The heat exchanger is a key part of the furnace and is responsible for the actual heating of air. Can you repair a cracked heat exchanger on a gas furnace. Home warranties and cracks in your furnaces heat exchanger. These are the weak areas most likely to break first. Limited air flow if your furnace filter is dirty and hasnt been changed, or the furnace cant bring air into the unit because of furniture blocking return vents, your heat.
However there are other potential sources of this uncommon problem, the foremost of which is poor furnace maintenance. The flame in your furnace should be blue if you have a regularlyfunctioning gas furnace. If the heat exchanger is cracked, byproducts of the combustion process that takes place within the component can spill out. This one is about a crack i found in a heat exchanger that caused no symptoms. Broken and leaking heat exchangers are responsible for about 1,500 deaths per year in the united states, and many more people are poisoned by exposure to toxic gasses that go unfiltered by defective heat exchangers. Jan, 2020 having a cracked heat exchanger can have a very adverse effect on the overall performance of your home heating equipment. If it cracks after the warranty is up, usually at least 20 years, consider replacing the entire furnace. However, if your furnace technician has found a crack in your heat exchanger, and your furnace is still relatively new, there could be some improper maintenance causes. The furnace heat exchanger is the one of the main components inside the gas furnace and its used to transfer the heat from the gas burner to the warm air thats blown into your home. If i can go back to my cancer analogy, you would never expect a doctor to say yeah, we found some cancer, but its really in a noncritical area and youre feeling just. How to tell if your heat exchanger is cracked cowboys air. In an attempt to sell new furnaces, numerous heating contractors will lie about cracked heat exchangers.
The american gas association has even put this in writing they say any visible crack or hole is reason. Mar 11, 20 i am, however, going to say that every single cracked heat exchanger does need to be replaced, either through a complete furnace replacement or changing out the heat exchanger. Avoid these 4 common furnace repair scams oconomowoc. Dec 02, 2015 a cracked heat exchanger allows air from the furnace blower to interfere with the flame causing it to flutter or even roll out. Dec 02, 2014 i wrote a blog post many years ago discussing that topic, and the gist of my blog post was the same as whats stated on the comyths web site. When a furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, can it be. This achr news article explains what to look for when inspecting a furnace flue. In the video above the furnace techs says the oxygen reading could rise as high as.
If the heat exchanger is cracked or if the burner is. Nowadays, checking for a cracked heat exchanger is way more scientific. The cracked heat exchanger because the metal of the heat exchanger expands and then contracts as it heats and cools, the stress may eventually cause a crack to form on the exchanger. Furnace heat exchangers what is a heat exchanger in a furnace. A cracked heat exchanger in a gas furnace is a serious safety issue.
This video is part of the heating and cooling series of training videos. Located in the center of the furnace, it is where fire, gas and heat connect. If you have not had a tuneup or inspection performed on your furnace in a while, or if you have had your unit for more than 10 years, you might be surprised to hear your hvac technician tell you that you have a cracked heat exchanger. Yes, a cracked or damaged furnace heat exchanger is a major danger to you and your family. Even though your furnace may seem fine, dangerous gases leaking into your home is a serious detriment to your health and even a potentially lifethreatening situation. If it is a small hole or crack, then it is a minor issue that needs to be corrected generally by replacing the furnace or heat exchanger. If a heat exchanger becomes cracked, then your heating system will not perform as it should. Beware of an unethical technician who finds a crack with a camera on a furnace that seems to be running just fine. If the heat exchanger is cracked, the oxygen reading will change a lot when the blower turns on. Often when cracks are present in a heat exchanger, soot from the combustion process will seep through and discolor the metal.
The heat exchanger in a furnace separates the combustion process from. A combustion analyzer gives us co and oxygen readings. The easiest way to tell if a heat exchanger is damaged is to inspect it and actually see cracks. Many companies, upon finding a cracked heat exchanger, will shut your furnace down so you cannot run it. Be on the watch for symptoms of a cracked heat exchanger like. Remember that your furnace is burning some type of material in order to generate heat, but this process should be taking place inside your furnaces heat exchanger itself. We show you exactly whats wrong with your furnace and give you the. When a gas furnace heat exchanger fails, not only is it dangerous and can result in carbon monoxide poisoning, the heat exchanger replacement cost is usually. Dec 19, 2019 furnace efficiency highefficiency furnaces are more complex and more expensive than 80% furnaces. How do you guys diagnose cracked or bad heat exchangers. If thats the case, then its usually not worth the money to replace the heat exchanger. Dec 04, 2017 why you should replace the furnace if the heat exchanger is cracked. Ambient carbon monoxide one of the first things you should do is measure ambient co in the conditioned space while the heat is running with either a combustion analysis tool or a personal co detection device.
