Are you sure you’re using your power tools safely? Avoid the most common (and dangerous) mistakes! Get your FREE guide here 👉 bit.ly/10PowerToolMistakes
You saved a family in radcliff Kentucky today! Heard this video a week ago. My mom got a co detector. Today, it went off and she went buy another and batteries to be sure- kept babies out house. It was 200ppm. Unit 40 yrs old. Her landlord just did not know. The exchanger rusted holes and the timing was truly life saving. Fire department airing out their trailer. I thank you so much. My boyfriend is HVAC but doesn’t see many residentials. We just talked about this and how you felt people need to talk about it. I had never thought about it and it’s just amazing how caring this message is. We did research on sudden deaths and you are filling a complex need for people to just understand call someone who knows this for a living to keep you safe. Many people can run things until they don’t run and not think or remember to get a fall inspection is so simple. Thank you! 3 babies we can hug with confidence tonight because we heard you in time. Thank you for thinking of what we needed to hear! Thank you!
This is a great video but God damn dude I can edit down to like 2 mins and get all the important info across. I like people like you when I'm really learning. But when I'm looking for the point this is a but winded. No matter what the first 1 minute of this video can go. Almost exact minute. Great video
I’m an HVAC contractor for over 30 years. I must say you did an incredible job addressing carbon monoxide. Hopefully this will reach a lot of people and maybe even save a life.
@@MrGameingworks yes . Stop watching bs videos . I am a senior tech with over 22 years of experience . As far as troubleshooting you need to learn how to properly use electric meter, static pressure and know how to read wiring diagram. Having a good refrigerant leak detector. I recommend d-tech 👌.
Yep, it's pretty sweet getting a hundreds bucks or more for shining a flashlight on someone's furnace. And, it gives you the chance to bamboozle anyone with a furnace that's more than ten years old into replacing it with a "more efficient" one.
@@oldcountryman2795 So you expect to have someone travel to your house with a truck and parts and not pay them at least $100? Do you suggest that they burn $20 worth of gas for travel and a couple hours of their time (to travel and do maintenance) and you should pay them $20? Come on man. You can think the world is out to get your money but you need to see the value in services. You can take your chances and save your money
@@oldcountryman2795 I’ll bet you think everyone in the world is out to screw you. I was a 45 veteran of the HVAC Service industry. I was in the trade to help people, not to screw them. Out of thousands of customers I had, I could only count on one hand, the ones that had shitty attitudes just like yours.
How have I not seen this video sooner?! I've never seen furnace dangers explained so succinctly and at a level for the common person. Most other videos are filled with echo-chamber jargon that only other techs would understand. Your aim is to get homeowners to be aware of situations that are usually beyond their comprehension. Bravo.
Another 33 year HVAC professional here. I have a very dim view of home inspectors. They are a pro in whatever they did before becoming an inspector. Everything else now they’re looking at from 30,000 feet. I wish I had a nickel for every time a homeowner said, through tears, “the home inspector said….” However I found you, and your video, accurate, informative and helpful. It is is my professional opinion that whether it’s a roof, foundation or HVAC system, only a pro in those areas has a pros eyes. Kudos to you for a great video.
I get your concern, but it is not realistic to send a licensed roofer, electrician, plumber, HVAC and foundation guy out to every possible home sale for an inspection. A well trained and conscientious home inspector is likely the general public's best bet at getting someone to catch the most egregious deficiencies in the most expensive purchase of their life. The HI training I am going thru now also repeatedly emphasizes when things look shady or suspect, you absolutely tell the client to get that professional out there for the discipline in question to do a thorough check. Besides all that, the tech from all those disciplines that actually shows up to the house is often ( if not mostly ) NOT the guy the holds the real knowledge and license for the company.
@@davec6016 I might add that there are a few areas that a pro in that area might be a good idea. My experience, like HVAC techs honestly, is that competency, can be hit and miss. So, while I agree with your assessment, because it can cost a fortune to hire specialists, your comment assumes 'a well trained and conscientious home inspector' is a given. IME, it's not. If a home inspector represents himself as all things home, it's a red flag. Home inspectors---done well---are excellent generalists. If their trained eyes see something, they should always recommend a specialist in that discipline. On that we agree.
I'm clearly not the only one to think this but your approach, as well as your presentation, make this video absolutely outstanding! I almost never leave comments but you deserve to know that in less than 10 minutes you've managed to save more lives than you may ever know. Thank you😊
Yea what a bunch of clowns, because clearly you've been taking in large amounts of carbon monoxide and all it's done to you is make you a douche!!! Keep in mind that you're the one who spent 10 minutes plus watching a video and reading comments about something you think only an idiot would enjoy and than you went ahead and commented so the world would know rather than just keeping it to yourself.. but we're the idiots. I'd say you gotta wonder but I'm afraid you would and than you'd be mad at me when you got lost.
@@justsumgurl5718 YES LOL YOU ARE! . BUY AND PLUG IN CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR! THERE LOL I JUST SAVED YOU 10 MIN OF BS! MOST OF WHAT HE SAID IS BS!!!! I AM A SENIOR TECH!!! I HELP OTHER TECHS WHEN THEY DONT KNOW!!! VIDEOS LIKE THESE ARE VERY DANGEROUS!!!! HE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE ON WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT!!! INCLUDING DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT PATS ARE CALLED AND WHAT THEY DO!!!
@@justsumgurl5718 I am Goodman, Carrier, LG, Samsung, Whirlpool and GE certified!!! I worked Samsung Factory Warranty! My company is rated #1 troubleshooting By Fidelity and American home shield!! I design systems! I've been doing this probably before you were born!
Also, remember that CO mixes readily with the air in your home. Many people will buy just one detector and put it in the basement where their furnace is normally located. This does you no good if it alarms at 3 in the morning while you are fast asleep. Always have one close to your bedroom to give yourself the best chance of it waking you up.
Unless u have all your Lamar’s hardwired together’ so if my basement one goes off all go off but the one outside bedrooms talks and says fire/ co2 detected But if u have just battery power ones absolutely one n the basement does u no good if your bedrooms r 2 floors up etc I’d say 1 n hall by bedrooms 1 by furnace If u hve a gas stove one in kitchen too
My carbon monoxide detector is in the basement 3 ft away from the furnace and it's connected to the joist. The bedroom is directly above it and the bed is directly above the carbon monoxide detector so believe you me I will hear it.
@@joycedudzinski9415 you could be correct, but you might be surprised at the studies that have shown how people can sleep through alarms like that. A lot of it has to do with the pitch of the sound. Me, I want every advantage I can get.
I'm not an HVAC tech, rather I'm an engineer in another discipline. I thought some might be interested to know the following: The largest combustion products produced when burning natural gas (primarily methane) is CO2 (carbon dioxide) and water. Burning 100,000 BTU worth of natural gas produces about 1.25 gallons (almost 10.5 pounds) of water and 1.7 pounds of CO2. It's the CO2 produced that is of concern related to CO (carbon monoxide). If the natural gas flame is starved for oxygen, less of the carbon content of the methane is transformed into CO2 and more of that carbon is transformed into CO.
HVAC here over 45 yrs great video for the ones ( homeowners new techs ) that wont to know & or learn about Gas fired furnaces Thanks Please keep e coming
Gas man here. Furnace inspections come with the job and so often these things can be easily overlooked, especially by someone who not trained to look for them. That’s why we recommend customers to have them inspect them annually! Great information on here! Hope this reaches more people!
And to support the video. Remember the average home owner will likely NOT be able to evaluate furnace performance. The pros that are up to date do an exhaust or stack gas analysis that consists of the % of CO2 and the stack temp. Certain temp level not below or too much above must be achieved to assure the furnace is BURNING and VENTING the gas efficiently. The stack temp and draft testing using a draft meter along with a combustion analyzer will help assure the unit is healthy working safely and effectively. Your tech needs to be a pro, trained in gas furnace operations, know how to visually evaluate and then do the combustion gas analysis and draft. The adjustments here if needed will involve the air mixture to the burner, the draft restriction (if a damper is used) and possibly even gas pressure. It's not rocket science but it does require a Pro!
I got a new water heater. For a year and a half I had to have techs come to replace a safety devise designed to detect?....My son and daughter in law came to visit while we were at church. The device failed closing the vent and creating carbon monoxide detectors to go off scaring my daughter in law. When we got there the fire department had determined it was showing high levels by my dryer (electric) and furnace I suppose a back flow down the chimney? They would not let me in....the windows were open they were masked, I said did you turn down the thermostat lol, no of course not...yeah lobby congress for your safety devices...my boiler was 30 years old anything you buy might last 15 years...my water heater was 30 years old. I replaced it because I was afraid my wife would have problems while I was on the road trucking...government will kill us protecting us...use your brains people
Lol you love to be able to "plug in" a device that trouble shoots for you, lol that is stealing your ability to be a good service recognition because you presume those reading are specific...more than one factor contributes to the malfunctions that occur with sensors and what they are predetermined to detect...carbon monoxide takes no prisoners...your elitest presumptions are only supported by nativity, I appreciate the hours you give to training and hard work of going into strangers houses. Just dont be presumptuous in your analysis and you know I am right
This is very important and true. I have been dealing with this for months and am currently recovering. I am scared of my heating unit now. Twice I have had to call for repairs due to this in 2022. I am losing my hair as a result and other health issues. Oddly a third call to the gas company, I was told that I did not have an issue. This exact part in the video is what was repaired the second time.
👍👍. Your right, a lot of people don’t think about servicing their furnace until something goes wrong, like no heat. Treat your equipment casually, and you may become a casualty. Thanks for the vid.
Great video...I'm semi retired HVAC...I wish you could or would do one on the portable electric heaters and how running them on to thin an extension cord causes fires...Like 14 gauge and worse, 16 gauge cords, that are often to small and to long that cause fires...Every year, you hear about them...Multiple items plugged into a multi plug extension cords, often along with the heater = fire...So many killed, so many children lost by so many, just not knowing...Thanks for the video.
13 years with a now 25 year old furnace and never had serviced. What I've learned. The igniter typically fails when it's 10 degrees out due carbon buildup on the flame sensor from turning on and off constantly. To prevent this I take some 320 or 440 grit sandpaper and give the flame sensor a yearly light sanding before it gets really cold and I now don't have to worry about the igniter dying, but I do have a spare. I just replaced the draft inducer blower which wasn't too hard to do or diagnose when it starts making the bearing noise. I do have to give it a good cleaning, but will ride it as long as the flame is blue and it still looks good. Up in New England so it gets a good workout in the winter. Rheem Criterion II. Now that I realize it's close to the end of it's recommended life expectancy I'll keep a closer eye on it.
Thank you! This looks like our unit and we are experiencing these exact problems right now! 🙏🙏🙏 We’ve turned it off and we are going to get it looked at asap.
Thank you for this video. I just replaced my furnace and recognize many of the old furnaces’ disfunction. I had unusual moisture buildup throughout the house. Unusual dust everywhere. A faint burn smell at times. My carbon monoxide detectors were not triggered and they are relatively new also. Now heat is more even, not smelly, etc. You stay safe also.
