Watch This Before You Replace Your Gas Furnace!
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- Опубликовано: 31 май 2024
- Klein C/O Detector: amzn.to/3YJKxGA
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In this video we talk about ways you can verify if you heat exchanger REALLY does have a crack in the heat exchanger. Fear mongering in the hvac industry is a real thing so just be smart and do your homework. Cheers
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⚠️ Disclaimer:
This video is for educational purposes. Any and all HVAC repair work is done at your own risk. The DIY HVAC Guy channel is not responsible for any possible damages or injuries caused by the use or misuse of the provided information.
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When this stunt was pulled on my dad I called the heating inspector he then in turn call a reputable contractor who he accompanied to my dad’s home and found no issues with his furnace. The scam contractor lost his right to work in our city mainly because this was not the first time he had been caught.
I worked for a large hvac company, and was often chastised and disciplined for not selling enough equipment. I refused to try to “zoom” customers into buying something they didn’t need. I was taught to repair equipment, and never referred a call to sales unless the furnace was unrepairable OR the customer had requested it.
Good man
You could say they're attempting to GASLIGHT you about your furnace. Love the PSAs, thank you!
I’ve seen techs have pictures on their phone saying this crack is from your furnace. In fact it’s a picture from another unit and not yours. Makes me sick to see this scam to scare people. Cheers, George
That's why you have to be present when they examine it.
That's what I was thinking to, could be a totally different furnace, if they just send a picture.
Love your videos. Hard to find an honest technician these days. Wish you were in the New Jersey area. Keep up the good work and information. You will always be blessed!
Have the tech. send you the picture from their phone to yours and then if you call in another company for a 2nd opinion you can compare photos with what the 2nd tech. has.
Had that happen in 2020. But hated the rep that tried to sell me and called another company to do the install. My old furnace was from 1995. So I chose to replace it with a new 80% Amana with another contractor with a AAA at the better business bureau. Love the new unit and it will help sell the house n a few years. But when they pulled out the old furnace it in pieces from the crawl space, we looked for cracks and there NONE. I should have saved the heat exchanger and the pictures of the cracks to sue their asses off
I'm not an HVAC guy, just somebody who knows they don't know.
Had a friend ask me if I could check a gas furnace for someone. A REAL HVAC guy had been there and told this woman that "the board is not distributing power properly" and would have to be replaced. The blower motor was also "seized" and needed replacement.
I replaced the $30 hot surface ignitor, and three years later the furnace is still running fine.
Thank you for your service, we need more people like us in this wicked world. Much love from Louisiana ⚜️⚜️⚜️💪💪💪
Always get a 2nd opinion. Tell tell sign of a bad heat exchanger is if your furnace trips a safety called the rollout switch while it's running. Grated this safety will usually trip when it is significantly cracked. Reason being the main fan in your AHU will overcome the small inducer fan in your furnace. When it does it will literally push the flame back making it "rollout". Now I have found bad furnaces that don't have massive cracks, but have several pin holes. Pinholes don't cause rollout usually but still a concern and should be replaced. Even so still 100% agree to ask for a 2nd opinion, and ask to see pictures, because if we can see it with our eyes we can sure as heck take a picture of it. Don't let bad/questionable techs give you the run around.
I'm not a big government guy, but if they are caught scamming a customer by turning off their heat, the company should lose its operating license for life. And the owners and tech involved should never be allowed to work in the HVAC field ever again within that jurisdiction. That'll change some of the crooked behavior.
You are an angel. I have suspected the scam for over 10 years. I have CO2 monitors in my basement by my furnace and have been told about 3 different times that I have a cracked heat exchanger. It's been working great and I'm not dead yet. And I have been affected by CO2 and it isn't a joke. A carpet cleaner truck backed up to my open garage and kept the truck going. I was upstairs and I got a headache and ringing in my ears, then my monitor went off. Scary stuff.
Yes having a co tester too close to your furnace will give false negatives. The meters need to be in every bedroom near sleeping areas. Glad you enjoyed the video. Hopefully it was informative. Cheers
You mean C0 not C02, bear in mind in nearly every case that carbon monoxide released from a cracked heat exchanger can only occur in the small amount of time before the blower comes on. At which point the blower pushes the gases back into the heat exchanger and often causes flame distortion.