The combustion analyzer also helps us gauge the overall performance of your furnace. In order for this to happen, the furnace must be producing high levels. Pour a little bit of the chemical on the hole, and leave it to dry until it seals around the exchanger. Doing so would be comparable to buying a new engine for an old. The heat exchanger on a furnace is the section that keeps the combustion chamber and the breathing air separate. Read our blog to learn what to do if this happens to you. We want to caution you about the most common cause for a gas furnace to become unsafe. A cracked heat exchanger is pretty serious, as far as safety for your home goes. If you have an iron heat exchanger, then you need to find an iron repair liquid, which uses chemical reactions to seal holes in iron. This trips a safety switch and shuts down the furnace. Even though your furnace may look and seem fine, dangerous gases could leak into your home. Signs and symptoms of a cracked gas furnace heat exchanger. Some people choose to live in denial of the seriousness of a cracked heat exchanger.
If theres a crack in this component, the gases being burned off. Your gas furnace is designed for safety with safety switches and shut offs. When the furnace is in an attic or crawlspace, very few contractors will agree to replace the heat exchanger. Heat exchanger cracks are a serious furnace repair issue. Dec 03, 2018 so here are my suggestions on how to find cracked heat exchangers and other furnace safety issues. This component cycles heat out of the combustion chamber and into the plenum. A damaged heat exchanger in a gas furnace is potentially dangerous to a homes occupants and should not be ignored. This is because air is leaking through the crack in the heat exchanger into the combustion chamber. All too often, furnaces are grossly oversized or used incorrectly which causes the heat exchanger to fail prematurely. A cracked heat exchanger allows air from the furnace blower to interfere with the flame causing it to flutter or even roll out. How to tell if your heat exchanger is cracked cowboys. Simple furnace heat exchanger test hvac learning solutions. This will be detected with a combustion gasses tester. Furnace with a cracked heat exchanger and flame rollout.
They observe that their furnace is running just fine and. If a heatexchanger is cracked, air forced into the combustionchamber will cause the oxygen reading in the furnace s exhaust to rise to abnormal levels. Oct 18, 2017 not only is furnace performance an issue, but heat exchanger malfunctions can pose serious health and fire risks. Id love to have some fun advice for you today, but i really have to talk to you about a serious issue. Dec 30, 2019 if the furnace has a soot buildup inside of it, then chances are that the heat exchanger is damaged. A gas furnaces heat exchanger is another potential source of leaked carbon monoxide. When a heat exchanger becomes damaged and the combustion fumes and gases mix with the clean air. Some holes or small openings may have been there for years. Were you recently told that your furnace heat exchanger is cracked and needs to be replaced. The heat exchanger contains the gas combustion chamber. Press this onto the furnace heat exchanger, and allow it to dry. Furnace location making the replacement on a furnace that is easy to access is difficult enough.
When the external components show signs of either minor or significant wear. Every cracked heat exchanger needs to be replaced, either by replacing the heat exchanger itself or by replacing the entire furnace. A cracked heat exchanger is a dangerous situation that. If your furnace is old enough to have this problem, the heat exchanger probably isnt worth replacing. In a normal gas furnace, the flame will usually appear blue. A furnace lasts between 15 and 20 years over that time, the metal on the heat. The your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be. It usually takes 18 to 20 years for rust and corrosion to cause a hole to form in a furnace heat exchanger. Corrosion because of reaction between the combustion gas and the metal often because of improper venting can also weaken the metal to the point where cracks form. The cause can be anything from tilted burners to cracks in the heat exchange itself. Replacement of the heat exchanger or furnace are the only remedies. This one takes apart the ruudrheem heat exchanger to inspect the.
My company uses inspection cameras and hydro scanning. If you get a cracked heat exchanger diagnosis learn how not to get. If you are inspecting your heat exchanger for cracks, check the bends or weld areas first. If you think you have a cracked heat exchanger, the best practice is to call a professional as soon as possible because a cracked heat exchanger is a serious safety issue. A warning to you cracked heat exchangers dont get scammed. Signs the heat exchanger in your home furnace is cracked. A cracked heat exchanger is a dangerous situation that requires you to stop using your heating system until it. Danger of a furnace with a cracked heat exchanger servicemax. Aug 31, 2015 this video is about the your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be replaced scam.
