cracked heat exchanger?

Dirk Wright

Yeah, you need to take it apart to find the crack. This means taking out the burner, the blower, the flue, and most of the sheet metal outer box. Cracks can be fixed, but you may have to take the whole heat exchanger out and take it to a welding shop. It's just a sheet metal box after all. I just took my furnace partially apart to visually inspect the heat exchanger. It seemed fine to me; I could not find any cracks.

Mike Brady

heat exchanger cracked?

Sorry for being a newbie here.

Anyway, I had my oil burner (forced hot air) serviced last week. The tech told me that the heat exchanger is cracked. I'm not saying he is wrong or lying, but I'd like to find out independantly if what he told me is correct.

He said that the amount of CO2 in the exhaust was 10 (or so) %, but when the blower kicked in, it dropped to 7 something percent. He was using one of those newer LCD meters with probe into the exhaust pipe.

This is the first time I have ever seen a tech use something like that. I realize that there are always equipment upgrades, so that's not a problem.

I'm curious about a few things. What are the ramifications if I don't have the heater replaced quickly? There shouldn't be a CO issue, should there?

Thanks!

Mike

RoosterBoy

if you have a burner mishap with a cracked FAHX

then you might wake up some morning with fire comming out of the heating supply pipes and vents, in other words . perhaps you go with God on this one. *~/;)

ed wallace

cracked heat exchanger

yes there is a CO issue with a cracked heat exchanger

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Al Corelli

Or, if there is enough CO, you might wake up dead.

sootmonkey

yep

Yep.....Worth the time to peel the sheet metal off and look for a crack. Also look for loose cleanout gaskets. Find out why the co2 changed with the blower coming on.

JeffD

Get that technicians name!! Then ask for him and him only every year. This tech has done an awesome job, he is using state of the art equipment to make sure that your furncace is both efficient and safe, and not only that he knows how to use the equipment and interpret the results. It can be hard to find a good oil tech that will catch potentially fatal problems like cracked heat exchangers. You should pat him on the back and say thank you:)

Firedragon_4

I agree with Jeff

Further, he used one of the oldest tests in the book and updated it using electronics, 1920 meets 2005, cool!

Buy a furnace and quickly, at the higher fuel prices expected, next Spring you'll be very glad you did.

My hat's off to the tech, well done!

Firedragon_4

No offense Dirk,

but I've seen too many hairline cracks in court that could not be seen with the naked eye.

Cracks in the welds, in the seams and at pouch gaskets are just the biggest one's. Leaks behind chambers, blowers, etc, the list goes on.

Nobody's eyes can beat instrumentation for accuracy in anything, FACT!

Glenn Harrison_2

Dirk,

can you refresh my memory as to your background in this industry? If I remember correctly, you are a well informed homeowner, correct me if I am wrong.

The reason I ask is you statement about welding a HX. The first word that comes to mind is LIABILITY. Can any welder guarantee that weld will seal the crack, and not damage the integrity of the heat exchanger, NO they can't. Also, if you talk to ANY forced air furnace manufacturer, they will tell you, and put it in writing that a failed HX can not be repaired, and that it must be replaced. At that point, anybody who attempts repair owns that heat exchanger. If you are a contractor, and god forbid something happens and somebody gets sick, dies, or the house burns, the contractors insurance will say SEE YA, and no lawyer can save you butt at that point. Never mind having to live with the consequences of your actions.

My point, with all due respect, please be a little more careful with your statements as a homeowner. The words you speak now, with out all the knowledge of a true professional contractor, could get somebody hurt later, and in this day and age of lawyer frenzy, could get you in serious trouble for giving out bad advise.

Steamhead (in transit)

Amen

That furnasty is a fire or CO incident waiting to happen. Have it replaced now.

Dirk, I know you're still learning. If a heat exchanger is cracked at one point it is certainly weakened at other points. You might be able to weld it successfully now, but it will likely be cracked again in a different place soon. It really is not worth the time and effort to weld it, and of course there are liability issues as mentioned previously.

This is yet another reason hot-water and steam heat are vastly superior to scorched-air. The water or steam is an extra barrier between the flue gases and the air in the rooms.