You didn't have to replace your furnace, your problem was you don't change your filters every month. The burning smell is dust on the heat exchangers. Basically you needed maintenance! But because of him you wasted your money.
Great Vid Thanks I was a roofing contractor for over 35 years. Today I can take you within a mile of my house and show you many Flue pipes that are plugged from bird nest. In The Baton Rouge area, we lack a critical inspection. I have stopped at many a house to point out a major problem. In today's climate of untrust, many people do not want to hear they will die by fire or Co poisoning. I even talked to a state fire marshall who didn't want to hear and was too lazy to save lives.
Thank you for this very important video. Years ago when we purchased our first house, we did have a house inspection and nothing major showed up. When the winter came we bought a carbon monoxide detector. In fact our friend asked us to buy one for her also. We bought it, plugged it in and it started to scream. We thought oh, this one must be defective, and plugged the second one in to the same result. Called the gas company and they tagged the furnace for carbon monoxide. Funny thing is a couple of days before we bought the detectors, both my wife and I were getting headaches. We consider ourselves lucky and have never been without a carbon monoxide detector since.
talks about rollout switch has arrow pointing to flame sensor. the rollout switch is the black circle on top of the burner box seen in photo {3:40}. everything else in this video is 100% explained perfectly.
Thank you so much!!! This is exactly what was happening to us thank god we caught it on time before it killed us! Need to change the secondary heat exchanger. This video did a great job explaining exactly what’s happening.
GREAT video. As an HVAC tech of 35+ yrs, you nailed it. Lots of people don’t ever have their gas furnaces serviced until it breaks. I tell ‘em all the time the maintenance is for safety 1st.
nice presentation...technical point, your arrow at 3:39 is pointing at the flame sensor. The roll out switches are on top of the metal plate just above the flame sensor. Love that you are educating people as it is needed.
My company performs combustion analysis on every furnace we walk up on. The main issue I’ve found with premature heat exchanger failure is oversized furnace and/or inadequate duct system running too high static pressure. Very common to see furnaces rated at .5” w.c. running .8, .9 and sometimes over 1.00”. Even worse on 90+% furnaces that require 150 cfm per 10,000 btu. On top of that you have customers closing too many vents and using restrictive filters or not replacing filters frequently enough.
Back in the esrly 80's, my cousin and a few other kids died in their sleep in a cabin when the exhaust of a propane refrigerator broke in the middle of the night. ANY propane appliance needs to be watched closely.
Glad I watched this! Had some issues with my unit last year and tried to fix it myself. Honestly wasn't sure what was causing issues but I'm gonna have to schedule a pro to come check everything. This is my first house so I'm learning alot. The fun don't stop 🤣
When it comes down to a conditioning the certain rules on things you can do and can't do without getting yourself into trouble on furnaces just call us it's safer for everybody and when it comes down to freon don't touch it because that's an EPA Federal violation
Furnaces are safe in general. Don't panic. They have safeties that prevent them from turning on if they are rolling out or drafting incorrectly. In general dangerous situations are created by incorrect installations or technicians who bypass the safeties. Most modern furnaces can't function with cracked heat exchangers. But have a carbon monoxide detector in your house!
Hello, My furnace was installed in 1961. I remember when the house was being built. It's an old Lenox with the gas jets made of cast iron. And yes over the course of the last 30 years, i,ve literally taken the furnace apart. Taking out that heat exchanger and shinning a light down each of the sections of heat exchanger for blow holes and or corroded spots. To this date none where found. The three gas jets where taken out and with my garage shop air I blasted those gas jets clean. Even like flausing teath , took some size # 0.023 welding wire and flaused those gas jets. Cleaned also the two limit switches. Made sure there functions work by temporary disconnecting blower fan motor to make sure they would cut out with excess ambient heat. Made sure that blower motor impeller would have required lubrication and belt would be inspected for cracked etc. Plus the seasonal change out of any and all filters. And yes above all, I took out the old fireomatic that is installed above the furnace directly above the flu pipe with a heat/ smoke / carbon monoxide detector, with a reverse acting relay that when it goes into alarm, it also shuts down the furnace as well as the rest of my house attic ventilator gets shut down as well as to not create a draft to accelerate a fire. Old furnaces are not fuel efficient, but they can last along time to this very day keeping me warm, if proper maintenance is performed. And yes, it is an old pilot burning gas valve. And yes, i,ve cleaned out connecting tube's of dirt and made sure thermocouple is still looping the circuit for proper ignitions. My skill sets are derived from working with burner technicians over the years. I,ve wired many such appliances. I currently work at a passenger rail facility in which we have many suspension gas heaters heating up the train shed. Every Oct we do inspections. The units themselves don,t last long due to the corrosive environments of what our train sets bring in. The first order of business that taught me in my previous employer as an industrial electrician is " CLEAN----INSPECT----& LUBE OR MAINTAIN..... MISS PAULA WALACH-FORMER INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICIAN-UNION MEMBER IBEW LICENSED SINCE 1972.STILL WORKING FULL TIME PS I love what I do in the trade.
Such an incredible video. So important. Every year we hear stories of families that have perished due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Its a seasonal occurrence that rings in the long, cold, dark winter months with a cloud of dread. Thank you so much for posting this video. Im certain it has saved countless lives already.
Hvac guy here. I'm in the South on natural gas. On the topic of CO in general, I see roofers pull out vents and never reconnect them in the attic, bad vent placement and materials, not double walled. I see it in winterized homes that are brought back online when h2o heater fills back up, sits down and breaks the vent collar at top of the unit. Lots of older hvac units that need adjustments. Big trend here when we had tax rebates to over insulate houses. Locks up all the combustible air. Great video. Those free biannual checks to look over your equipment may be opportunities to upsell by bad companies, but if the tech is good, they will hopefully catch this. Also, make sure your filters aren'tblocked up. Thanks for the video.
Also, keep an eye on the flue, especially for 80% furnaces (metal flue). If rusted or not securely attached to couplers or other pieces, carbon monoxide isn’t being vented properly and will be pulled back through the home.
Yes, trailer furnace been putting out less heat every year and it finally put out the fire. Checked everything and out had about two inches of loose rust in bottom of flue and unburnt gasses but the flame out. Took a magnet and Walla. Seem to feel better this heating season too!
Years ago I went thru at least a 3 day spell where I was light headed & feeling miserable. Fortunately my burner stopped working & the burner guy came to fix it. Then he asked how was feeling & tells me I'm lucky the burner stopped. It was because of the carbon monoxide.
Thank you! When I moved into my home so many years ago, one of the first investments was a hard wired carbon monoxide detector. No batteries that can be forgotten, and thats nice. But.. gas detectors of any type need calibrations checked. This, at present is a hole in the market. I am sure I could chase down test gas, but hvac guys are mostly missing this opportunity of regular maintenance.
Excellent presentation, I remember in the early 70's the furnace in our house had to be replaced. My mother said the "coils" had cracked, which I believe where the heat exchange mentioned in the video. While I do not remember the make of the old furnace, it was a big green monster of sorts. The new one was a General Electric. The one drawback was having to remove the bottom cover to change the filter. Unlike the old one, which the duct work it dropped down between the in-let duct upstairs and the furnace blower.
Great delivery! You hit the nail square on the head. I’ve watched furnace repair videos over the past couple of years and hardly any of them mention the silent killer(CO). About 2 years ago,I saw a YT video made by what appeared to be a mom who was cold and desperate. Apparently, she started poking around the inside of the furnace looking for the reason why it wouldn’t turn on. Well, she found the cause, she pushed the “magic button” and all of a sudden, the heat comes on. She was so proud of her success that she felt a need to share it with everyone. Guess what she found ……….. the FLAME ROLLOUT SENSOR!!! In her video, she made no mention of what it was or any mention of getting the unit serviced, just PUSH THAT MAGIC BUTTON. I hope and pray that her and her family are alive today.🙏 This video just gave me a profound enlightenment that when we service a furnace ( either professionally or as a DIY’er), we are responsible for the lives of the people who live there !! Thank you, again 🙏💪👍
Don’t believe everything you watch on you tue. A week or so ago I watched a video of an idiot teaching people how to fix their own furnace by bypassing the rollout safety switch, “just to get by”. Lots of bad info out there, but this video is pretty much spot on.
Absolutely great video. I had my heater turned on today and the tech showed me the orange flame and some blowback. Said I need to monitor it through the day and shut it off at night until I can replace furnace ($2000). I'm going to have someone come out to check ventilation for blocks. Have 1 carbon monoxide detector but getting a couple more. Your video really explained what could be happening. I'm hoping the issue is fixable without having to replace the whole furnace. Tech didn't detect any carbon monoxide through the vents, but I can't take any chances. Thx for the video
Thank you for all of this information...I had a previous friend/ business owner who did hvac for over 30 years, and wanted to charge us $12k... he put in a wrong oriface which ultimately destroyed the heat exchanger in less than a year ... he was out of state when i called him to tell him what was going on... I told him soo many of the things I didn't know at the time but in this vid you said to look out for ... if not for me finally getting mad and calling a real hvac pro ( fishing was more important than our lives apparently) my wife and i could have been dead, after seeing this vid and knowing as a pro he should have know ...now i know for sure what to look out for .. I will never trust David stout of American pride heating and cooling .... thank you soo much for getting this information out there , and thank God my wife and I are still alive
Actually it’s the flame sensor, it’s job is to make sure there is a flame at all and that it isn’t just wasting and un-ignited gas. Most furnaces are actually equipped with a hot surface igniter. I do believe the only furnaces that still use spark ignition is Rheem, and Rudd.
@@rando_webb8704 nope that’s the spark igniter the flame sensor is located to the left and under the burners for access , Lennox also offers spark ignition for gas furnaces
@@rando_webb8704 4:01 is the flame sensor. I thought the same thing at first, then I remembered the flame sensor you can unplug the wire from it and the igniter the wire is part of the it and has to be unplugged at the other end. Good job catching his mistake, ether way that not the rollout sensor.
@@johnbarnett2804 yep, you're right. Just saw that. I also recognize the shape of those burners, but I can't quite place the manufacturer. Where I work, we deal mostly with Bryants. Edit: just looked it up, it's a Rheem. And I have never seen a rheem that didn't use a spark igniter.
Agree 100% on getting a pro to check. IMHO, this is one area that is not a DYI job. Hire an experienced HVAC technician or company and (I) opt for an annual service contract with a spring and fall full inspection to make sure heating and air conditioning are working properly. That includes full system mechanical inspection & operation, fuel leak detection (natural gas in my case), pressure testing (airflow operation in and out of the unit - how well it is delivering heat/cold air) and venting operation that is critical to make sure there is no carbon monoxide leaking (especially important to high-efficiency systems). Those tests require special equipment that any average homeowner does not, nor has the experience to use.
