Its not unlike a doctor telling you about the c word. Even though your furnace may look and seem fine, dangerous gases could leak into your home and seriously affect, even kill, your family members. A heat exchanger is made of thin metal, and as it heats up from the combustion of the furnace, it transfers the heat to the air being distributed through the house by the blower 3. Forced air furnace with a cracked heat exchanger questions. Located in the center of the furnace, it is where fire, gas and heat connect. Many companies use infrared light to detect cracks, but a flashlight is sufficient for more noticeable cracks.
If the heat exchanger is cracked, the oxygen reading will change a lot when the blower turns on. Perhaps the most common furnace repair scam is the cracked heat exchanger scam. After a one hour service charge, he left with the recommendation of replacing the furnace due to a cracked heat exchanger. First, carbon monoxide could leak out of the furnace and into the home. These furnaces were installed in the early 90s and virtually all of their heat exchangers failed. Diagnosis of a heat exchanger crack typically starts with a no heat service call. The heat exchanger is cracked or otherwise has an air leak. A cracked heat exchanger is very dangerous for two major reasons. The limit switch is a temperature sensor attached to a mounting plate inside the furnace housing.
This could also be caused by operating the furnace with a low return air temperature. Heat exchanger failure diagnosis, goodman gmp model youtube. The problem with finding a crack in a furnace heat exchanger is that you can see very little of the heat exchanger without disassembling the furnace. Remember that your furnace is burning some type of material in order to generate heat, but this process should be taking place inside your furnaces heat exchanger itself. Diagnosis of a heat exchanger crack typically starts with a noheat service call. Eventually the structural integrity of the metal will give in and the metal will break. Signs and symptoms of a cracked gas furnace heat exchanger. A shady repair technician may try to trick you into believing the heat exchanger in your furnace is cracked and leaking deadly amounts of carbon monoxide into your home. Broken and leaking heat exchangers are responsible for about 1,500 deaths per year in the united states, and many more people are poisoned by exposure to toxic gasses that go unfiltered by defective heat exchangers. It is important that the heat exchanger is taken care of as hazards can build from a faulty exchanger. Consumer reports suggests that if the cost to repair your current furnace is 50% of the cost of a new furnace, you should replace it. If the igniter does not have continuity, replace it. For carbon monoxide to leak from a cracked heat exchanger, two things need to be happening.
Indianapolis hvac cracked heat exchanger diagnosis furnace. Press this onto the furnace heat exchanger, and allow it to dry. As a homeowner, getting the news that your heat exchanger is cracked is a bit of a harsh blow. Choose the right heat exchanger for you from our selection of genuine goodman, amana, and janitrol oem replacement heat exchangers. The crack allows the release of dangerous carbon monoxide into the air.
This is dangerous, as one of the gases produced by the heat exchanger is carbon monoxide, a deadly. The heat of the combustion gas raises the temperature of the metal, and as the air from the blower passes around it, heat transfers to it. Once you talk about replacing the furnace, you have plenty of options. In most cases, the flue gases in your furnace will not contain carbon monoxideits not a typical byproduct of gas combustion in the furnace. If your heat exchanger is cracked or rusted, your furnace may emit gases. From my experience, the water will only be effective. This piece is in control of activating the blower fan to circulate air through the heat exchanger and into the house while also pulling cool air into the. Were you recently told that your furnace heat exchanger is cracked and needs to be replaced. You can see by the discoloration of the pipes caused by high temperature.
Have you heard this one recently, you have a cracked heat exchanger and your furnace has to be replaced, today. This is because air is leaking through the crack in the heat exchanger into the combustion chamber. You know its serious and you know you need to do something about it. With predefined registration conditions, goodman will furnish a 10year parts limited warranty that provides replacement parts for any part that is found to be defective due to workmanship or materials under normal use and maintenance, and a lifetime heat exchanger limited warrantygood for as long as you own your home. If you or other family members experience continual recurring headaches or flulike symptoms, this could indicate a cracked heat exchanger. His notes indicate he checked supply temp of 195, adjusted blower speed and dampers. But yes, bad heat exchangers will cause the furnace to start burning poorly, and making high levels of co as a result. These two different words are nomenclature meaning the thin layer of metal that separates the good air that you breathe and the bad air comes from burning natural gas in a forced air heater or burning propane in a forced air heater.
Dangerous cracked heat exchangers in furnaces carbon monoxide detectors and cracked heat exchangers. The your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be. Guide to furnace heat exchanger inspection, testing, leaks how to inspect and. Furnace crack heat exchanger, cracked firebox, furnace repair. The heat exchanger on a furnace is the section that keeps the combustion chamber and the breathing air separate. A cracked heat exchanger allows air from the furnace blower to interfere with the flame causing it to flutter or even roll out. A broken heat exchanger can cause flame failure and. Furnace heatexchanger crack signs your furnace has one. Heat exchanger cracks are a serious furnace repair issue. These breaks usually occur as small cracks and holes in the heat exchanger. If the heat exchanger is cracked, byproducts of the combustion process that takes place within the component can spill out.
That looks like the tube style heat exchanger when ive seen those crack it was usually in the front which in my opinion isnt as dangerous or on the sharp bends inside thats were the heat can build up. Replacement of the heat exchanger or furnace are the only remedies. The cause of cracked heat exchangers avoid this common scam. This heat exchanger is a impoved version of the original heat exchanger. A well qualified hvac technician will look for a furnace cracked heat exchanger during a maintenance check. If we discover that a customers furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, we shut the furnace off at the electrical switch and gas valve and tag the appliance for repair. We will work with you to find hvac solutions that fit your heating and cooling needs.