In many cases a cracked exchanger is simply the result of age. The extra air will cause the oxygen reading to change notably. Older furnaces can develop major issues, such as a cracked heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is a set of coils or tubes typically located above the blower and below the plenum, where the pilot light starts. Any obvious failures do not need hydro scanned, any suspicious areas should be hydro scanned. When faced with that decision, something to consider is the age of your unit. Furnace heatexchanger crack signs your furnace has one. A cracked heat exchanger could allow exhaust gas from the furnacetocontaminate the household air with carbon monoxide. In this way, the combustion gas heats the air without the gas having ever to come in contact with it. Very few, if any, furnaces with a typical small crack or hole in the heat exchanger. This is a sign that the burner is not burning properly and needs to be fixed. Even though your furnace may look and seem fine, dangerous gases could leak into your home and seriously affect, even kill, your family members.
Signs your heat exchanger is cracked romaniuk edmonton. Should i replace my furnaces heat exchanger or get a new. There are certain signs to look for to determine if the heat exchanger has been. As air is circulated through the hvac system, it passes over the heat exchanger and absorbs thermal energy before its circulated throughout the house. Often when cracks are present in a heat exchanger, soot from the combustion process will seep. Though quite hardy, a heat exchanger is still a mechanical part, and one that sees a considerable amount of use. A broken heat exchanger increases the risk of fire and can distribute carbon monoxide fumes throughout your. The reason a crack in a heat exchanger is such a cause for concernand reason to think about replacing a furnaceis because it creates a major health hazard. If water can get through to the inside of the heat exchanger, then it is failed. Oct 16, 2019 a cracked heat exchanger in a gas furnace is a serious safety issue. It is usually an indicator of more trouble in the future, and should not be taken lightly. Avoid these 4 common furnace repair scams oconomowoc boiler. Many companies use infrared light to detect cracks, but a flashlight is sufficient for more noticeable cracks. The combustible gas will become hotter as it accumulates in the exchanger.
The hot combustion gas in the heat exchanger heats up the metal walls. Now, modern condensing gas furnaces have two separate heat exchangers that absorb as much heat as possible. A look at a heat exchanger crack that cant be found youtube. A normally operating gas furnace has a steady blue flame. If your heat exchanger is cracked, your furnace is probably nearing the end of its life 1820 years. It is important that the heat exchanger is taken care of as hazards can build from a faulty exchanger. The heat exchanger on a furnace is the section that keeps the combustion chamber and the breathing air separate 3. More commonly, the cause of a cracked heat exchanger is misapplication or poor maintenance of the furnace. Dec 02, 2016 if you smell a distinctly chemical odor thats similar to formaldehyde, the odor likely results from a crack in the heat exchanger component of your furnace. The blower fan of the furnace then comes on and sends air around the exchanger, where it picks up the heat from the furnace wall, then continues into the ducts. The most common reason a heat exchanger cracks is normal wear and tear. Should i replace my heat exchanger or buy a new furnace. The cause of cracked heat exchangers avoid this common scam. A warning about cracked heat exchangers in gas furnace.
We use it to check co levels given in parts per million, or ppm and determine for sure whether theres a crack in your heat exchanger. Oct 30, 2019 not having proper maintenance performed by a skilled professional will also take years off the life of a heat exchanger. How to tell if furnace heat exchanger is cracked 1. The heat exchanger is aptly named it collects air through the ventilation system and exchanges it to heat with the help of the furnace burners. Any furnace from any brand made installed by any company will eventually develop a crack in the heat exchanger. If a heating contractor finds a cracked heat exchanger and says the furnace needs to be replaced, theyre not pulling a scam unless theyre just outright lying to you about finding a crack. All that heat in older furnaces wasted going up the chimney or flue.
A heat exchanger is made of thin metal, and as it heats up from the combustion of the furnace, it transfers the heat to the air being distributed through the house by the blower 3. Cracks in the heat exchanger are a serious problem and one that should not be ignored both for the safety of your home and for the longevity of your furnace. The heat exchanger is a metal container inside the furnace that collects hot combustion gas from the burners. No matter who you ask, replacing a heat exchanger will be expensive.
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