearing and pilot bushing.