@@diyhvacguy There should never be any CO in the house anywhere, any intermittent spillage from gas equipment needs to be fixed.
@@mrofnocnonwhich negates a CO problems and instead causes other safety issues, and premature failure of equipment.
This happened to me and a second opinion confirmed that it was a scam. To be safe I picked up an inexpensive CO detector. Unfortunately I have no idea how accurate that detector was. I really appreciate your recommendation of a reliable model. By the was the crack detection was 5 years ago. No problems since. Love your channel. Great advice!
Thanks John! Glad you found it helpful
Our company invested in some Endoscopes that record and are reviewed by the senior techs in real time on all inspections
This kind of corrupted behaviour sadly occurs quite often, as a one time utility gas inspector I saw this several times and it was not done out of ignorance but for profit.
Yes! This happened to me yesterday, the technician perform a borescopes which showed rush inside the furnace (he was called to see why the furnace not fire, no pilot flame ) instead he perform borescope, show me the rust, then tell me he can not do the work and suggested I buy a new one. He told me the estimator can be here right away. I told him no. Before he left, he turned off the gas due to some liability issues he mentioned. The furnace is a 80% efficient type that has metal inlet, condensation caused some places to rush, the heat exchanger looked fine. At the end I still don't know why the pilot not firing. Cost me $95 for nothing.
What’s a waste. I wouldn’t have paid them.
HI my furnace is 46 years old its a Rheem 80% and mine rust to i clean my own furnace every year and have since my hvac guy showed me how if you have to pull your burners out to clean always spray check for any leaks on the gas lines and shut off valve.
Exactly the same thing happened to me, he wanted to condem by furnance I told him to put it back Exactly how he found it, after cleaning it it worked perfectly going on with no issues for a week now.
Great PSA! Getting second opinions or quotes is always a good idea. It also would have been helpful to show visuals of cracked heat exchangers in situ so people know what to look for if a company is claiming this has happened. Maybe an idea for a future video? Thanks!
That’s a great idea! Thank you!
A second opinion often won't help. In rural communities there are usually only a few HVAC contractors and they all know each other and communicate with each other . They will conspire to back up each others lies to rip you off and return the favor when the tables are turned..
The only sure way to be sure you are not a sucker and a chump being taken to the cleaners, is to learn how to do it yourself with videos like this one.
We bought an old house and the HVAC guy said the furnace had a cracked heat exchanger. I had another guy check it and he confirmed that it was cracked. He also advised that it was under warranty and the replacement was free. Never used guy number one again. My dad bought a house and had the A/C checked out. The technician said that it was on its last legs and wasn’t cooling very well. Technician number two checked it and told him it worked perfectly. This was after he bled all the extra Freon the first had put in to make it not work. According to tech two this was a common ruse.
YES! It was super expensive to have it replaced! I was at work and my wife work authorized the repair! Nope, never seen the old parts after they left, because I was still working.
They will also do things like moving the flame sensor, so that it barely makes contact. Furnace keeps cycling, you think it's a goner. I found this myself. Second opinion is great advice.
A simple combustion analysis will tell you if you have a heat exchanger issue. It’s a very important tool in the hvac trade.
EXACT scare tactic used on me almost exactly 1 year ago today. When doing research, they may show an actually cracked Heat Exchanger, however, it likely isn't YOUR furnace and just an old picture they have on the phone. At least for my model furnace, I got him to admit he couldn't SEE it b/c he'd have to first take out the blower to get at it and he went onto tactic 2 of saying "this make/model of furnce is known for having microcracks and with it being X years old, it is very likely" and then proceeded to ask if I had CO detectors so I don't wake up dead. LOL. In short, anytime someone uses "arguements" which are meant to scare or intimidate you, they are very likely LYING! Great PSA!
