Cracked heat exchanger

Reportedly four year old 93% efficient furnace of unknown brand in a house the I am buying and just had inspected. Should the heat exchanger be replaced or the furnace replaced?

Reply to
jim.earel
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Absolutely not for safety reasons.

One of the biggest scams of the hvac business hoodlums is telling customers that the crack in their heat exchanger is dangerous and shut down the system.

Since time began, no one has been made sick or died because of a cracked heat exchanger. Don't let those crooks tell you otherwise.

Did you know that there are tens of millions of americans that are burning fuel with 100 percent of the combustion byproducts being released inside the living quarters. You ever hear of coleman stoves or room heaters or wall furnaces?

Did you know that because the pressures involved just about guarantee that none of the combustion fumes from a cracked heat exchanger enter the airstream.

If you know of a crooked hvac person that actually shuts down the system with cracked heat exchanger, report him widely as a dishonest person. He is just trying to rob you and has the morals of a snake.

Reply to
Deke

Around here they're legally required to tag it and notify the gas company. It then has to be replaced in 30 days or the gas will be shut off.

The guy that inspected the furnace in the house that we bought last fall noted that it was bad, but didn't tag it because it would cause all sorts of hassles right during the ownership transfer period.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Friesen

Please post the web site of the code that says that.

Reply to
Deke

I can't...its not available online, and it costs about $180 for a copy.

Note that I'm up in Canada.

The guy who did our furnace inspection mentioned that he would do the replacement install if we wanted but he normally doesn't do installs. He also didn't make any specific recomendations as to who we should get to do the install.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Friesen

After some more digging, I did find something. See the "Red Tag Program" link at:

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It looks like its even more stringent than I thought. According to that document, a cracked heat exchanger is technically considered a "hazardous condition". This requires either immediate repair or else turning off the gas to the appliance and notifying the gas utility.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Friesen

Chris, did you read the next part (low risk condition) where it says that you do NOT turn off the gas if there is no co2 being released into the building and there is no flame roll out?

In that case you just notify the owner and attach your tag. You do NOT turn off the gas to the appliance! I strongly advise everyone to get a co2 detector and the repairman to check out co2 levels of any home with a suspect appliance.

But I also warn consumers of HVAC service that you NEVER let them touch your gas shutoff valve - cracked heat exchanger or not - unless they can show you code verse that gives them that authority.

What is more likely at play is that they are robbing you blind.

And I must say that code is not pure. Often the very crooks that steal from consumers are the same ones that provide the code to the city/county parish or other licensing authority.

And finally, if they pull something on you, then get a lawyer and sue their ass for fraud and deceptive trade practice. It costs you nothing as the consumer laws provide the crooks to pay attorney fees.

.
Reply to
Deke

Dear Deke, Please spend some time and research the difference between CO and CO2. Yes, there is a difference. I havn't any links, but I've heard from people I respect that a cracked heat exchanger can put enough carbon monoxide into the home to be dangerous. You'll have to figure out what's the chemical symbol of carbon monoxide, adn what's the other spelling used for.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Man, you really are a clueless twit...

You make Chris look like a professional.

I will suggest AGAIN, that you quit posting about a subject, that you know NOTHING about.

Reply to
<kjpro

Al Gore is a CO2 detector. He can be bought.

Reply to
HeyBub

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