Cracked Heat Exchanger

[micky]

If you accept the validity of his test method. I'll ask you the same I asked the OP.. Was his test an industry-accepted test, or even an industry-acknowledged test? Or is it his own test with no history that shows it's accurate.

I don't understand why the last sentence quoted means anything to you. He's concluded there's a crack, but his statement about enlargiing massively is conditional. It starts with "if" and relies on his prior conclusion that there is a crack.

To the OP, I don't want it to seem that my advice to get the repairmen to give their opinion first was conditional on you're being right about the crack. Whether there is a crack or not, you should make the repairman go first. You didn't invite him to your house so you could talk to him,, but so that he could look at the furnace and talk to you.

[trader4]

Why don't you google it and find out?

The thing that goes with that strategy is that if you know you have a cracked heat exchanger on a 20 year old furnace, you can call up 3 companies for quotes on a new furnace and they are generally free. If you want to call up companies and ask for a repairman to come out to check out and evaluate your furnace, then expect a service bill. And then maybe a second visit by the guy who quotes installing a new furnace.

[Big Giant Head]

I got some quotes on a new furnace (various models of Carrier). This was a sales guy who seemed to have some level of technical knowledge but not a tech. I did tell him my suspicions.

If I call another outfit and have a technician come out to "evaluate" the furnace do I prompt him in some way or just hope any tech working on a 26 year old furnace (I've looked up the age finally) would give the HE a thorough inspection.

PS: I started a separate thread regarding efficiency options in the replacement selection, presuming that's necessary and happening.

[trader4]

Personally, I wouldn't play games and have a service guy waste his time. I'd just tell him that you suspect the heat exchanger may be cracked. And be there when he's looking at it. If he confirms it, have him show you how he knows it's cracked. I'd also find out the cost of having the inspection done upfront.

Suppose you follow the advice some have given, which I guess is to just say "I want my furnace checked and serviced". Suppose he gets done, hands you a bill for $150, and says it's OK? Then what? Ask him when he's giving you the bill if he checked the heat exchanger? And if he says yes, then what? You gonna sleep OK at night? Call another tech for another $150? I'd want the tech focused on what you think is the serious problem.

To me, what some are suggesting is like taking your car for service and instead of telling them that the front brakes are making a noise, just asking them to check out your car for fear they are going to sell you a brake job.

IDK what the various procedures, laws are, etc. But I wouldn't be suprised that some places that if they find it's cracked, they might be required to notify the gas company, which might then red tag it, etc., so you might want to be prepared for that.

[Big Giant Head]

Yeah, that's what the guy was telling me. I guess I never looked closely at other configurations.

It's going to get replaced in a matter of days. Meanwhile I am keeping an eye on things and have the two CO alarms.

I'm fine with how things are for a few days. It did occur to me that one could partly restrict the venting into that area of the furnace creating a very slight vacuum which would ensure that any blowback gases would get sucked into the other burners and vented out. But that would be stupid as reduced air only increases the likelyhood of CO production. I'd bet right now there's almost none. I won't mess with it. It would be funny if there were access points into the HE and someone stuck a CO probe into each and found that the channel that appears to have the issue was actually making less CO because of that additional air. We'll never know but it's possible. Secondary air they call it in other industries.

[Big Giant Head]

First sales person said it's not official unless his tech says so. He didn't say what the ramifications of that would be. I think I'm confident enough in what I saw with the test candle flame and what the gas flame is doing at the bottom of the HE in that one section that if I do go ahead and replace it without a tech checking it out first, I am not going to be up nights wondering if it was really necessary.

And no one around here, many of whom are skilled in the trade, have said my conclusion has a high probability of being wrong.

Mild temperature today. Little furnace usage.

Second vendor will visit tomorrow. Would have been today if not for yet a different homeowner disaster, this one involving a sewer line clogged in two different places, and lots of wet towels and so forth. It took two professionals and a lot of gear a couple of hours to make that right. When it rains it pours. What comes after fire and water? Do I even want to know?

[Stormin Mormon]

The young men roll out the tables, the women go in the kitchen and get the milk and brownies. We stand around and chat. The kids run around.

P.S. Locusts, plagues of locusts.

[Big Giant Head]

Don't laugh but last night I found out what comes after fire and water. It's ice. I opened up the side-by-side fridge and noticed a half inch of ice at the bottom of the freezer side. Obviously defrost condensate overflowing the catch tray. Why is the question.

It's all cleaned up now but whether there was really a foreign matter clog in the drain line that takes water to the bottom or it just froze up for some reason (poor air circ from being overstuffed perhaps) I do not know. Drain tube running freely now.

At least I know the defrost system seems to be working well so there's that.