York Affinity 98% eff heat exchanger leak

Dave Yates (GrandPAH) · May 2010

2-year old furnace. Modcon model with 98% efficiency. Customer called to ask we check why water is leaking from the furnace. Tech finds it's coming from the secondary SS heat exchanger.

York said if we're willing to drive (45-minutes each way) to pick a new one up, no charge, no freight & no paperwork. If they must deliver to our office in York, PA, then there's a fee plus lots of paperwork. Odd. But, wait, it gets better!

They are now saying their Affinity furnace will leak if it tilts towards the rear at all and that they would like them to be tilted slightly forward. Said there's a gasket between the primary & secondary HX that will leak condensate. Hummnnn, so if condensate is able to freely leak, what about CO??? Tech service said CO can't escape, but water will. If that turns out to be the issue: no warranty & we'd be on the hook for the HX $$$.

Water can escape through the gasketed connection, but not CO?

So, tilt em forward!?! Headed back next week with our new Ridgid inspection scope that incorporates the ability to record video. We'll post that to our Ridgid Connect portal for the viewing pleasure of interested parties. CO detector goes along too.

don_9 · May 2010

hx cracks

Does it ever end? It seem like all of them seem to have problems.not just york.i think what he is trying to say that the water itself create a seal where the co does not travel.ok..i'm trying to be fair.

tilting sounds like a great moved as well.Have to do most airhandler the same way to keep water from laying in the pan to keep that mouisture from going back into the home.

As for all this hight tech equipment..whispering,if you ask me i think its over rated.

Looking forward to seeing the pics.

Dave Yates (GrandPAH) · May 2010

never ending story

for the things we all do while maintaining pace with the evolution of equipment.

Best guess (since I didn't design the beastie) is that the negative pressure created via draw-through venting of combustion by-products would prevent water & CO from leaking out of a semi-porous gasket. But it does make me question the wisdom of a design (flaw?) that sets up a scenario where moderately acidic condensate can leak from a leveled furnace - or one ever so slightly out of level (will be checking the furnace level first). If leaning one to the front is necessary to avoid leaks, I'd (if I were the mfgr) put that in bold type with a "Read This First" headline.

Jean-David Beyer · May 2010

I am not a heating professional.

But if I were a manufacturer who makes a boiler that needs to be tipped slightly to the front, I would not say so in the installation manual, because it is my impression that these manuals are not read by many.

Instead, I would redesign the boiler to include the required tip inside the enveloping box, and require the box to be leveled. Of course, I would still put a note in the installation manual to level it.

York Affinity 98% eff heat exchanger leak

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