I think a local company that lives just down the street from us did this exact same thing to our son. His central air unit stopped working (in the middle of a humid summer) which was just a capacitor replacement but was during the beginning of Covid. The owner of the company looked at the furnace and SHOCKINGLY the heat exchanger was cracked...........granted it was 35 years old but when my son bought the house the year before, it all checked out good. My son is an electrical apprentice and did not have the money to replace the furnace and ac so in the "heat" of the moment (it was 95 degrees that day) I asked the guy for a quote for replacement. I kick myself for not making him show me where the heat exchanger crack was to prove it. I was too trusting that someone that lived in MY neighborhood would not take advantage of me but I feel I was wrong. Please do your homework and be diligent when company's tell you this information. Make them show you what has failed.
We have two local hvac companies. One is two doors down. i will never let them touch my stuff. I knew this type of thing existed much more. If they were good and clean, all the neighbors would recommend them. This is not the case. I've heard a few bad stories my self about them both. Please get second opinions, or just watch this guys stuff and DIY. Thanks
I plan to do mine this year if i have the funds. Heat pump and HE furnace
@@scoobtoober2975 Well said! The company I refer to in my above comment was great about getting the job done quickly and fully expected I pay in full the day of the install. We live in the country and I did not have my checkbook with me as my son's house is in town. Wanting to hold up my end of the bargain, I drove to his house to drop off a check. Nobody answered the door when I was there but there clearly was a tv on inside and dogs barking. So I left the check in the door frame. There were rebates given by our utility company for the AC unit so we submitted the info. A couple weeks later they replied that they didn't have all the information needed so we needed to contact the contractor and have him send the info to them. We contacted the contractor multiple times and were told it would be done but weeks later, we still didn't have our rebate check. Obviously once the sale & install was done, he was done with us. We were persistent though and finally after 2 or 3 months got our rebate check. I will NOT recommend the company to anyone
Thanx for the advise and for doing your part in keeping people informed about the realities of the HVAC business.
I'm not an HVAC tech, but I did replace the cracked exchanger in our Goodman about 7 years ago. It had cracked around one of the small rings that hold the halves of the tubes together. It's a scary thing to see those flames dancing back towards you! Didn't feel like pulling the ductwork and coil all apart so I managed to remove the exchanger thru the front via a couple of carefully bent housing pieces... A retired HVAC relative was impressed with the work I did, couldn't believe it came out thru the front. Been running great to this day!
When we purchased our home 10 years ago (in 2013), I noticed our gas furnace was installed in 1986 and was really concerned about CO, so I put a half dozen of the digital readout CO monitors that display the max PPM CO detected when pressing the max history button. I once got a single-digit reading in the past 10 years which I suspect was from cooking on our gas stove. All the other 50+ times I've pressed the max button the monitor showed zero PPM. If I keep my now 37 year old gas furnace I'll purchase the Klein CO meter just to confirm the accuracy of my inexpensive residential CO monitors. To be honest, I've been hoping my gas furnace dies just so I can go over your "DIY replace your own furnace" video and boast to my wife what a manly-man that she married (and promptly get her eye rolls).
Purchased my house in late 2018, seller lied stated the furnace was replaced 15 years ago. I was installed in 1992, when gas was brought to the valley I live in!
It died in November 2022. I ordered a new airquest 80,000 BTU 96% efficiency furnace cost me $1750 including shipping. It arrived a week later and it took me (3) months to not only remove the old piece of crap furnace and had to replace two 2x8 floor joists above that were hacked away like an angry beaver in 1992 when they removed the old coal burning furnace from above!
I’ve done all the work myself ! I Finally got it installed 6 days ago. Had a plumber/HVAC guy install 35Ft of 3 inch PVC pipe. Labor $250 including D rating my furnace, confirming that the air a gas mixture was correct for 5010 feet above sea level, where I live. old duct plenum is 30 years old! Cut down the height Today and it’s a real mess! Looks like an angry beaver, attacked it. I’m gonna temporally reinstall it and order a new Duct Plenum!
Same thing my HVAC Tech told me. High efficiency systems do not pay for the money spent.
Thanks for the honest advice. I'd like to find a reliable technician like yourself should the need arises. You'll no doubt be in business a long time😊
Easiest way to show a customer a definite cracked heat exchanger is by simply putting a grill lighter up to each opening on the heat exchanger and turn the blower on. If there is a crack they will see the flame distortion immediately which makes your job much easier.