From a service tech standpoint, this was explained very well . People need to get equipment checked every year. Install carbon monoxide detectors . I don’t know how many natural gas units I run across and people are CLUELESS about carbon monoxide detectors. Great explanation for the homeowners.👍
Really good video. I'm an hvac journeyman and you hit on alot of important stuff. I'd add that some early symptoms of C.O poisoning are headaches, nausea, dizzyness. Also, minor detail but at 3:38 the arrow is pointing to the electronic sparker not the roll-out switch.
@@shawnbellerose194 I see two rollout sensors, one directly above where the arrow is pointing, attached and thru the horizontal plate and the other is on the opposite end of the plate.
Actually he's right that is the spark. Flame sensor is located below the venturi's where you can see the orange wire. I work on rheem and ruud all the time and NATE certified
yup, a video like this is why you are well suited to starting a full-on training program/college that you mentioned in a recent video. Looking forward to it!
We had our semi-annual inspection done right before cold weather hit. The heat exchanger was corroded with holes. Tech told us when we turned on the heater for the first time this winter it would have been deadly. He was very happy we had carbon monoxide detectors. I am grateful for our maintenance plan. Paid off in spades this year.
Did your carbon monoxide go off? Or you believe the first techs word? Because it's impossible for heater to operate with holes in your heat exchangers. Secondly your co detector will let you know right away. Remember not everyone is honest!
@@yurydolinsky always get a second opinion unless u 100% trust ur techs word... cus everyone is a sales man first. I woulda asked for proof and see where it failed then authorize the repair
@@yurydolinskyNo it's not impossible at all. A hot air furnace would technically run with no heat exchanger at all. The burner doesn't know what's going on. The safety on these is the flame sensor, which is the thing this dumbass mistook for the roll out switch. The only other safety is the proving switch on the power venter that closes when the fan comes up to speed to ensure sufficient draft. If those two conditions are satisfied, the burner will run when the thermostat calls, regardless of the condition of the heat exchanger.
I reside in San Francisco, California. My father was a sheet metal licensed contractor for 56 years. We manufactured and installed all types of sheet metal from flashings, gutters, chimney sweeping, roof repairs, gutters rain drains and downspouts. Also from water heaters and central heating systems, wall heaters and space heaters. What is very much of a concern is when others replace let’s say a furnace they never go up to the roof and check if it’s properly vented. I had one instance where an old gravity heater was rusted at the unit because a handyman put a bucket over the roof flashing that the chimney had blown off. Also roofers install a standard bonnet top for type B venting instead of a proper metal bestos termination duct with a high wind termination cap and storm collar.
Great video and great explanation for sure. My only critique would be you highlighted an ignitor and not the rollout switch. The rollout switch(s) are the 2 little “buttons” with 2 wires coming out of the top of them above the fuel/burner rail. Again great video!
You are right sir. Snap action thermostats. Now a question: I saw no HS Ignitor in video. Is the conduction flame sensor also serving as a spark ignition electrode? I noticed the rather heavy insulation on the lead out wire... High Voltage insulation?
This is a grate vid just one thing for those people that get worried vary easily. If there’s nothing wrong as long as there is no yellow your fine the flame should be mostly blue with orange tips. If the majority of the flame is orange, you see roll out or you see yellow then you have a problem. And in modern systems you still have to get them inspected frequently, but they do have systems in place to prevent a furnace with a crack in its heat exchanger from running.
The first half explaining the error situation is good and thorough. The second half regarding the CO detector is totally correct. But I'm not sure about the advice regarding routine annual check & maintenance by a professional company. What can that accomplish except throwing away hundreds of dollars? My Carrier high efficiency furnace just got a flame rollout error and it turned out the heat exchange had been badly rusted and blocked. The flame hasn't been that blue or straight for a couple of years. But there was not anything a maintenance guy could really do about it. The only solution is to change the whole heat exchange once the error code finally appears. It's basically a design flaw in the furnace itself. You can't do anything about it unless you spend thousands to change the heat exchange (a credit to Carrier - 1st time it’s free for they know it’s their design issue) every few years or change the whole furnace.
Wow, I am so grateful I found this video! I have been dealing with big repairs partly related to the exhaust pipe of my gas furnace. I was looking for a video to see how to fix the exhaust condensation runoff to not hit the siding and pool around the foundation. After so many months of asking questions and identifying water problems, it was never brought to my attention what to know about this. Thank you!
Only thing is that in this video at 3:39 you pointed at flame sensor rather than rollout switch/sensor with manual reset which is right above the flame sensor. Regardless this is very helpful and educational video and thank you for it!
As a retired HVAC tech I would like to say this is an excellent video. Modern furnaces have exhaust gas motors which forcefully exhaust combustion gases out of the building. They generally have either a pressure switch or a Hall effect sensor ( to monitor for correct rpm) so a clogged flue will shut down the unit. The older style naturally vented furnaces( non powered exhaust) were the real killers when the flue became blocked. When this happened in older furnaces, the combustion gasses had nowhere to go but back inside the building and because it had no incoming draft of fresh air to support complete combustion the combustion products would contain high levels of carbon monoxide and alot of these older furnaces did not have all the redundant safety switches to detect this. In my long career I only found one furnace malfunctioning badly, and it was a unit that had a forced combustion fan running at less than half speed and the Hall effect sensor failed. This was a unit for a classrooom full of kids but fortunatley all the exhaust gasses were vented to the roof.
It would be kind of hard to do without explaining it in person. Most "old style" furnaces are not even around anymore because like all appliances, they have a lifespan and wear out. The natural draft furnaces (old style) to the best of my knowledge, have not been manufactured for at least 30 years. They were really basic, generally had a standing pilot with a thermocouple and no combustion motor to forcibly drive the exhaust gases out and usually had just one safety limit, the high temperature limit switch. Look at some RUclips videos for more info or, if you live in certain parts of the U.S., the Gas company can inspect you furnace for free and answer all your questions.
@@vi1na2 If it has a circuit board when you take off the cover the cover it is new style. 100% if from the mid- late 90s or beyond it is new style. I believe code required it. Lots of failsafe built into them.
You made the point, Furnace repair is not is not a homeowner DIY project. I was a handyman for 20 years, never worked on a heating system. There are school trained technicians, that will do the work safely.
Very well done video sir! I have worked in the HVAC field for almost 20 years. Both in service and install. Your information is on point. It cannot be stressed enough how much danger these seemingly small malfunctions pose to homeowners and their families. As well as the importance of having your system evaluated seasonally by a professional. Thank you for putting this out there. I really like that you branch out into other trades as well as carpentry. Keep up the good work.
Thank you FixitJunkie! I really appreciate an HVAC tech writing in. Your Feedback is extremely helpful. I’ll keep tackling wider subjects in the days ahead 🙂
Look up the last death do to a furnace... you have a way higher of a chance from a gas leak in the line then what this guy is talking about can’t believe your a sell out yourself
As a bit of a cost savings side note, some furnace repair companies will allow you to pay for inspections (and or cleaning) in advance at a discount. The service company we use normally charges $120 for an inspection and cleaning but we were able to pay for 5 years of service in advance at a price of only $75 per year for inspection and cleaning. We have it done every year anyway and we like the service company we use so it was well worth paying up front to get a discount. Plus we get priority scheduling when it gets busy as the season starts.
The green arrow is pointing to the spark ignitor. The rollout sensors, there are two of them, are along the top of the burner compartment. Fun little fact for anyone else whose reading this, those rollout switches have a manual reset which will shut the furnace down should they be triggered, and they'll hard lock out till you get a tech out there to inspect and reset them.
Thank you!!!! thia guy's an idiot and full of miss information!!!! Home Inspectors are the worst for furnace information!!! they do not understand the basic operations!!! I've delt with these JAs for years!!!!
Me and my girlfriend’s condo we were living in for 4 years, we found out after we sold it that during the homeinspection, our furnace actually had about a 4” gap between the exhaust pipe and furnace that the previous inspectors we paid for before purchasing the condo apparently missed. It was spitting out carbon monoxide every time in use, thankfully it was next to a duct/vent and it was being thrown up into the attic the entire time. Still crazy though
Your arrow at 3:38 is NOT the "rollout sensors " as you've stated, but rather an igniter electrode. The rollout sensors are the two klixon style temperature sensors on the metal plate above the burner. Rollout heats that plate and if either one detects excessive heat it turns off the gas supply valve.
Actually that is the flame sensor, the ignitor is probably underneath out of sight and fed by the other orange wire you see. You are correct about the rollout thermostats though.
Good information. I'm a service tech for a gas utility company, and I've been on several Carbon Monoxide calls. Almost all of them caused by lack of maintenance of the gas appliance. Some people called because they noticed a funny smell around the furnace, they noticed a yellowish glow by the furnace. They didn't have a CO detector. I would ask them what their life was worth? Is it worth $30 to $50 for a detector? They usually didn't know what to say.
High pressure goes to low pressure. So the air from the blower gets pushed into the heat exchanger, not the other way around. Only way CO would get into the home is if the inducer fan fails or the chimney is clogged. In this case the pressure switch would keep the gas valve from opening. And like you said, roll out switches protect the building and occupants too. Cracked heat exchangers cause lower efficiency. Cracked heat exchanger diagnostics are probably the best way to rip people off.
You may have just saved my wife's life. We know that the furnace at the house that we are staying in temporarily, is in terrible state and she hasn't been feeling well since we moved in and a lot of the doctor's tests are negative. I'm going to do some carbon monoxide testing ASAP. Thank you!
@@TheHonestCarpenter I actually just did my sweep with handheld carbon monoxide detector and luckily there doesn't appear to be any issues. I checked the detector with car exhaust and it made a strong detection, so it works. Luckily the furnace seems clean so far. Thank you nonetheless for something to watch out for. All the best to you. 🙂
Were you able to isolate the root cause? There are a lot of environmental changes when moving to a new house, especially if it's in another state. You can also check for radon, water quality, air quality (especially if near an Interstate or industrial area). A basic radon test is pretty cheap. Sometimes a good furnace filter & HEPA filter can help if it's air pollution or allergy related.
@@johnnyx9659 if you have air ducts, you might want to have them professionally cleaned, you’d be surprised how dirty some of them can be. Search the NADCA website for a reputable company if you’re considering getting them cleaned.
God Bless you for the information I'm so scared I'm 69 but I'm gonna try n get help to check my furnace hopefully n helping us elderly God Bless ure fam. N you thk u
@ 3:42, your green arrow is actually pointing to the Flame sensor, the rollout sensors are the two small devices on the rusty shelf just above. The flame sensor is there to prove that ignition/flame has occurred at startup, allowing the gas valve to remain on. Or it’s a spark ignition rod,
That is not the flame sensor, that is the spark igniter. The flame sensor is on the left, under the burners where the orange wire is going…At 4:05 you are able to see flame sensor on the left side and the rest of the spark ignition on the right…
Thank you so much for the excellent explanation. I’m sure , you save to many people. I learned how it works. Your videos is absolutely outstanding. Thanks again.
