A friend of ours in Michigan lives a hand-to-mouth existence. At least he has a roof over his head, just. Here is part of a recent report. Heating systems are forced-air, so gas heats recirculated air via a built-in heat exchanger, the whole known as a 'furnace'.
"The furnaces in the basements in all the buildings are original to the buildings' constructions. 1964, 1965, 1966.
And they are all rusting away.
I went back last Monday, and said: my furnace is emitting a strong metallic odor, constantly, And it's why I have not used it. Since October when temperatures went down. I turn it on, and turn it off immediately, as the smell is constant, and strong.
Turns out, a real licensed man from the Company itself, came over. He found: A cracked heat exchanger. With metal powder, the burning off of the surfaces of the heat exchanger and ash from incomplete burning, on the heat exchanger supports. That's the powder I had complained about, finding it on my bathroom counter, the tile floor, etc. There was a loose gas jet nozzle, that dangled inside near the heat exchanger. There were loose supports for the three bars of the heat exchanger.
And these things, the 'maintenance' man vacuumed, with a hand vac. Knocking against them as he pushed the vacuum wand inside the furnace burner area.
MORE: My exhaust tube, from the furnace to the chimney, had a six inch crack in it, spewing out exhaust from a malfunctioning heat exchanger. The exhaust tube right next to mine, from a furnace next to mine, had the same large crack in it. Both of them.... in plain sight.
THAT, too, the maintenance man didn't have the presence of mind to see, and report.
So, the real HVAC man, the one with the brains, showed me all of this, and that HVAC guy said, we are getting you a new furnace, And it was installed on Friday.
I told the manager what I learned, of that furnace and of that maintenance man. I said I knew that guy wasn't licensed, and knew he didn't know what he was doing. She said, the company main office hires these guys, she doesn't know anything beyond them being hired. I get that. The company pays squat for a moron to save it money. And, the company owns properties in Michigan, owns raceways, and a slew of apartment complexes in different states. But doesn't give a damn about hiring and paying people who are licensed and trained to service what I found."