Exactly . like you said , it make me very Sad I will call difference Company see wat they saying . Thanks
that heat exchanger being rusted is just as good of a reason to change a heat exchanger. heat exchangers are not made with thick sheets of steel or aluminum and if they have rust they are usually leaking or about to leak.
Another excellent video with excellent advice!
Can you do a video on using the CO meter properly and how and where to test your furnace for CO. Love your channel. Thank you
Great suggestion!
@@diyhvacguydid you end up making this video?
very educative. Thank you regards
You sound like a very good honest heating technician. I wish you were local here in Oklahoma
Great Video… I actually recently picked up the Klein CO meter… mainly because I have a few classic cars and want to be sure their not leaking CO into the cabin.. really sensitive unit
Were they?
Fantastic video, I'm saving this one, Cheers!
Just had two companies try that on me. Turned out it was clogged. I was 2 steps ahead of them and ordered a replacement heat exchanger and had it replaced.
Around here they hit you with the line like well you know this thing is so old we can't really touch it man. In other words I can't put this furnace back in service no matter what and sign off on it.
He did recommend carbon monoxide tester in the house and charged me 80 bucks for the service call.
He didn't have the 90-340 relay that I had already determined I needed to make the inducer motor work again.
I was almost positive he should have had that relay and a few more on his truck.
If they were really that concerned about safety more than selling another furncace they could add some flame roll out switches which mine has none.
I intend to put some on it soon as I can determine that the heat exchanger is not cracked.
Thank you for the great informative video.
Always thanks you again love it be honest is the way to go 😊.
That "I'm turning off the gas and not letting you use your furnace," ploy is the same as a mechanic telling you "I can't let you drive off with your car in that condition." I heard a lawyer say if any mechanic tried that on him he would end up owning his shop.
Some people have a convenient photo on their phone of a cracked heat exchanger. And it won't even be yours!
And that's when you ask to see the date and time when the picture was taken
@@matthewhorwat7540 it takes 0.5 second to take a screenshot of an old picture on your smartphone. It’s good as new.
@@matthewhorwat7540 You should ask them to take a picture with 'YOUR" phone for your records! See what happens!
@@znogaragego3421 You should ask them to take a picture with 'YOUR" phone for your records! See what happens!
Ask for a video lmao. Most techs that I work with record with audio stating customers name and that's days date.
Excellent video!
Do you preform a combustion analysis on your heating preventative maintenance’s?
I had my furnace replaced 3 years ago. They showed me the inside, the control board was melted, if i remember right i did see a crack in mine, they told me that fixing it would cost just as much as getting a new unit.. anyway the old furnace was from 1988.... I had 3 different companies tell me i needed a new unit. So i replaced it.
Cracks are not always easy to find. Rollout or any change in the flame when the blower motor starts is a real good indication of a crack in the heat exchanger. A combustion analyzer is a must for any technician working on such appliances. A rise of more than 2% O2 after the blower motor starts indicates a serious problem. Heat exchangers usually have a warranty of a decade or more so be sure to investigate the warranty. If CO is detected in the space all appliances especially the water heater need to be checked, as they are susceptible to back drafting.
Don't just call anyone to check your furnace, make sue they have proper equipment and knowledge to analyze the flue gas. A combustion analyzer will allow the technician to get the proper air to fuel mixture in the furnace, and this will go a long way to preventing heat exchanger problems in the first place. CO in the flue shouldn't be above manufacturer's recommendations usually around 30 ppm and never above 100 ppm.
The problem with CO is that it's half life is 4 ~ 6 hours in the body. This means in 4 ~ 6 hours after being removed from the exposure half of your exposure will leave the body. 4 ~ 6 hours later another half of the half will leave the body, and 4 ~ 6 hours later again another half of the half of the half will leave the body. You can come home from work and still have the previous exposure in the body. Any amount of CO especially if its more than 9 ppm in your home should be a concern. If you suspect CO poisoning seek medical attention oxygen treatment can significantly reduce the exposure.