Thank you for your thorough assessment of Rollout with the furnace. Your expertise along with your personality is a refreshing breathe of air! I finally feel like someone actually knows what they are doing & talking about with the furnace system. I wish that I was rich enough to make you my personal maintenance expert.
awesome video.. our furnace needed a new igniter.. i was going to replace it myself.. but called a tech to come out and change it and clean the furnace.. while he was checking the igniter he noticed a decent sized crack in the heat exchanger.. i have no knowledge of furnaces.. or what a crack in the exchanger was or meant.. i do now! so glad i changed my mind and called them to change it.. possibly saving our lives!
You make good points, but I would like to vouch for the safety of these modern furnaces a bit. Hypothetically you could have a poorly burning, high co level flame situation alongside a large crack in the heat exchanger, but you have to remember that the flue gasses are being drawn through the exchanger, meaning it is under negative pressure, while the surrounding air is pressurized by the air blower. This will drive extra air into the heat exchanger, confirmed by higher than normal oxygen levels in the combustion analysis readings. You would still need some other mechanism to get co into the living space. I've had service calls where I've measured +10,000 ppm of CO in the exhaust, and during the off cycle I could read 1 ppm around the seams of the furnace cabinet, I assume as residual CO that did not get expelled during the post purge. 0 ppm in the actual air stream of the duct. Long story short, these are extremely safe units with multiple safeties within, and add several CO detectors in the house and the dangers are effectively 0
You are correct when you say they are safe. I still recommend carbon monoxide detector. First off all this guy is clueless! If vent is clogged vacuum switch will trigger. Secondly he pointed in the video at flame sensor and called it rollout switch when clearly you can see unit has 2 of them in a different spot. This is a fake inspector! Certified in nothing! 🤣🤣🤣
I expect the backdrafting mentioned in this video requires two conditions. First is insufficient [or no] make up air brought to the burner. Second is the air handler vs. building scenario. If the home is "tight" that leaves conflicting forces: should they become balanced, or the air handler overwhelms the bulk of exhaust trying to escape, that's a major problem. Nature find its ways... rats/mice, mud daubers in the wrong place might overwhelm what was initially a workable install that passed inspection.
One thing you also need to consider is a heat exchanger with holes cannot be guaranteed to be lower pressure to the fresh air side of the furnace in all places … the absence of any wall due to corrosion means it’s impossible for their to be a pressure difference between inside and outside the exchanger.
Thanks, new homeowner here in Canada entering my second year in a home built in 07. Unsure of the maintenance and/or service history of our furnace. Thanks for the info and advice, I’ll be coordinating annual services in the fall moving forward with this years inspection this February 👌🙏🇨🇦🎉🇺🇸
Great job! As a former volunteer firefighter I am thankful that you got the word about the dangers of CO. As an electronic engineer I think the arrow in your video was pointing to the spark ignition/conductivity flame sensor... on the surface above I saw 2 thermodisc heat switches. I believe those are primary roll-out protection. But to your credit a partially blocked flue can cause a minor roll-out that would not trip the thermal shutdown, but WOULD produce CO in the living area. Side note: No hot surface ignitor was shown in the video. So I'm guessing the flame conduction sensor and the spark ignition electrode are now combined into One? Clever cost saving for Mfrs?
We find a few bad heat exchangers every year we also find chimney flues that Need repaired, replaced or need a liner … great video bringing this to peoples attention 👊🏼👊🏼🔨🪚✌🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸
What an excellent video! There are a multitude of excellent videos on this topic right here on RUclips. I can't help but wonder if the motivation to produce one comes from the loss or near loss of someone loved. If I may add, I also purchased an inexpensive pulse/oxygen saturation sensor from Amazon to place on my finger. In addition to health reasons, I also use it for the benefit knowing I am receiving enough oxygen inside my home and that oxygen is not being displaced by carbon monoxide. While I was trained on older furnaces, I still have a technician come in and inspect mine. Thank You So Much for an excellent reminder!
This video appeared in my RUclips feed because of some searches I'd done due to a carbon monoxide near-miss two days ago. I inherited my mom's house after her passing two years ago but had not spent much time there during cold weather. Just stayed there this past week and woke up one night with severe vertigo that has lasted several days now. Called a technician to check out the downstairs unit and sure enough, the heat exchanger was rusted through in several spots. I thought I had Covid with being out of breath and tired for days, but no...it was carbon monoxide poisoning. I just purchased six CO detectors and will put them all over the house for the future. Also will not stay another cold night there until both units are serviced and checked out. Don't ever want to repeat this. It could have ended much worse, and is certainly not something to dismiss or be cavalier about. Silent killer. You won't have a clue.
Good info but a lot of people will be turned off by "you cant do this yourself call a professional." Well I was told the same thing when I replaced a single three ton heat pump unit with two two ton units splitting up the floor. I had a couple of HVAC contractors tell me I would go to jail if anyone found out I did it. Total price tag was about $2000 for both not to mention the $400 I made back from selling an HVAC contractor the old condenser unit. Yes I get it that a lot of people can not do it but making stuff up does not help your case. I found one local contractor that was totally supportive. They said they had a ton of work and were more than happy to just do a service call to check up on my install. Going on 12 years both units have only needed occasional checkups. Like when the vinyl siding crew moved the unit about six inches to the right and let all the refrigerant out. Or when the $7 cap crapped out randomly. Easy fix. Now one of the unit has a smaller problem involving a combination of a cap or thermostat. Not a giant deal. I can do a lot of trouble shooting for the $5000 I was quoted to just replace one unit! The end lesson is carbon monoxide detectors. The girl I was dating in college insisted one be installed in her apartment prior to moving in. She was woken up several dozen times by the alarm and twice when I was there. Finally the maintance people replaced the furnace. Were the levels high enough to kill us? Dont know but they didnt want to fix it unless they had to.
As an HVAC tech I noticed the Visio didn’t point to the rollout sensors you were talking about instead it pointed to the positive flame sensor which tells the control board that it ok for the gas valve to remain open. Thought you should know.
I was getting bad headaches and fogginess upon waking. Suspected furnace. It would 'pop' sometimes and I noticed fumes when entering apt. when furnace had been running. Landlord's maintenance dude said it was fine. I called Power company. Their inspector found cracks in plenum directly above burn chamber and red tagged the furnace. Said the whole unit was too old and unsafe. Renters should get carbon monoxide detectors if they don't already have them.
Yeah slumlords are the cheapest mf out there and always cheap out on hvac equipment or run it until it gets dangerous ... it's sad not all, but most do this.
Video calls it a roll out sensor then points to spark igniter electrode or a flame sensor,, some furnaces combine both..this device teels the control board "I indeed do have a lit burner) the twin two wire switches with the black and red wires "above" the burners with the red plunger in the middle are the roll out sensors,, they detect excess heat from a flame roll out where its not supposed to be and trip killing the power to the gas valve .. this was pointed out below as well. always call a gas technician to inspect the furnace for safety issues if you find one tripped, they do not trip without a reason..
It’s hard to tell someone you have to shut them down due to this and they usually get angry. You will likely save their life or home if you catch it on a maintenance or repair.
I replaced my furnace a couple of years ago due to a bad heat exchanger. There are telltale signs, especially if you're talking a high efficiency furnace. The incomplete combustion will cause carbon buildup on the exhaust vent tube, and the exhaust will take on a horrible, oily smell. The furnace output air temperature will reduce, but the top of the furnace will get hot, due to the flame rollout. A clear telltale sign is if the flame starts dancing around when the air handler switches on. A sure sign of a failed heat exchanger.
![Twenty One Pilots - The Line (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Audio]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XCz7WUotXs8/mqdefault.jpg)
Are you sure you’re using your power tools safely? Avoid the most common (and dangerous) mistakes! Get your FREE guide here 👉 bit.ly/10PowerToolMistakes
You saved a family in radcliff Kentucky today! Heard this video a week ago. My mom got a co detector. Today, it went off and she went buy another and batteries to be sure- kept babies out house. It was 200ppm. Unit 40 yrs old. Her landlord just did not know. The exchanger rusted holes and the timing was truly life saving. Fire department airing out their trailer. I thank you so much. My boyfriend is HVAC but doesn’t see many residentials. We just talked about this and how you felt people need to talk about it. I had never thought about it and it’s just amazing how caring this message is. We did research on sudden deaths and you are filling a complex need for people to just understand call someone who knows this for a living to keep you safe. Many people can run things until they don’t run and not think or remember to get a fall inspection is so simple. Thank you! 3 babies we can hug with confidence tonight because we heard you in time. Thank you for thinking of what we needed to hear! Thank you!
So glad your family and the three sweet babies are safe, Trisha.
I hope he sees this!
This is a great video but God damn dude I can edit down to like 2 mins and get all the important info across. I like people like you when I'm really learning. But when I'm looking for the point this is a but winded.
No matter what the first 1 minute of this video can go. Almost exact minute.
Great video
So glad you and family are safe.
@@realbolanos5860 You should make youtube videos
I’m an HVAC contractor for over 30 years. I must say you did an incredible job addressing carbon monoxide. Hopefully this will reach a lot of people and maybe even save a life.
Thank you, CS! It’s the season to be careful 🙂
HVAC contractor for over 5 months here any advice for a newbie ?
Lol really? Did you notice him pointing at flame sensor and calling it roll out switch?
@@yurydolinsky thank you
@@MrGameingworks yes . Stop watching bs videos . I am a senior tech with over 22 years of experience . As far as troubleshooting you need to learn how to properly use electric meter, static pressure and know how to read wiring diagram. Having a good refrigerant leak detector. I recommend d-tech 👌.
I am an HVAC technician, I’ve been one for 30 years. You nailed it brother, I certainly hope people were paying attention.
Yep, it's pretty sweet getting a hundreds bucks or more for shining a flashlight on someone's furnace. And, it gives you the chance to bamboozle anyone with a furnace that's more than ten years old into replacing it with a "more efficient" one.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 what part ? Where he pointed at flame sensor and called it rollout switch?? Or the bs about 95 percenters?
The rollout switch could be considered a flame sensor of sorts. It senses that there is a flame (through heat) where it should not be.
@@oldcountryman2795 So you expect to have someone travel to your house with a truck and parts and not pay them at least $100? Do you suggest that they burn $20 worth of gas for travel and a couple hours of their time (to travel and do maintenance) and you should pay them $20? Come on man. You can think the world is out to get your money but you need to see the value in services. You can take your chances and save your money
@@oldcountryman2795 I’ll bet you think everyone in the world is out to screw you. I was a 45 veteran of the HVAC Service industry. I was in the trade to help people, not to screw them. Out of thousands of customers I had, I could only count on one hand, the ones that had shitty attitudes just like yours.
How have I not seen this video sooner?! I've never seen furnace dangers explained so succinctly and at a level for the common person. Most other videos are filled with echo-chamber jargon that only other techs would understand. Your aim is to get homeowners to be aware of situations that are usually beyond their comprehension. Bravo.