This heat exchanger was on a furnace that was overfired. I wasnt home when he was there, but wife said he seemed very thorough. This energy star approved unit features a four speed blower motor, corrosionresistant secondary heat exchanger and offers vertical or horizontal venting. The video below demonstrates how to determine if the heat exchanger has failed. Goodman gas furnace cracked heat exchanger double change out. A cracked heat exchanger in a gas furnace is a serious safety issue. Apparently there have been a lot of failures from the oem unit. Coleman furnace, daikin furnace, goodman furnace, heil furnace, lennox. If the igniter is not cracked, use a multimeter to test the igniter for continuity. The gasses condensed in the heat exchanger and rusted it out. Goodman furnace high temperature plastic vent htpv safety recall us. The draft inducer motor draws air into the heat exchanger and then exhausts it. Often when cracks are present in a heat exchanger, soot from the combustion process will seep through and discolor the metal.
It is not currently installed in any house i was just using it as a blower in my shed. I demonstrate how the gmp 050 to 100 model furnace heat exchanger failure diagnosis is done. While the furnace is heating up you hear some fairly loud clicking noises but after the flames shut off and the fan is still running the heat exchanger makes some very loud popping noises for several seconds while it is cooling down. The goodman janitrol gmp model gas furnace had a large number of heat exchanger problems.
The best thing to do is just replace the furnace, as replacing a heat exchanger requires a lot of labor time and is almost never worth it, especially on an old furnace. This heat exchanger was in a furnace that was underfired. The goodman gms9 is a discontinued singlestage, multispeed gas furnace with an efficiency of 93% afue. Pour a little bit of the chemical on the hole, and leave it to dry until it seals around the exchanger. Danger of a furnace with a cracked heat exchanger servicemax. If it cracks after the warranty is up, usually at least 20 years, consider replacing the entire furnace. Unless you are one of the top 3% of people who have all the money, replacing the furnace is going to hurt the pocket book if you have not planed for it, but it has to be done. In the video above the furnace techs says the oxygen reading could rise as high as. If you find that your furnace heat exchanger has trouble getting enough heat and power, then you may find that it has developed a crack or hole.
For example, if your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger that is not covered by a limited warranty, the equipment replacement in addition to labor costs may. A broken heat exchanger can cause flame failure and dangerous co gas in the structure. Gas and oil home heating furnaces goodman cracked heat exchanger i have a decision to make and could use some help sorting out the. It had an aluminized steel tubular primary heat exchanger and a stainless steel secondary heat exchanger. This achr news article explains what to look for when inspecting a furnace flue. The extra air will cause the oxygen reading to change notably. Heat safety is paramount so have your furnaces inspected immediately for a cracked heat exchanger. Almost every single heat exchanger in that model line cracked. A damaged heat exchanger in a gas furnace is potentially dangerous to a homes occupants and should not be ignored. When a heat exchanger becomes damaged and the combustion fumes and gases mix with the clean air, serious consequences can result. Not only is furnace performance an issue, but heat exchanger malfunctions can pose serious health and fire risks. In an attempt to sell new furnaces, numerous heating contractors will lie about cracked heat exchangers. Some people choose to live in denial of the seriousness of a cracked heat exchanger.
Because it allows the exhaust fumes inside the exchanger to leak into the air. The 5 different models within the series can be installed in an upflow, downflow, or horizontal position. There is one gas furnace problem we want to draw your attention to, because its the most common reason for a furnace allowing toxic gasses into a home. Its basically what allows a furnace to heat up the air that travels through the ventilation system. Very few, if any, furnaces with a typical small crack or hole in the heat exchanger. The goodman gmnt series is a multiposition gas furnace operating with a 92. A furnace with a cracked heat exchanger is usually an exception, because of the cost of the repair. The exchanger cracked because the hack who installed it in my aunts house only cut the return air opening in the furnace cabinet to half of the. If you have an iron heat exchanger, then you need to find an iron repair liquid, which uses chemical reactions to seal holes in iron. The real issue is that it makes a lot of noise in use. The company i worked for would have condemed this furnace but the owner was smart to cover his butt. Should i replace my heat exchanger or buy a new furnace.
Through this crack, combustion fumes can escape from the exchanger, and can build up in the room. They will push you hard to either get it fixed immediately or replace the unit entirely on. Avoid these 4 common furnace repair scams oconomowoc. If someone informs you that your heat exchanger is cracked, call the. Yes, a cracked or damaged furnace heat exchanger is a major danger to you and your family.
According to becca virden, the public relations spokeswoman at centerpoint energy, we do our best for our customer by putting their safety and comfort first, safety being first. Basically, the heat exchanger is where the furnace heats the air. A warning about cracked heat exchangers in gas furnace. Goodman, is fairly common with induced furnaces with small cracks. A goodman furnace with four blinks could be indicating that you are reaching a high limit. Had a repairman from installing company come check it out. How do you guys diagnose cracked or bad heat exchangers. I think the quality of the welds are kind of cheap. This video is about the your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be replaced scam. The heat exchanger is a key part of the furnace and is responsible for the actual heating of air. The large rivots fail, causing the flame to roll out of the burner and trip the sensors. To find just the right part, enter your model number. Proper diagnosis of a failed or cracked heat exchanger. Is this a cracked heat exchanger armstrong ultra sx 80.