The inducer motor is the first thing to start, this creates a negative pressure inside of the burner tube. The blower motor starts about 30 seconds after the flame is established this creates a positive pressure outside of the burner tubes. Air that didn't enter the heat exchanger at the burner will lower the vacuum created by the inducer motor. The extra oxygen when the blower motor starts is detectable with a combination analyzer. This may cause the flame to turn yellow, orange. dance inside of the burner tube and or in worst case roll-out because the vacuum is lost inside of the tubes. The rollout causes combustion gasses to enter the home through the front of the heater and or through the heat exchanger into the duct work.
Vent pipes have to have the right pitch if they don't go straight up. If vent pipes are combined sizing becomes a real problem if not done right. Venting through the roof must be 2 feet above any wall that is within 10 feet to prevent back drafting. This is especially important with naturally asperated appliances like water heaters.
Yep. Young guy from a company we used for years came out for the semi annual maintenance and gave me the old not one but both of my furnaces heat exchangers were cracked. No flame roll out, no other indicators. He had “pictures of my cracks on his phone but they not the most recent photos on his camera roll. Told him no thanks.
I’m doing another video on this soon. It’s such a scam
Those pictures of cracked heat exchangers can be downloaded from Google images and they often are. Next time they show you the picture , have him Email you the picture and do a Google image search on it. That is if he has the balls to send it to you.
I had a heater failure last winter on a 20-y.o. furnace, and the guy actual used a borescope and showed damage. I'm not sure if this was a scam, as the heater was tripping out when trying to start, and the tech did not push hard selling their top tier unit.
Excellent info in your video and I have question. Would this rational also work on hot water tanks, my daughter and son in-law had to replace theirs and it had some convoluted lower sitting on top for venting purposes I’m sure It cost them 4200.00 before taxes ( cdn ), ridiculous.
When I first got started in the field, I got a job with a "company" called United Air Comfort. The whole operation was a joke! They were based in Florida and ran 5 different bullsh*t office in the Midwest. The so called shop I worked for was a rented storage area 🤣. The absolute WORST part was there was no base wage. All of the techs were paid solely on commission! It was literally impossible for any employee to make any money without robbing customers. I went on one call and quit as soon as we got back. Sadly, these types of companies frequently pop up and disappear pretty often. Duct cleaning is a VERY popular one.
I haven't experienced an unnecessary repair yet, but man do HVAC companies charge outrageous amounts for parts and labor. Parts can easily be 3-4x what you could find on Amazon, and then hundreds to thousands on labor that involves a few screws and plugging/unplugging. Having a little know how will save you tons of money.
Try owning a truck full of tools and equiptment, overhead, licensing education, 24/7 your phone can ring and your expected to come running out.
The bigger the company, the bigger the overhead.
It's pretty simple, kinda like how your car cost alot less to make than what you bought it for.
I'm not in this business to break even, go home under a bridge and starve.
@@asbestosfibers1325 As this comment demonstrates. HVAC techs feel that they are entitled to rip you off and scam your money from you because that is where their margins are made. They can't make a living doing cleanings and repairs so they are trained to tell you that you need a new furnace. He is as much as admitting it.
Thank you for your honesty, you are few and far between these days.
Thanks for the tip
Thanks, good info
My furnace installed in 1976.
I was just told that, then I called another company, and they told me the same thing, so he replaced the heat exchanger! Took him about 2.5 hours, good as new! That a replaceable part fix it!
Thank you.
Good reminder 👍
Have you or will you be doing a vid on signs or symptoms of a cracked heat exchanger?
Yes of course!
Show us a demo of how to check our heat exchanger for cracks. Thanks
Few ways to check take out your limit switch and use a snake camra to look at it pull the blower motor and crawl in the space and feel and look those are the best ways to check
I was told today that our heat exchanger had loose tubes because the tech could move the tubes slightly in and out of the collector box. I couldn't move them personally. He pushed to replace. Do you think loose tubes justify replacement?
