This video is about the your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be replaced scam. Ive used every pain in the ass method of hx inspection, but it seems to me that to keep time down on service calls a simple fan onoff excess air reading will tell 100% if air from the blower is comminucating with air from inside the heat exchanger through cracks holes etc. A cracked heat exchanger is pretty serious, as far as safety for your home goes. When a furnace cannot get enough airflow, the heat exchanger overheats and suffers excess stress from expansion and contraction. Consumers should contact trane to receive a free replacement junction box and free installation. This is why its something to watch out for in an old furnace. Heat exchanger cracks and carbon monoxide myths by reuben saltzman in carbon monoxide alarms, cracked heat exchanger, hvac, new on december 2, 2014 i. The heater uses combustion to create heat while the blower pushes the air to the heat exchanger where it is distributed through the heating ducts into the home. First, the thermostat determines when the heater should come on by measuring the temperature of the air in the room. You know its serious and you know you need to do something about it. Air from the blower passes over the exchanger and heats up because of the hot metal. Mar 19, 2007 the crack is open when the heat exchanger metal is at or close to room temperature. The furnace heat exchanger is the one of the main components inside the gas furnace and its used to transfer the heat from the. This procedure is as simple as watching the flame and observing if it the flame moves or changes when the blower starts.
How do you guys diagnose cracked or bad heat exchangers. Trane xr90 heat exchanger warranty repairs hvactalk. We have been seeing a lot of secondary heat exchanger troubles cracks lately in models from 2003 to 2008. Ct monday through friday, or visit the firms web site at.
Signs and symptoms of a cracked gas furnace heat exchanger. I have been servicing furnaces in metro milwaukee for 27 years, thus allowing me the time served and knowledge to share. The red diagnostic light was blinking 4 times, which means open high temperature limit device. With that kind of efficiency, you can keep your home comfortable while still using energy wisely. That showed us more of the heat exchanger, but it still didnt show us. I have posted a picture colored pic and will try to get a better. Other than this, there really isnt anything else that can definitively give you an answer. Trane xe90 replace heat exhcange or the whole furnace. Closed or blocked vents inside the home and dirty air filters prevent restrict airflow in the heat exchanger, causing. The thermostat will signal to the heater and blower to turn on. A furnace is an efficient and effective way to heat your home, and quality comfort services, inc. A damaged or cracked heat exchanger is the cause of the leading cause of carbon monoxide poisoning in north america. The reaction between the combustion gas and metal over time may create this weakening of metal. I did some analysis and found that i have two flexible condensate hoses that drain into two 34 pvc pipes.
It must be replaced as any welding will simply fail because of the expansion and contraction and the brittle nature of the much worn metal of the cracked heat exchanger. Its not unlike a doctor telling you about the c word. Have you been told that you have a cracked heat exchanger. Air conditioner repair crack heat exchanger, cracked firebox. When an experienced technician from a trustworthy company finds a crack in your heat exchanger, he has done you a favor. As a homeowner, getting the news that your heat exchanger is cracked is a bit of a harsh blow. Corrosion weakens metal and the stress on the heat exchanger along with the air pressure is going to lead to small cracks. It should be a required item to go with any type of fossil fuel burning appliance including a furnace. This video is part of the heating and cooling series of training. The appearance of a black carbon buildup on the furnace. Mar 11, 20 meanwhile, your heat exchanger will go through a lot of stress when it is constantly overheated and cooled back down.