Another 33 year HVAC professional here. I have a very dim view of home inspectors. They are a pro in whatever they did before becoming an inspector. Everything else now they’re looking at from 30,000 feet. I wish I had a nickel for every time a homeowner said, through tears, “the home inspector said….” However I found you, and your video, accurate, informative and helpful. It is is my professional opinion that whether it’s a roof, foundation or HVAC system, only a pro in those areas has a pros eyes. Kudos to you for a great video.
I get your concern, but it is not realistic to send a licensed roofer, electrician, plumber, HVAC and foundation guy out to every possible home sale for an inspection. A well trained and conscientious home inspector is likely the general public's best bet at getting someone to catch the most egregious deficiencies in the most expensive purchase of their life. The HI training I am going thru now also repeatedly emphasizes when things look shady or suspect, you absolutely tell the client to get that professional out there for the discipline in question to do a thorough check.
Besides all that, the tech from all those disciplines that actually shows up to the house is often ( if not mostly ) NOT the guy the holds the real knowledge and license for the company.
@@davec6016 I might add that there are a few areas that a pro in that area might be a good idea. My experience, like HVAC techs honestly, is that competency, can be hit and miss. So, while I agree with your assessment, because it can cost a fortune to hire specialists, your comment assumes 'a well trained and conscientious home inspector' is a given. IME, it's not. If a home inspector represents himself as all things home, it's a red flag. Home inspectors---done well---are excellent generalists. If their trained eyes see something, they should always recommend a specialist in that discipline. On that we agree.
I'm clearly not the only one to think this but your approach, as well as your presentation, make this video absolutely outstanding! I almost never leave comments but you deserve to know that in less than 10 minutes you've managed to save more lives than you may ever know. Thank you😊
Thank you so much! I’m really glad people are watching this at this time of year 😄
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 the scary part is 43 idiots agreed. In 10 minutes 43 people learned complete nonsense!!!
Yea what a bunch of clowns, because clearly you've been taking in large amounts of carbon monoxide and all it's done to you is make you a douche!!! Keep in mind that you're the one who spent 10 minutes plus watching a video and reading comments about something you think only an idiot would enjoy and than you went ahead and commented so the world would know rather than just keeping it to yourself.. but we're the idiots. I'd say you gotta wonder but I'm afraid you would and than you'd be mad at me when you got lost.
@@justsumgurl5718 YES LOL YOU ARE! . BUY AND PLUG IN CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTOR! THERE LOL I JUST SAVED YOU 10 MIN OF BS! MOST OF WHAT HE SAID IS BS!!!! I AM A SENIOR TECH!!! I HELP OTHER TECHS WHEN THEY DONT KNOW!!! VIDEOS LIKE THESE ARE VERY DANGEROUS!!!! HE DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE ON WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT!!! INCLUDING DOESN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT PATS ARE CALLED AND WHAT THEY DO!!!
@@justsumgurl5718 I am Goodman, Carrier, LG, Samsung, Whirlpool and GE certified!!! I worked Samsung Factory Warranty! My company is rated #1 troubleshooting By Fidelity and American home shield!! I design systems! I've been doing this probably before you were born!
Also, remember that CO mixes readily with the air in your home. Many people will buy just one detector and put it in the basement where their furnace is normally located. This does you no good if it alarms at 3 in the morning while you are fast asleep. Always have one close to your bedroom to give yourself the best chance of it waking you up.
CO binds with hemoglobin bad bad bad
Unless u have all your Lamar’s hardwired together’ so if my basement one goes off all go off but the one outside bedrooms talks and says fire/ co2 detected
But if u have just battery power ones absolutely one n the basement does u no good if your bedrooms r 2 floors up etc I’d say 1 n hall by bedrooms 1 by furnace
If u hve a gas stove one in kitchen too
My carbon monoxide detector is in the basement 3 ft away from the furnace and it's connected to the joist. The bedroom is directly above it and the bed is directly above the carbon monoxide detector so believe you me I will hear it.
@@joycedudzinski9415 you could be correct, but you might be surprised at the studies that have shown how people can sleep through alarms like that. A lot of it has to do with the pitch of the sound. Me, I want every advantage I can get.
I'm not an HVAC tech, rather I'm an engineer in another discipline. I thought some might be interested to know the following: The largest combustion products produced when burning natural gas (primarily methane) is CO2 (carbon dioxide) and water. Burning 100,000 BTU worth of natural gas produces about 1.25 gallons (almost 10.5 pounds) of water and 1.7 pounds of CO2. It's the CO2 produced that is of concern related to CO (carbon monoxide). If the natural gas flame is starved for oxygen, less of the carbon content of the methane is transformed into CO2 and more of that carbon is transformed into CO.
Thank you Fred, makes common sense. CO2 is fully supplied with oxygen during production. CO is produced when oxygen deficient. Great point.
100 correct
100 correct
Who burns methane? LOL...
@@bentelbow2922 As stated, natural gas "is primarily" methane.
I feel the genuine concerns in this guy. Great and informative video in the dangers of gas furnaces and the CO they produce.
HVAC here over 45 yrs great video for the ones ( homeowners new techs ) that wont to know & or learn about Gas fired furnaces Thanks Please keep e coming
You probably saved my life, my husbands, and,my childrens.
Gas man here. Furnace inspections come with the job and so often these things can be easily overlooked, especially by someone who not trained to look for them. That’s why we recommend customers to have them inspect them annually! Great information on here! Hope this reaches more people!
And to support the video. Remember the average home owner will likely NOT be able to evaluate furnace performance. The pros that are up to date do an exhaust or stack gas analysis that consists of the % of CO2 and the stack temp. Certain temp level not below or too much above must be achieved to assure the furnace is BURNING and VENTING the gas efficiently. The stack temp and draft testing using a draft meter along with a combustion analyzer will help assure the unit is healthy working safely and effectively.
Your tech needs to be a pro, trained in gas furnace operations, know how to visually evaluate and then do the combustion gas analysis and draft. The adjustments here if needed will involve the air mixture to the burner, the draft restriction (if a damper is used) and possibly even gas pressure. It's not rocket science but it does require a Pro!
All very good advice, John! Thank you for writing in 🙏
I got a new water heater. For a year and a half I had to have techs come to replace a safety devise designed to detect?....My son and daughter in law came to visit while we were at church. The device failed closing the vent and creating carbon monoxide detectors to go off scaring my daughter in law. When we got there the fire department had determined it was showing high levels by my dryer (electric) and furnace I suppose a back flow down the chimney?
They would not let me in....the windows were open they were masked, I said did you turn down the thermostat lol, no of course not...yeah lobby congress for your safety devices...my boiler was 30 years old anything you buy might last 15 years...my water heater was 30 years old. I replaced it because I was afraid my wife would have problems while I was on the road trucking...government will kill us protecting us...use your brains people
Lol you love to be able to "plug in" a device that trouble shoots for you, lol that is stealing your ability to be a good service recognition because you presume those reading are specific...more than one factor contributes to the malfunctions that occur with sensors and what they are predetermined to detect...carbon monoxide takes no prisoners...your elitest presumptions are only supported by nativity, I appreciate the hours you give to training and hard work of going into strangers houses. Just dont be presumptuous in your analysis and you know I am right
This is very important and true. I have been dealing with this for months and am currently recovering. I am scared of my heating unit now. Twice I have had to call for repairs due to this in 2022. I am losing my hair as a result and other health issues. Oddly a third call to the gas company, I was told that I did not have an issue. This exact part in the video is what was repaired the second time.
I’m sorry to hear that, Natalie. 😟 I hope it gets fixed for good soon!
The rollout switch you showed with a arrow was the flame sensor. The sensor above where the arrow was is the rollout switch. Good video!
That's actually the spark ignitor! The flame sensor is on the left side but good catch!
@@jorge_______2342 That's not an igniter, that's a flame sensor. You don't know what you're talking about
@@sylviaisgod6947 that actually is an ignitor, if you look closely, the flame sensor is all the way to the left lol no need to get offended 😂
I’m sure I speak for many who don’t know about the details of the danger of a faulty furnace when I say thank you very much. You’re a good man.
👍👍. Your right, a lot of people don’t think about servicing their furnace until something goes wrong, like no heat. Treat your equipment casually, and you may become a casualty. Thanks for the vid.
Great video...I'm semi retired HVAC...I wish you could or would do one on the portable electric heaters and how running them on to thin an extension cord causes fires...Like 14 gauge and worse, 16 gauge cords, that are often to small and to long that cause fires...Every year, you hear about them...Multiple items plugged into a multi plug extension cords, often along with the heater = fire...So many killed, so many children lost by so many, just not knowing...Thanks for the video.
13 years with a now 25 year old furnace and never had serviced. What I've learned. The igniter typically fails when it's 10 degrees out due carbon buildup on the flame sensor from turning on and off constantly. To prevent this I take some 320 or 440 grit sandpaper and give the flame sensor a yearly light sanding before it gets really cold and I now don't have to worry about the igniter dying, but I do have a spare. I just replaced the draft inducer blower which wasn't too hard to do or diagnose when it starts making the bearing noise. I do have to give it a good cleaning, but will ride it as long as the flame is blue and it still looks good. Up in New England so it gets a good workout in the winter. Rheem Criterion II. Now that I realize it's close to the end of it's recommended life expectancy I'll keep a closer eye on it.
Thank you! This looks like our unit and we are experiencing these exact problems right now! 🙏🙏🙏 We’ve turned it off and we are going to get it looked at asap.
What ended up being the issue ?
Probably one of the most well detailed explanations I've seen online about why systems should be serviced!!! Great Job 👍👌 Thanks
Thank you, H&H! 🙂
Thank you for this video. I just replaced my furnace and recognize many of the old furnaces’ disfunction. I had unusual moisture buildup throughout the house. Unusual dust everywhere. A faint burn smell at times. My carbon monoxide detectors were not triggered and they are relatively new also. Now heat is more even, not smelly, etc. You stay safe also.
You didn't have to replace your furnace, your problem was you don't change your filters every month. The burning smell is dust on the heat exchangers. Basically you needed maintenance! But because of him you wasted your money.
Great Vid Thanks
I was a roofing contractor for over 35 years. Today I can take you within a mile of my house and show you many Flue pipes that are plugged from bird nest. In The Baton Rouge area, we lack a critical inspection. I have stopped at many a house to point out a major problem. In today's climate of untrust, many people do not want to hear they will die by fire or Co poisoning. I even talked to a state fire marshall who didn't want to hear and was too lazy to save lives.
Thank you for this very important video. Years ago when we purchased our first house, we did have a house inspection and nothing major showed up. When the winter came we bought a carbon monoxide detector. In fact our friend asked us to buy one for her also. We bought it, plugged it in and it started to scream. We thought oh, this one must be defective, and plugged the second one in to the same result.
Called the gas company and they tagged the furnace for carbon monoxide. Funny thing is a couple of days before we bought the detectors, both my wife and I were getting headaches. We consider ourselves lucky and have never been without a carbon monoxide detector since.
talks about rollout switch has arrow pointing to flame sensor. the rollout switch is the black circle on top of the burner box seen in photo {3:40}. everything else in this video is 100% explained perfectly.
