There is no damper. This is the third unit with the same problem. The first unit lasted 2 years. The second one lasted 5 days. This last one lasted 3 months. I've had a HVAC Technician look at it each time; he concludes that the unit is bad.

Bad manufacture ? Any ideas on anything to look for?

Thank you,

Ike

Here is manual

http://customer.honeywell.com/techlit/pdf/69-0000s/69-1955.pdf

If you read the unit is failing to sense a vent damper when one is not installed?

Do you have a vent damper installed?

Once a vent damper is installed the unit will not work without it.

If the module is mounted in a position/area where it is being subjected to excessive heat, you may consider relocating it. The damper bypass circuit within the module is designed to "melt" open once power is applied with damper connected. As per the installation instructions, it must NEVER be installed/mounted with the electrical connections at the top.

HVAC100 - There is no damper. It is installed exactly as the original unit, as per requirements of installation instructions.

KC13 - No execessive heat evident, but I'll have to check that once I re-replace the module and it is working again. I understand how the circuit works, but my question is "what else might be causing this to happen?"

If possible, post model # of furnace & a pic of the furnace showing the module location. It should be mounted to a stand-off of some type.

KC13 - Won't be until later tonight.

KC13 - Whirlpool model # NUGK050MF01 Pictures unavailable at present, battery on camera won't charge.

KC13 - module located on flat surface next to blower motor housing. Where the original one that came with the furnace was located.

KC13 & HVAC1000 - new unit installed, powered right up, correct operation verified. Blinking lights "bright dim bright" showing normal operation.

No excessive heat by unit.

Any thing else that I should check to prevent future failures?

Ike

I would be compelled to check the incoming low voltage under full-operating load. If not within allowable min. & max. it could be causing the module to fail. A weak transformer could be the problem.

Originally, I did check it, in the process of trouble shooting. But that was when it wasn't working. I'll recheck it with the unit running. I could bypass the t-stat to put it into the start mode.

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Note that in picture I have removed the ignitor assy.

Finally got my camera battery to charge :)

I would call honeywell tech support and see what they say, maybe send them the bad modules..

This is an old question, but I was just faced with it in December, 2012. The short answer is this: any S8610U module whose serial number starts with less than 1207 is defective and should be exchanged.

I installed an S8610U on my furnace, replacing an S86F. It ran for a week with no problem. Then it started working only intermittently, shutting down early, but leaving the induction fan running. If I reset the system by powering it off or ending the call for heat, it would work again, but only for a few minutes. Each time it quit, the LED gave code 5: the damper error.

After re-running the ground and checking everything out, I took the module back and exchanged it. This new module started right off with the damper error.

With 20-degree weather starting, I finally gave in and called out an HVAC tech. He looked everything over and concluded that the system was set up correctly, ground and all. He got on the phone with Honeywell,and the commercial center told him about the defective units.

I took the unit back and exchanged it for one with a serial number starting with 1243. I installed it, and have had no problems since.

Honeywell notified the supply chain and asked for a return of the units, but there are still plenty of them out there.

Stuff like that takes all the fun out of it. The major manufactures in the USA are no longer making there parts like they used to and this is the kind of crap you buy in a supply house today. The parts from Mexico do not seem as bad as the ones from China but the quality is gone since the parts that are going into these boards are all junk to start with. About 10 years ago we took a brand new circuit board and removed all the components. All most all the resistors and capacitors were out of range. In other words the design tolerances are not being met so the boards can fail a lot sooner than the ones made 10 or more years ago.