The combustion analyzer also helps us gauge the overall performance of your. It is important that the heat exchanger is taken care of as hazards can build from a faulty exchanger. If it is your heat exchanger, you cannot run your furnace, even if it. Co is produced as a result of incomplete combustion. The easiest way to tell if a heat exchanger is damaged is to inspect it and actually see cracks that have formed in the metal. Pour a little bit of the chemical on the hole, and leave it to dry until it seals around the exchanger. A warning about cracked heat exchangers in gas furnace. Brian schutt december 21, 2011 chances are if youre reading this, youve had a technician out to your home and theyve told you you have a crack or rupture in your heat exchanger. Since this is a system problem in tranes and the heat exchanger cracks and fails. If you find that your furnace heat exchanger has trouble getting enough heat and power, then you may find that it has developed a crack or hole. Cracks in the heat exchanger are a serious problem and one that should not be ignored both for the safety of your home and for the longevity of your furnace. This one is about a crack i found in a heat exchanger that caused no symptoms. If a heatexchanger is cracked, air forced into the combustionchamber will cause the oxygen. This site is not here to sell products or promote services.
Cracked heat exchanger diagnosis for your furnace in indianapolis by. You need someone to run a check and apply a fix, more than just looking at or investigating the issue. Over time, the heat stress causes cracks near weak areas such as bends or welds. Air and gas are separated within the heat exchanger to prevent mixing and exposure to harmful combustion byproducts, such as carbon monoxide. Dec 02, 2015 the most common cause of an overheated heat exchanger is as simple as a dirty air filter. Jan 21, 2020 your heat exchanger is a component applying heat to the air that your blower uses. When air flows over the heat exchanger, hot gases are pulled through the channel by an induction vent fan. Read our blog to learn what to do if this happens to you. The water and corrosion you see at the bottom of the heat exchanger face plate may be caused by a leak in the cold end header of the heat exchanger. Should i replace my heat exchanger or buy a new furnace. Trane will completely replace the heat exchanger end plate and internal flue gas tube assemblies in all recalled units at no cost to the consumer. If theres a crack in this component, the gases being burned off, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxide, could leak into your home, causing illness or, in extreme cases, death. Nearly all premature heat exchanger cracks are caused by overheating. He or she can use a combustion gas analyzer to determine if it is your heat exchanger or not.
Heat exchanger cracks are worth finding but they arent the most dangerous issue for your customers in most cases. A look at a heat exchanger crack that cant be found youtube. If you dont notice damage from a visual inspection, it. The heat exchanger is the most important part of your heating and cooling system, allowing heat to transfer between mediums to keep your home at the optimal temperature. The crack is open when the heat exchanger metal is at or close to room temperature. The heat exchanger is the furnace component that heats air. What could cause a trane furnace to not start heating.
One of the most common reasons a gas furnace can be taken out of service, is when the repair technician finds to a cracked heat exchanger. Most furnaces will have a blower delay to get the furnace up to temperature before moving air over the exchanger. If an electrical component then fails and short circuits, the unit poses a shock hazard. Dec 03, 2018 heat exchanger cracks are worth finding but they arent the most dangerous issue for your customers in most cases. How to determine if a furnace has a cracked heat exchanger 1. If you have an iron heat exchanger, then you need to find an iron repair liquid, which uses chemical reactions to seal holes in iron.
The heat of the combustion gas raises the temperature of the metal, and as the air from the blower passes around it, heat transfers to it. The reason i make this blasphemous statement is twofold. Apr 20, 2020 replacing the heat exchanger is a band aid. What i see fail a lot more than heat exchanger that can produce a similar concern is the inducer receptacle cracks and leaks condensate. The your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be replaced scam. The ground wire in the furnaces junction box can become loose. Signs and symptoms of a cracked gas furnace heat exchanger change in flame appearance. A damaged heat exchanger in a gas furnace is potentially dangerous to a homes occupants and should not be ignored. It is a set of metal tubes or coils that connects to the burner assembly and ends at the vent or flue pipe. But we have both upflow and horizontal left with cold header cracks.
The heat exchanger is aptly named it collects air through the ventilation system and exchanges it to heat with the help of the furnace burners. A cracked heat exchanger in a gas furnace is a serious safety issue. If you open up your furnace and see a black carbon buildup on the surfaces there, this is another sign that theres a crack in your heat exchanger. Because it allows the exhaust fumes inside the exchanger to leak into the air. If you see rust in the left or right corners on a 90% trane or rust on the screws around the main drain off the cold header you could have a cracked cold header. This trips a safety switch and shuts down the furnace. We did replace old bad heat exchanger with a new one in trane rooftop unit.