Thank you so much!!! This is exactly what was happening to us thank god we caught it on time before it killed us! Need to change the secondary heat exchanger. This video did a great job explaining exactly what’s happening.
GREAT video. As an HVAC tech of 35+ yrs, you nailed it. Lots of people don’t ever have their gas furnaces serviced until it breaks. I tell ‘em all the time the maintenance is for safety 1st.
nice presentation...technical point, your arrow at 3:39 is pointing at the flame sensor. The roll out switches are on top of the metal plate just above the flame sensor. Love that you are educating people as it is needed.
My company performs combustion analysis on every furnace we walk up on. The main issue I’ve found with premature heat exchanger failure is oversized furnace and/or inadequate duct system running too high static pressure. Very common to see furnaces rated at .5” w.c. running .8, .9 and sometimes over 1.00”. Even worse on 90+% furnaces that require 150 cfm per 10,000 btu. On top of that you have customers closing too many vents and using restrictive filters or not replacing filters frequently enough.
Very good pro points, Matt! I’ll pin this 🙂
I think you mean 5”wc running at 8, 9, or sometimes 10” wc.
@@theronsmith1621 no I don’t, .5 “or .50” or 1-1/2” of static pressure. A gas furnace or the blower actually is rated at .50” or 1-1/2”.
My bad Matt. For some reason I thought you were talking about gas pressure. I stand corrected.
The best is when they close EVERY interior door of the house
Back in the esrly 80's, my cousin and a few other kids died in their sleep in a cabin when the exhaust of a propane refrigerator broke in the middle of the night. ANY propane appliance needs to be watched closely.
@@jainsaw2154 Thank you for your kind words. His dad started drinking but in time snapped out of it. Looking back.. i dont blame him! Cheers
Glad I watched this! Had some issues with my unit last year and tried to fix it myself. Honestly wasn't sure what was causing issues but I'm gonna have to schedule a pro to come check everything. This is my first house so I'm learning alot. The fun don't stop 🤣
When it comes down to a conditioning the certain rules on things you can do and can't do without getting yourself into trouble on furnaces just call us it's safer for everybody and when it comes down to freon don't touch it because that's an EPA Federal violation
Furnaces are safe in general. Don't panic. They have safeties that prevent them from turning on if they are rolling out or drafting incorrectly.
In general dangerous situations are created by incorrect installations or technicians who bypass the safeties.
Most modern furnaces can't function with cracked heat exchangers.
But have a carbon monoxide detector in your house!
Hello,
My furnace was installed in 1961. I remember when the house was being built. It's an old Lenox with the gas jets made of cast iron. And yes over the course of the last 30 years, i,ve literally taken the furnace apart. Taking out that heat exchanger and shinning a light down each of the sections of heat exchanger for blow holes and or corroded spots. To this date none where found. The three gas jets where taken out and with my garage shop air I blasted those gas jets clean. Even like flausing teath , took some size # 0.023 welding wire and flaused those gas jets. Cleaned also the two limit switches. Made sure there functions work by temporary disconnecting blower fan motor to make sure they would cut out with excess ambient heat. Made sure that blower motor impeller would have required lubrication and belt would be inspected for cracked etc. Plus the seasonal change out of any and all filters.
And yes above all, I took out the old fireomatic that is installed above the furnace directly above the flu pipe with a heat/ smoke / carbon monoxide detector, with a reverse acting relay that when it goes into alarm, it also shuts down the furnace as well as the rest of my house attic ventilator gets shut down as well as to not create a draft to accelerate a fire.
Old furnaces are not fuel efficient, but they can last along time to this very day keeping me warm, if proper maintenance is performed. And yes, it is an old pilot burning gas valve. And yes, i,ve cleaned out connecting tube's of dirt and made sure thermocouple is still looping the circuit for proper ignitions.
My skill sets are derived from working with burner technicians over the years. I,ve wired many such appliances. I currently work at a passenger rail facility in which we have many suspension gas heaters heating up the train shed. Every Oct we do inspections. The units themselves don,t last long due to the corrosive environments of what our train sets bring in.
The first order of business that taught me in my previous employer as an industrial electrician is " CLEAN----INSPECT----& LUBE OR MAINTAIN.....
MISS PAULA WALACH-FORMER INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICIAN-UNION MEMBER IBEW LICENSED SINCE 1972.STILL WORKING FULL TIME
PS I love what I do in the trade.
Such an incredible video. So important. Every year we hear stories of families that have perished due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Its a seasonal occurrence that rings in the long, cold, dark winter months with a cloud of dread. Thank you so much for posting this video. Im certain it has saved countless lives already.
Thanks for watching, Sean. I hope it has!
Hvac guy here. I'm in the South on natural gas. On the topic of CO in general, I see roofers pull out vents and never reconnect them in the attic, bad vent placement and materials, not double walled. I see it in winterized homes that are brought back online when h2o heater fills back up, sits down and breaks the vent collar at top of the unit. Lots of older hvac units that need adjustments. Big trend here when we had tax rebates to over insulate houses. Locks up all the combustible air. Great video. Those free biannual checks to look over your equipment may be opportunities to upsell by bad companies, but if the tech is good, they will hopefully catch this. Also, make sure your filters aren'tblocked up. Thanks for the video.
Also, keep an eye on the flue, especially for 80% furnaces (metal flue). If rusted or not securely attached to couplers or other pieces, carbon monoxide isn’t being vented properly and will be pulled back through the home.
Yes, trailer furnace been putting out less heat every year and it finally put out the fire. Checked everything and out had about two inches of loose rust in bottom of flue and unburnt gasses but the flame out. Took a magnet and Walla. Seem to feel better this heating season too!
Years ago I went thru at least a 3 day spell where I was light headed & feeling miserable. Fortunately my burner stopped working & the burner guy came to fix it. Then he asked how was feeling & tells me I'm lucky the burner stopped. It was because of the carbon monoxide.
That’ll do it
Thank you! When I moved into my home so many years ago, one of the first investments was a hard wired carbon monoxide detector. No batteries that can be forgotten, and thats nice. But.. gas detectors of any type need calibrations checked. This, at present is a hole in the market. I am sure I could chase down test gas, but hvac guys are mostly missing this opportunity of regular maintenance.
Excellent presentation, I remember in the early 70's the furnace in our house had to be replaced. My mother said the "coils" had cracked, which I believe where the heat exchange mentioned in the video. While I do not remember the make of the old furnace, it was a big green monster of sorts. The new one was a General Electric. The one drawback was having to remove the bottom cover to change the filter. Unlike the old one, which the duct work it dropped down between the in-let duct upstairs and the furnace blower.
Great delivery! You hit the nail square on the head. I’ve watched furnace repair videos over the past couple of years and hardly any of them mention the silent killer(CO).
About 2 years ago,I saw a YT video made by what appeared to be a mom who was cold and desperate. Apparently, she started poking around the inside of the furnace looking for the reason why it wouldn’t turn on. Well, she found the cause, she pushed the “magic button” and all of a sudden, the heat comes on. She was so proud of her success that she felt a need to share it with everyone. Guess what she found ……….. the FLAME ROLLOUT SENSOR!!!
In her video, she made no mention of what it was or any mention of getting the unit serviced, just PUSH THAT MAGIC BUTTON.
I hope and pray that her and her family are alive today.🙏
This video just gave me a profound enlightenment that when we service a furnace ( either professionally or as a DIY’er), we are responsible for the lives of the people who live there !!
Thank you, again 🙏💪👍
Don’t believe everything you watch on you tue. A week or so ago I watched a video of an idiot teaching people how to fix their own furnace by bypassing the rollout safety switch, “just to get by”. Lots of bad info out there, but this video is pretty much spot on.
I am unfamiliar wih furnaces but understood everything that was said. Excellent explanation.
I realize this was posted 2 years ago but this is a very informative and well written piece. Good job!
Very good job and very good advice. I hope everyone sees this and has their units checked
Thank you James. I hope so too
Absolutely great video. I had my heater turned on today and the tech showed me the orange flame and some blowback. Said I need to monitor it through the day and shut it off at night until I can replace furnace ($2000). I'm going to have someone come out to check ventilation for blocks. Have 1 carbon monoxide detector but getting a couple more. Your video really explained what could be happening. I'm hoping the issue is fixable without having to replace the whole furnace. Tech didn't detect any carbon monoxide through the vents, but I can't take any chances. Thx for the video
Thank you for all of this information...I had a previous friend/ business owner who did hvac for over 30 years, and wanted to charge us $12k... he put in a wrong oriface which ultimately destroyed the heat exchanger in less than a year ... he was out of state when i called him to tell him what was going on... I told him soo many of the things I didn't know at the time but in this vid you said to look out for ... if not for me finally getting mad and calling a real hvac pro ( fishing was more important than our lives apparently) my wife and i could have been dead, after seeing this vid and knowing as a pro he should have know ...now i know for sure what to look out for .. I will never trust David stout of American pride heating and cooling .... thank you soo much for getting this information out there , and thank God my wife and I are still alive
@3:39 that is a spark ignition electrode. Rollout sensors are the 2 sensors wired in series attached to the sheet metal above the flames.
Yeah that caught my attention as well lol
Actually it’s the flame sensor, it’s job is to make sure there is a flame at all and that it isn’t just wasting and un-ignited gas. Most furnaces are actually equipped with a hot surface igniter. I do believe the only furnaces that still use spark ignition is Rheem, and Rudd.
@@rando_webb8704 nope that’s the spark igniter the flame sensor is located to the left and under the burners for access , Lennox also offers spark ignition for gas furnaces
@@rando_webb8704 4:01 is the flame sensor. I thought the same thing at first, then I remembered the flame sensor you can unplug the wire from it and the igniter the wire is part of the it and has to be unplugged at the other end. Good job catching his mistake, ether way that not the rollout sensor.
@@johnbarnett2804 yep, you're right. Just saw that. I also recognize the shape of those burners, but I can't quite place the manufacturer. Where I work, we deal mostly with Bryants. Edit: just looked it up, it's a Rheem. And I have never seen a rheem that didn't use a spark igniter.
Agree 100% on getting a pro to check. IMHO, this is one area that is not a DYI job.
Hire an experienced HVAC technician or company and (I) opt for an annual service contract with a spring and fall full inspection to make sure heating and air conditioning are working properly. That includes full system mechanical inspection & operation, fuel leak detection (natural gas in my case), pressure testing (airflow operation in and out of the unit - how well it is delivering heat/cold air) and venting operation that is critical to make sure there is no carbon monoxide leaking (especially important to high-efficiency systems). Those tests require special equipment that any average homeowner does not, nor has the experience to use.