A combustion analyzer never lies
Dear DIY HVAC Guy,
I've seen videos that suggest odd color flame patterns (orange, yellow or green) or rollouts (flame pattern flares) are symptoms of a cracked heat exchanger. If these conditions do NOT exist, is it a safe assumption the heat exchanger is NOT cracked??
HVAC company told me my heat exchanger had a crack in it. The quote to replace it was $3500 or $10,000 for a new furnace. I I had a local appliance company order me a heat exchanger for $520 and I replaced it myself in 2.5 hours. I even put in a new inducer motor for $105.
Thanks
Just an FYI, that Klein is just UEI in orange. It'll work but there are much better CO detectors.
Thanks for the tip but how do we know what's the correct reading on the detector? Should be zero?
There is a safe level of co which is 35ppm I believe but yes you should be reading zero with the handheld
thanks
Thanks 🙏
Sadly, I am an old man, and cannot crawl around in the attic anymore to view my heat exchanger. I have to rely on my HVAC company being honest.
Amen, brother.
Good tips. Are they legally allowed to turn off your gas or disable (lockout) your heater or gas?
Most companies policy is to turn the gas off at the furnace, have the homeowner sign saying they know the concerns of turning it back on. A lot of times it’s a scare tactic. Sometimes they are telling the truth though.
But yes they are legally allowed. The homeowner is also legally allowed to turn it right back on
Thanks!
Thanks so much! 🙏🏻
I was upsold a new furnace/AC because of clamp rings in the pan and the technician "A" red tagged the furnace, turned off the gas in March. For one thing, there was NO roll back on the heat exchanger tubes and the flame was blue. A blue flame does not produce Carbon Monoxide. Just like my stove on Thanksgiving, it is considered safe. It is not safe if it is an orange flame and as I recall 5 ppm Carbon Monoxide it the maximum tolerable amount of the CO. Just think if it was a small apartment with a tenant having exotic pets worth $10000 and tech turns off the heat thereby killing them. It's the law that the heat must be 21 deg in a rental. They can prove the tech liability if there was less than 5 ppm CO and a "B" red tag would have provided enough heat and time to prevent the loss. The technician without insurance is going to be paying big time for each and every tennant whose temp went below 21 deg. "A" tagging a furnace is not something you want to do, not ever, unless there is more than 5 ppm in the air. There are rules which strongly dictate that heating a home in Canada, is not debatable. A home must be heated and not below 21 degC. If you turn off the heat, then you are breaking those rules, not the home owner, BECAUSE if they can prove the furnace was not an immediate threat but only a potential threat. As I said, Engineering.cm states something to the effect that the average stove burns 60 cf/hr natural gas. That's up to 6 open burners on top, an oven and warming drawer. Tell me how you know when those open flames produce Carbon Monoxide. Truth is they don't. An open flame, with all burner on high and you want to turn the gas off because there is no exhaust manifold when a furnace uses 90cf/h. That's not much difference and you are telling me that's a life threatening 30ppm CO. No way kid, you pay for a redtag scam. Those furnaces heat exchanger were known to pop the rings at the moment they were connected. The manufactures knew it. The gas company knew it. The safety regulators knew it. They all said, a failure of the clam shell is not an immediate threat. Now I don't agree. Those clam type heat exchangers didn't last but they said, even if the clam shell cracks open, its not an immediate threat. If you are not insured, and you turn off a furnace in the deep winter cold, good luck keeping your home.
Those clamp rings being failed means the heat exchanger is compromises. No ifs ands or buts.
If the technician chooses to ignore a failure like this it is a financial liability that is not worth it, they can be sued.
We have a legal obligation to shut down compromised equiptment.
It is what it is.
If it's leaking co into the air stream I'm locking it off.
Don't care what your opinion on the matter is.