I suspect the collector box in the secondary heat exchanger is cracked and leaking water. For almost 10 years i have sung the praises of horizon and their quality. The moisture in burned gas is slightly acidicabout the same level as a tomatoand this acid will corrode a heat exchanger over time. While normal wear and tear can lead to heat exchanger damage, airflow issues are often a cause of cracks and damage to the component. If the heat ex changer is cracked, air is forced into the combustionchamber. The american gas association has even put this in writing they say any visible crack or hole is reason.
Furnace heatexchanger crack signs your furnace has one. If your heat exchanger is most likely the issue, its time to call in a professional. Soot can leak out of your heat exchanger if theres a crack. Broken and leaking heat exchangers are responsible for about 1,500 deaths per year in the united states, and many more people are poisoned by exposure to toxic gasses that go unfiltered by defective heat exchangers.
The trane xe 90 furnace has an afue rating of more than 90 percent, meaning that 90 percent of the fuel you use is directly turned into heat. That being said, none of the products of combustion belong in the living space. We are a trane dealer and none of the bulletins address this problem. Diagnosis of a heat exchanger crack typically starts with a noheat service call.
Combination gas furnace and electric air conditioning units the trane company, of tyler, texas, a division of american standard companies inc. Can you repair a cracked heat exchanger on a gas furnace. However, if a crack develops in your units heat exchanger, then you might be looking at. The blower then sends that air into a ventilation system via its fan which then gets sent into your home.
Cpsc, trane company announce recall of voyager heating and. Although a crack in a heat exchanger is dangerous, it does not necessarily mean that carbon monoxide is escaping into your house. Cracks formed at the screw locations and propagated. Simple furnace heat exchanger test hvac learning solutions. I just bought myself a testo 320 combustion analyzer. Consumers should avoid contact with the furnaces until the junction box is replaced. This metal, clamshellshaped chamber collects the combustion gas from the burner, which heats up its walls.
A clogged air filter restricts airflow through the furnace, overheating the heat exchanger, and eventually resulting in stress cracks. If a crack has developed, air from the house will be forced into the combustion chamber when the blower turns on, causing some visible disturbance of the flame, he says. In this article we discuss residential forced warm air furnace heat exchanger life in more detail, explaining the factors that impact the life of the heat exchanger, things you should do to maximize the life of the furnace heat exchanger, and similarly, things you should not do because they are likely to destroy your furnace before its time. Often when cracks are present in a heat exchanger, soot from the combustion process will seep through and discolor the metal. Trane xe90 replace heat exhcange or the whole furnace our service company was here today and told us there is a hole in our heat exchange. Cracked heat exchangers generally produce a strong, unpleasant smell, similar to formaldehyde. The most likely cause for a crack in the heat exchanger is corrosion. Or, have you wondered just how safe your furnace may be.
The heat exchanger serves a vital function the heating cycle of a furnace. What a cracked heat exchanger means comfort flow heating. Some cracks have been known to only open when the unit is fired and the heat exchanger metal is hot. A heating system is a necessity when the winter weather blows through raleigh, north carolina, and the surrounding areas. For residents of georgia, having an hvac, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, is imperative. Located in the center of the furnace, it is where fire, gas and heat connect. In some rare cases, it can cause flame impingement when air from the blower enters the heat exchanger. When the temperature falls all we have to do is go to the thermostat and turn the heat on. This expansion and contraction wears the heat exchanger out making it brittle and eventually the metal of the heat exchanger cracks. Do you have a cracked heat exchanger in your furnace. A carbon monoxide detector installed in the home is a very good idea.