From a service tech standpoint, this was explained very well . People need to get equipment checked every year. Install carbon monoxide detectors . I don’t know how many natural gas units I run across and people are CLUELESS about carbon monoxide detectors. Great explanation for the homeowners.👍
You just saved me and my family’s life. Thank you for posting this video. 😇
I’m glad to help! Stay safe 🙂
Really good video. I'm an hvac journeyman and you hit on alot of important stuff. I'd add that some early symptoms of C.O poisoning are headaches, nausea, dizzyness. Also, minor detail but at 3:38 the arrow is pointing to the electronic sparker not the roll-out switch.
That’s a flame sensor, not sparker
@@shawnbellerose194 I see two rollout sensors, one directly above where the arrow is pointing, attached and thru the horizontal plate and the other is on the opposite end of the plate.
@@shawnbellerose194 wtf are you talking about??? That's a flame sensor!!! Go back to school and please pay attention before you kill someone!
Actually he's right that is the spark. Flame sensor is located below the venturi's where you can see the orange wire. I work on rheem and ruud all the time and NATE certified
@@rippspawn7 I work on all units. Including infinity systems. 😁
yup, a video like this is why you are well suited to starting a full-on training program/college that you mentioned in a recent video. Looking forward to it!
We had our semi-annual inspection done right before cold weather hit. The heat exchanger was corroded with holes. Tech told us when we turned on the heater for the first time this winter it would have been deadly. He was very happy we had carbon monoxide detectors. I am grateful for our maintenance plan. Paid off in spades this year.
I would have hoped you replaced your furnace by now.....
@@The.Lone.Wolf. Yes, new unit two days later.
Did your carbon monoxide go off? Or you believe the first techs word? Because it's impossible for heater to operate with holes in your heat exchangers. Secondly your co detector will let you know right away. Remember not everyone is honest!
@@yurydolinsky always get a second opinion unless u 100% trust ur techs word... cus everyone is a sales man first. I woulda asked for proof and see where it failed then authorize the repair
@@yurydolinskyNo it's not impossible at all. A hot air furnace would technically run with no heat exchanger at all. The burner doesn't know what's going on. The safety on these is the flame sensor, which is the thing this dumbass mistook for the roll out switch. The only other safety is the proving switch on the power venter that closes when the fan comes up to speed to ensure sufficient draft. If those two conditions are satisfied, the burner will run when the thermostat calls, regardless of the condition of the heat exchanger.
I reside in San Francisco, California.
My father was a sheet metal licensed contractor for 56 years.
We manufactured and installed all types of sheet metal from flashings, gutters, chimney sweeping, roof repairs, gutters rain drains and downspouts.
Also from water heaters and central heating systems, wall heaters and space heaters.
What is very much of a concern is when others replace let’s say a furnace they never go up to the roof and check if it’s properly vented.
I had one instance where an old gravity heater was rusted at the unit because a handyman put a bucket over the roof flashing that the chimney had blown off.
Also roofers install a standard bonnet top for type B venting instead of a proper metal bestos termination duct with a high wind termination cap and storm collar.
Great video and great explanation for sure. My only critique would be you highlighted an ignitor and not the rollout switch. The rollout switch(s) are the 2 little “buttons” with 2 wires coming out of the top of them above the fuel/burner rail. Again great video!
Came here to say literally everything you just did lol
You are right sir. Snap action thermostats. Now a question: I saw no HS Ignitor in video. Is the conduction flame sensor also serving as a spark ignition electrode? I noticed the rather heavy insulation on the lead out wire...
High Voltage insulation?
Oops! I just saw the HSI!
This is a grate vid just one thing for those people that get worried vary easily. If there’s nothing wrong as long as there is no yellow your fine the flame should be mostly blue with orange tips. If the majority of the flame is orange, you see roll out or you see yellow then you have a problem. And in modern systems you still have to get them inspected frequently, but they do have systems in place to prevent a furnace with a crack in its heat exchanger from running.
As a home inspector I use Combustion air analysis to measure CO just to verify CO levels. Great content thank you
Is there a tool that a homeowner can get?
@@saintsamaritan hello
For measuring CO yes, but very costly equipment. Carbon monoxide detector would greatly help, in case of leakage.
As long as you place the meter in the appropriate part of the furnace and most individuals have no clue
The first half explaining the error situation is good and thorough. The second half regarding the CO detector is totally correct. But I'm not sure about the advice regarding routine annual check & maintenance by a professional company. What can that accomplish except throwing away hundreds of dollars? My Carrier high efficiency furnace just got a flame rollout error and it turned out the heat exchange had been badly rusted and blocked. The flame hasn't been that blue or straight for a couple of years. But there was not anything a maintenance guy could really do about it. The only solution is to change the whole heat exchange once the error code finally appears. It's basically a design flaw in the furnace itself. You can't do anything about it unless you spend thousands to change the heat exchange (a credit to Carrier - 1st time it’s free for they know it’s their design issue) every few years or change the whole furnace.
Wow, I am so grateful I found this video! I have been dealing with big repairs partly related to the exhaust pipe of my gas furnace. I was looking for a video to see how to fix the exhaust condensation runoff to not hit the siding and pool around the foundation. After so many months of asking questions and identifying water problems, it was never brought to my attention what to know about this. Thank you!
migrate to hot climate
Only thing is that in this video at 3:39 you pointed at flame sensor rather than rollout switch/sensor with manual reset which is right above the flame sensor. Regardless this is very helpful and educational video and thank you for it!
This video will save many lives if we take the proper maintenance as you indicate, thx.
Important information presented extremely clearly and to the point. On some levels this is one of the best videos I have seen in a while.
Thank you, jm! I’m hoping folks see it this winter.
I almost died from buying a home with gas leaks. can't believe they had the balls to not fix them and sell it
Thank you. That unit looks just like mine. I have it serviced every year.
As a retired HVAC tech I would like to say this is an excellent video. Modern furnaces have exhaust gas motors which forcefully exhaust combustion gases out of the building. They generally have either a pressure switch or a Hall effect sensor ( to monitor for correct rpm) so a clogged flue will shut down the unit. The older style naturally vented furnaces( non powered exhaust) were the real killers when the flue became blocked. When this happened in older furnaces, the combustion gasses had nowhere to go but back inside the building and because it had no incoming draft of fresh air to support complete combustion the combustion products would contain high levels of carbon monoxide and alot of these older furnaces did not have all the redundant safety switches to detect this. In my long career I only found one furnace malfunctioning badly, and it was a unit that had a forced combustion fan running at less than half speed and the Hall effect sensor failed. This was a unit for a classrooom full of kids but fortunatley all the exhaust gasses were vented to the roof.
May I ask how to determine the old style and the new style of furnaces?
It would be kind of hard to do without explaining it in person. Most "old style" furnaces are not even around anymore because like all appliances, they have a lifespan and wear out. The natural draft furnaces (old style) to the best of my knowledge, have not been manufactured for at least 30 years. They were really basic, generally had a standing pilot with a thermocouple and no combustion motor to forcibly drive the exhaust gases out and usually had just one safety limit, the high temperature limit switch. Look at some RUclips videos for more info or, if you live in certain parts of the U.S., the Gas company can inspect you furnace for free and answer all your questions.
@@Howie875 Thanks for the clarification. Based on your answer, my furnace is probably the new style since it can't be 30 year old :)
@@vi1na2 If it has a circuit board when you take off the cover the cover it is new style. 100% if from the mid- late 90s or beyond it is new style. I believe code required it. Lots of failsafe built into them.
@@alb12345672 Thanks for the additional info. Yes, there is a circuit board when I take the cover off. Appreciate your info.
You made the point, Furnace repair is not is not a homeowner DIY project. I was a handyman for 20 years, never worked on a heating system. There are school trained technicians, that will do the work safely.
Very well done video sir! I have worked in the HVAC field for almost 20 years. Both in service and install. Your information is on point. It cannot be stressed enough how much danger these seemingly small malfunctions pose to homeowners and their families. As well as the importance of having your system evaluated seasonally by a professional. Thank you for putting this out there. I really like that you branch out into other trades as well as carpentry. Keep up the good work.
Thank you FixitJunkie! I really appreciate an HVAC tech writing in. Your Feedback is extremely helpful. I’ll keep tackling wider subjects in the days ahead 🙂
Look up the last death do to a furnace... you have a way higher of a chance from a gas leak in the line then what this guy is talking about can’t believe your a sell out yourself
@@TheHonestCarpenterwhen are you going to do a video on " do it your self home surgery " ? You know, so people can save money.
@oscar espinosa *you're
Awesome full, detailed and understandable about severe health consequences of CO getting into our breathable air in the home. Thank you.
As a bit of a cost savings side note, some furnace repair companies will allow you to pay for inspections (and or cleaning) in advance at a discount. The service company we use normally charges $120 for an inspection and cleaning but we were able to pay for 5 years of service in advance at a price of only $75 per year for inspection and cleaning. We have it done every year anyway and we like the service company we use so it was well worth paying up front to get a discount. Plus we get priority scheduling when it gets busy as the season starts.
around here all you get is a hodgepodge team of illegals of which none speaka-de-eengrish...
Also rollout are the one you see above at the 3:31 mark. Mounted above the burners. There are two of them on this model
The Green arrow is not a rollout sensor - HVAC Pro +25 years experience
The green arrow is pointing to the spark ignitor.
The rollout sensors, there are two of them, are along the top of the burner compartment.
Fun little fact for anyone else whose reading this, those rollout switches have a manual reset which will shut the furnace down should they be triggered, and they'll hard lock out till you get a tech out there to inspect and reset them.
Thank you!!!! thia guy's an idiot and full of miss information!!!! Home Inspectors are the worst for furnace information!!! they do not understand the basic operations!!! I've delt with these JAs for years!!!!
Unless it’s a carrier/Bryant. They put non resettable limits on those
You may have saved many lives! Good on you and thank you!
Me and my girlfriend’s condo we were living in for 4 years, we found out after we sold it that during the homeinspection, our furnace actually had about a 4” gap between the exhaust pipe and furnace that the previous inspectors we paid for before purchasing the condo apparently missed. It was spitting out carbon monoxide every time in use, thankfully it was next to a duct/vent and it was being thrown up into the attic the entire time. Still crazy though
Your arrow at 3:38 is NOT the "rollout sensors " as you've stated, but rather an igniter electrode. The rollout sensors are the two klixon style temperature sensors on the metal plate above the burner. Rollout heats that plate and if either one detects excessive heat it turns off the gas supply valve.
Actually that is the flame sensor, the ignitor is probably underneath out of sight and fed by the other orange wire you see. You are correct about the rollout thermostats though.
Good information. I'm a service tech for a gas utility company, and I've been on several Carbon Monoxide calls. Almost all of them caused by lack of maintenance of the gas appliance. Some people called because they noticed a funny smell around the furnace, they noticed a yellowish glow by the furnace. They didn't have a CO detector. I would ask them what their life was worth? Is it worth $30 to $50 for a detector? They usually didn't know what to say.
High pressure goes to low pressure. So the air from the blower gets pushed into the heat exchanger, not the other way around.
Only way CO would get into the home is if the inducer fan fails or the chimney is clogged. In this case the pressure switch would keep the gas valve from opening. And like you said, roll out switches protect the building and occupants too.