@@asbestosfibers1325There are rules which strongly dictate that heating a home in Canada, is not debatable. A home must be heated and not below 21 degC. If you turn off the heat, then you are breaking those rules, not the home owner, BECAUSE if they can prove the furnace was not an immediate threat but only a potential threat. As I said, Engineering.cm states something to the effect that the average stove burns 60 cf/hr natural gas. That's up to 6 open burners on top, an oven and warming drawer. Tell me how you know when those open flames produce Carbon Monoxide. Truth is they don't. An open flame, with all burner on high and you want to turn the gas off because there is no exhaust manifold when a furnace uses 90cf/h. That's not much difference and you are telling me that's a life threatening 30ppm CO. No way kid, you pay for a redtag scam. Those furnaces heat exchanger were known to pop the rings at the moment they were connected. The manufactures knew it. The gas company knew it. The safety regulators knew it. They all said, a failure of the clam shell is not an immediate threat. Now I don't agree. Those clam type heat exchangers didn't last but they said, even if the clam shell cracks open, its not an immediate threat. If you are not insured, and you turn off a furnace in the deep winter cold, good luck keeping your home.
.
My alarm guy suggested getting plug in CO detectors because by the time the ceiling mount unit goes off you’re dead. CO settles to the floor as it’s heavier than air. Thoughs? Also why can’t you just replace the heat exchanger instead of the entire unit? Same qurleation for the AC coil.
1) it usually costs 1000-2 for heat exchangers as they are usually the same amount of labor as replacing the furnace.
2) if the furnace is old you are looking at other expensive repairs in the near future.
3) warranties expire usually after 5-10 yrs.
4) some people just like new shit.
You are incorrect about CO. Its specific gravity is 0.96716, which means it is lighter than air. I think you are thinking of CO2, which is 1.53, heavier than air. CO floats ever so slightly up.
I’d like you guys to tell people that a cracked heat exchanger is not the end of a furnace, you can have a heat exchanger out in. Also it’s important to install an exhaust vent cover /chimney on an external gas pack or furnace and to seal the perimeter of the vent. I just replaced an inducer fan of galvanized steel that rotted out and disintegrated in less than 10 years because the cover for the side exhaust vent wasn’t sealed to the furnace housing, water got in and rotted the unit. 50c of caulk to prevent all that damage. It’s like not using appropriate flashing on a house. It borders on criminal, it’s definitely a failure of accepted work standards.
You don't think that condensate having an acid property has ANYTHING to do with this occurrence ! ! !
i found many cracked heat exchangers and always showed customer a clear picture with my camera, never been second guessed.
liar.
Alkaline batteries are notorious for leaking and ruining devices. What type do you use in your CO detector? Alkaline, rechargeable, or lithium?
I use the plug in kind that runs on house current with a nine volt battery back up. They don't leak.
Just happened to me today.
The PSA was OK, With the heat exchanger being cracked it sometimes shows up in the flame as "Disturbed" when the blower fan comes on, not calm as it is when the Blower fan is not running.
If your heat exchanger is really cracked, is it cost efficient to replace the exchanger or get a new heating unit. Assuming everything else is in good working order in the heating unit? Not knowing the cost of a heat exchanger, and diying, I assume it would be less expensive than a completely new heating unit.
If you were able to diy, then yes it would be cost effective but typically if the heat exchanger is cracked, other items are soon to go on the furnace. Typically it’s better to swap out the whole thing. You can get a new 80% furnace for less then a thousand on Amazon. If you need some help with a replacement, check out our membership over at Patreon.com/diyhvacguy! Cheers
@@diyhvacguy I don't yet have a issue with my heat exchanger, just a preemptive hypothetical. Thanks.
Can the heat exchanger be replaced, or do you need a new furnace? Also, if it's in a difficult spot to take a picture, how do they know it's cracked?
You should ask them to take a picture with 'YOUR" phone for your records! See what happens!
In theory, it can be replaced. But the labor to do so wouldn't be worth it for an older unit (as it would be if it had a crack.)
Exactly. The labor would be so high that it would be more cost effective to replace it. Unless the heat exchanger is under warranty of course.
We had ours replaced under warranty. However, thinking back, if I had to the same situation come up again, I'd probably put the $500 in labor into a new 2 stage furniture and install it myself.
You can tell if you have a crack just by watching the flames in the burners. When the flames just start before the blowers kick on. They should be burning inside of the burner tubes and no fames touching the medal around them. If you have a crack when the blower kick on the flames no longer burns just in the tubes of the cracked cell they will hit the medal around the tubes. Watching it change with the blower running shows you what cell is cracked. The next thing is the roll out switches need to be reset because the burner box gets to hot. Because the flames are heating up the burner box. You should be able to hold your hand on the burner box even after running ten minutes if it not cracked.
Can't take anyone seriously that doesn't know the difference between "metal" and "medal".
Well you should get a medal for pointing typos. @@sylviaisgod6947
Just because there is a crack doesn’t mean it’s necessarily spilling CO-facts!
Wish I'd seen this last September.🤨
they did this to my mom. Wish I'd known this then.
I had a furnace tune-up last week, by a professional technician. He drilled a hole in the PVC furnace exhaust pipe & inserted a probe to do a Co2 gas leak test. He said he had positive proof the heat exchanger was not leaking. Is this a legitate test??
Yes that is correct. They can check them with a combustion analyzer, but what will happen is when they find one that is marginal, they will automatically say it’s a cracked heat exchanger instead of getting a visual.
That form of testing is the most professional way to test CO.. actually as a matter of fact. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY FURNACES SHOULD BE TESTED!. It's called a Combustion Analysis
@@diyhvacguy and what happens when it is in the seam of the primary and secondary. No visual is able to be obtain. What about when you have build up inside the heat exchanger cause bad flow and no visual is possible. Indirect inspections such as combustion analysis is proof positive of the condition of your system. As you gain experience in this trade you will learn more sophisticated and reliable ways to perform diagnostics instead of just "take a picture" mentality.
I made a response to another comment down the page. This is one of those types of videos that would " IMO " have gotten substantially more views if done in say Oct, November, when people are turning on their furnaces. DEFINITELY BE HOME. AND DEFINITELY SEE THE CRACK. ALSO, CHECK THE WARRANTY. CHANGING OUT A HEAT EXCHANGER ISN'T THAT HARD. JUST VERY MANY SCREWS.
It's a good idea to have this detector but it should be noted that the sensor has a life span of 5 years. Non replaceable sensor. All CO detectors have a life span.
What are the symptoms of a cracked heat exchanger?
Your Carbon Monoxide alarm will go off because the combustion air is co mingling with the heated air in the house. The symptoms of an HVAC tech lying to you are whenever his mouth is moving.
Get a good C O detector with a parts per million read out and learn how your furnace works.
The heat exchanger may not be cracked but it might as well be because when your secondary heat exchanger becomes plugged (which it will) with any sort of contamination, the result is the same. High CO! Junk.
Why can't they just replace the heat exchanger? A new furnace costs five times the amount of a heat exchanger.
Where are you located?
Imagine people lying to get business? Unbelievable.
I actually let repair man replace my 30 year old furnace. Said it could see a crack showing through an inspection port. My old furnace had filter on inside. When he was done, I found the filter duck taped on the inside of new furnace. I asked about it. Was told they would be back. They have never been back.
Wow, what a shister.
@@diyhvacguy And he seamed like a good guy. He worked for me previously. Replaced inductor motor for about $300 including labor. And replaced an ignitor for very little at all. New furnace was $33167 installed with new programable thermostat. Didn't pressure me entirely. Just pointed out that I should start saving up money. And get carbon monoxide detectors.
This all happened right in the middle of Covid. I foresaw what was going to happen with inflation. That factored into my decision to replace it earlyl
Are Thermal Zone 80% furnaces know for having bullet proof heat exchangers? That is what he told me.
Liked and subbed
Wow
Sure there are some shady hvac contractors out there but they are not the majority, not even close. That being said, a competent technician should be able to show you the crack, not just tell you it’s cracked. Also, it should not just be dismissed. If you don’t trust your technician, call out a different technician for that second opinion.
Thank you for what you do,God bless. 🙏🙏
Won't have this issue with a ducted heat pump :)
I would not trust any picture in their camera. It could be an old picture. Buy the hand-held detector. It's just too easy to find unscrupulous contractors.
wish i had seen this 2 weeks ago , now we have $19,000 bill 😢
Bummer… hopefully they did a good job and you’ll get many years out of it :)
Same here. Just signed the contract