Cracked heat exchangers cause lower efficiency. Cracked heat exchanger diagnostics are probably the best way to rip people off.
You may have just saved my wife's life. We know that the furnace at the house that we are staying in temporarily, is in terrible state and she hasn't been feeling well since we moved in and a lot of the doctor's tests are negative. I'm going to do some carbon monoxide testing ASAP. Thank you!
Please do, Johnny. No matter what, it’s good to check. I hope everyone stays safe!
@@TheHonestCarpenter I actually just did my sweep with handheld carbon monoxide detector and luckily there doesn't appear to be any issues. I checked the detector with car exhaust and it made a strong detection, so it works. Luckily the furnace seems clean so far. Thank you nonetheless for something to watch out for. All the best to you. 🙂
Were you able to isolate the root cause? There are a lot of environmental changes when moving to a new house, especially if it's in another state. You can also check for radon, water quality, air quality (especially if near an Interstate or industrial area). A basic radon test is pretty cheap. Sometimes a good furnace filter & HEPA filter can help if it's air pollution or allergy related.
@@johnnyx9659 if you have air ducts, you might want to have them professionally cleaned, you’d be surprised how dirty some of them can be. Search the NADCA website for a reputable company if you’re considering getting them cleaned.
@@johnnyx9659 Now that's using the old noodle!
God Bless you for the information I'm so scared I'm 69 but I'm gonna try n get help to check my furnace hopefully n helping us elderly God Bless ure fam. N you thk u
@ 3:42, your green arrow is actually pointing to the Flame sensor, the rollout sensors are the two small devices on the rusty shelf just above. The flame sensor is there to prove that ignition/flame has occurred at startup, allowing the gas valve to remain on. Or it’s a spark ignition rod,
That's 100% a flame sensor
That is not the flame sensor, that is the spark igniter. The flame sensor is on the left, under the burners where the orange wire is going…At 4:05 you are able to see flame sensor on the left side and the rest of the spark ignition on the right…
I too recognized the arrow pointing at the igniter
Thank you so much for the excellent explanation.
I’m sure , you save to many people.
I learned how it works. Your videos is absolutely outstanding. Thanks again.
Thank you for your thorough assessment of Rollout with the furnace. Your expertise along with your personality is a refreshing breathe of air! I finally feel like someone actually knows what they are doing & talking about with the furnace system. I wish that I was rich enough to make you my personal maintenance expert.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
awesome video.. our furnace needed a new igniter.. i was going to replace it myself.. but called a tech to come out and change it and clean the furnace.. while he was checking the igniter he noticed a decent sized crack in the heat exchanger.. i have no knowledge of furnaces.. or what a crack in the exchanger was or meant.. i do now! so glad i changed my mind and called them to change it.. possibly saving our lives!
You make good points, but I would like to vouch for the safety of these modern furnaces a bit.
Hypothetically you could have a poorly burning, high co level flame situation alongside a large crack in the heat exchanger, but you have to remember that the flue gasses are being drawn through the exchanger, meaning it is under negative pressure, while the surrounding air is pressurized by the air blower. This will drive extra air into the heat exchanger, confirmed by higher than normal oxygen levels in the combustion analysis readings. You would still need some other mechanism to get co into the living space.
I've had service calls where I've measured +10,000 ppm of CO in the exhaust, and during the off cycle I could read 1 ppm around the seams of the furnace cabinet, I assume as residual CO that did not get expelled during the post purge. 0 ppm in the actual air stream of the duct.
Long story short, these are extremely safe units with multiple safeties within, and add several CO detectors in the house and the dangers are effectively 0
You are correct when you say they are safe. I still recommend carbon monoxide detector. First off all this guy is clueless! If vent is clogged vacuum switch will trigger. Secondly he pointed in the video at flame sensor and called it rollout switch when clearly you can see unit has 2 of them in a different spot. This is a fake inspector! Certified in nothing! 🤣🤣🤣
I expect the backdrafting mentioned in this video requires two conditions. First is insufficient [or no] make up air brought to the burner. Second is the air handler vs. building scenario. If the home is "tight" that leaves conflicting forces: should they become balanced, or the air handler overwhelms the bulk of exhaust trying to escape, that's a major problem. Nature find its ways... rats/mice, mud daubers in the wrong place might overwhelm what was initially a workable install that passed inspection.
One thing you also need to consider is a heat exchanger with holes cannot be guaranteed to be lower pressure to the fresh air side of the furnace in all places … the absence of any wall due to corrosion means it’s impossible for their to be a pressure difference between inside and outside the exchanger.
👍👍👍
Thanks, new homeowner here in Canada entering my second year in a home built in 07. Unsure of the maintenance and/or service history of our furnace. Thanks for the info and advice, I’ll be coordinating annual services in the fall moving forward with this years inspection this February 👌🙏🇨🇦🎉🇺🇸
Answered all my questions in 1 video
Thank you for watching! I always hope people will watch this video, but the algorithm just sort of dropped it. I appreciate your feedback 🙂
Roll out is caused by not enough draft over the fire usually caused by a bad power venter or a blocked chimney. Has nothing to do with oxygen
Plus how do you confuse a rollout sensor and a flame sensor?
@@davidsee1721 lol , he is a carpenter. His next video will be about surgery at home 🤣🤣🤣🤣 . Stay tuned 🤣🤣🤣
@A D 🤣🤣🤣👍
Most informative video I've seen to date. I had the furnace shut off similarly in my old apartment. Never knew why, thought it was broken.
Great job!
As a former volunteer firefighter I am thankful that you got the word about the dangers of CO. As an electronic engineer I think the arrow in your video was pointing to the spark ignition/conductivity flame sensor... on the surface above I saw 2 thermodisc heat switches. I believe those are primary roll-out protection. But to your credit a partially blocked flue can cause a minor roll-out that would not trip the thermal shutdown, but WOULD produce CO in the living area.
Side note: No hot surface ignitor was shown in the video. So I'm guessing the flame conduction sensor and the spark ignition electrode are now combined into One? Clever cost saving for Mfrs?
We find a few bad heat exchangers every year we also find chimney flues that Need repaired, replaced or need a liner … great video bringing this to peoples attention 👊🏼👊🏼🔨🪚✌🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸
What an excellent video! There are a multitude of excellent videos on this topic right here on RUclips. I can't help but wonder if the motivation to produce one comes from the loss or near loss of someone loved. If I may add, I also purchased an inexpensive pulse/oxygen saturation sensor from Amazon to place on my finger. In addition to health reasons, I also use it for the benefit knowing I am receiving enough oxygen inside my home and that oxygen is not being displaced by carbon monoxide. While I was trained on older furnaces, I still have a technician come in and inspect mine. Thank You So Much for an excellent reminder!
This video appeared in my RUclips feed because of some searches I'd done due to a carbon monoxide near-miss two days ago. I inherited my mom's house after her passing two years ago but had not spent much time there during cold weather. Just stayed there this past week and woke up one night with severe vertigo that has lasted several days now. Called a technician to check out the downstairs unit and sure enough, the heat exchanger was rusted through in several spots. I thought I had Covid with being out of breath and tired for days, but no...it was carbon monoxide poisoning. I just purchased six CO detectors and will put them all over the house for the future. Also will not stay another cold night there until both units are serviced and checked out. Don't ever want to repeat this. It could have ended much worse, and is certainly not something to dismiss or be cavalier about. Silent killer. You won't have a clue.
Good info but a lot of people will be turned off by "you cant do this yourself call a professional." Well I was told the same thing when I replaced a single three ton heat pump unit with two two ton units splitting up the floor. I had a couple of HVAC contractors tell me I would go to jail if anyone found out I did it. Total price tag was about $2000 for both not to mention the $400 I made back from selling an HVAC contractor the old condenser unit. Yes I get it that a lot of people can not do it but making stuff up does not help your case. I found one local contractor that was totally supportive. They said they had a ton of work and were more than happy to just do a service call to check up on my install. Going on 12 years both units have only needed occasional checkups. Like when the vinyl siding crew moved the unit about six inches to the right and let all the refrigerant out. Or when the $7 cap crapped out randomly. Easy fix. Now one of the unit has a smaller problem involving a combination of a cap or thermostat. Not a giant deal. I can do a lot of trouble shooting for the $5000 I was quoted to just replace one unit! The end lesson is carbon monoxide detectors. The girl I was dating in college insisted one be installed in her apartment prior to moving in. She was woken up several dozen times by the alarm and twice when I was there. Finally the maintance people replaced the furnace. Were the levels high enough to kill us? Dont know but they didnt want to fix it unless they had to.
As an HVAC tech I noticed the Visio didn’t point to the rollout sensors you were talking about instead it pointed to the positive flame sensor which tells the control board that it ok for the gas valve to remain open. Thought you should know.
Came here to say that
I was getting bad headaches and fogginess upon waking. Suspected furnace. It would 'pop' sometimes and I noticed fumes when entering apt. when furnace had been running. Landlord's maintenance dude said it was fine. I called Power company. Their inspector found cracks in plenum directly above burn chamber and red tagged the furnace. Said the whole unit was too old and unsafe. Renters should get carbon monoxide detectors if they don't already have them.
Yeah slumlords are the cheapest mf out there and always cheap out on hvac equipment or run it until it gets dangerous ... it's sad not all, but most do this.
Video calls it a roll out sensor then points to spark igniter electrode or a flame sensor,, some furnaces combine both..this device teels the control board "I indeed do have a lit burner) the twin two wire switches with the black and red wires "above" the burners with the red plunger in the middle are the roll out sensors,, they detect excess heat from a flame roll out where its not supposed to be and trip killing the power to the gas valve .. this was pointed out below as well. always call a gas technician to inspect the furnace for safety issues if you find one tripped, they do not trip without a reason..
Thank you, this PSA is certainly saving lives
WOW!
Awesome explanation, thank you for sharing this with everyone.
Cheers from Chicago.
You’re welcome, Jose! I’m glad it was helpful. Been wanting to make this one for a while 🙂
Thanks for the emphasis around CO and home heating.! You are a great American!
It’s hard to tell someone you have to shut them down due to this and they usually get angry. You will likely save their life or home if you catch it on a maintenance or repair.
Good your explaining this, when I first read how these gas furnaces works, I already knew these are health hazards and not worth using for homes.
Lol what? 🤣 Gas furnaces are absolutely amazing, the heat output is superior and natural gas is insanely cheap.
I replaced my furnace a couple of years ago due to a bad heat exchanger. There are telltale signs, especially if you're talking a high efficiency furnace. The incomplete combustion will cause carbon buildup on the exhaust vent tube, and the exhaust will take on a horrible, oily smell. The furnace output air temperature will reduce, but the top of the furnace will get hot, due to the flame rollout. A clear telltale sign is if the flame starts dancing around when the air handler switches on. A sure sign of a failed heat exchanger.
I’m a hvac tech for 20 years and I’ll say great job..home owners/renters plz listen