Is the heat exchanger actually cracked or is it just an exterior panel. Overheating causes nearly all premature heat exchanger cracks. A new trane furnace with a higher afue can save you money every month. Seems we have more trouble with the unit that were laying on their sides. If the heat exchanger is under warranty, this is a good way to go.
Dangerous cracked heat exchangers in furnaces everyone wants heat when old man winter arrives in the fall. A failure of a heat exchanger means it cracks or develops small holes, which releases combustion air with a little carbon monoxide into your homes air supply. Trane heat exchanger troubles we have been seeing a lot of secondary heat exchanger troubles cracks lately in models from 2003 to 2008. Many heat exchangers are at a negative pressure in reference to the air moving over the exchanger. This gas furnace has a patented heat exchanger that is designed with a serpentineshaped channel.
For a good example of a hazardous heat exchanger, check out the photo below showing a large rust hole in the heat exchanger of this highefficiency furnace that was only ten years old. A cracked heat exchanger might allow products of combustion to enter the air stream. Hvac businesses in minnesota lock out furnaces when cracked heat exchangers are found. A normally operating gas furnace has a steady blue flame. Bobs answer to whether or not a cracked heat exchanger can be dangerous is. A cracked heat exchanger allows air from the furnace blower to interfere with the flame causing it to flutter or even roll out. The cause of cracked heat exchangers avoid this common scam. The most common cause of an overheated heat exchanger is as simple as a. Furnace crack heat exchanger, cracked firebox, furnace repair. The heat exchanger on a furnace is the section that keeps the combustion chamber and the breathing air separate. One of the oldest ways to check for heat exchanger cracks is to simply observe the flame when the blower starts. Even a small crack is an issue, since it will stretch wider as the heat exchanger turns hot and expands. These pvc pipes meet at a y junction and drain into one pvc pipe that leads to the exterior. Carrier common furnace problems premature heat exchanger.
These might not even be visible to the naked eye but theyll cause serious issues of health and safety. Cpsc, trane company announce recall of voyager heating and air conditioning systems. Because of their smart design, trane 80 gas furnaces have an afue of up to 80%, meaning up to 80% of your fuel is converted into usable heat. The author has been in the industry for years as a trainer for hvac technicians. These two different words are nomenclature meaning the thin layer of metal that separates the good air that you breathe and the bad air comes from burning natural gas in a forced air heater or burning propane in a forced air heater. Older furnaces can develop major issues, such as a cracked heat exchanger. I sent a short answer, but thought this was deserving of a longer answer in the form of a blog post. Many companies use infrared light to detect cracks, but a flashlight is sufficient for more noticeable cracks. Cracked or corroded gas furnace heat exchangers leak co and other poisonous gasses into the home living area though air ducts. Replacing cracked heat exchanger in trane rooftop unit. This video is about the your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be replaced. Indianapolis hvac cracked heat exchanger diagnosis furnace.
Nov 18, 2011 the original issue came to light in fall 2003. Through this crack, combustion fumes can escape from the exchanger, and can build up in the room. If the part is under warranty but not available, ask the contractor to call the manufacturer and request the cost of the. The secondarys crack easily seen behind the transition receptacle for the inducer but those are not the cracks im talking about. Als sells and installs new hvac systems from american standard made by the same company as trane, ameristar made by same company as. Back in the day, the only way to check a heat exchanger for cracks was to perform a visual inspection. But we also know that if your heat exchanger truly is cracked, you dont have much time to sit around and waita cracked heat exchanger will leak potentially fatal carbon monoxide into your breathing air as it heats your home. At its outset, a cracked heat exchanger is a problem that will go unnoticed by most homeowners.
Furnace installation services raleigh quality comfort. If you see a clamshell shaped petal chamber or a number of them arranged in rows in your furnace system, youve likely identified your heat exchanger. The american gas association has even put this in writing they say any visible crack or hole is reason for requiring replacement of the heat exchanger or furnace. Nowadays, checking for a cracked heat exchanger is way more scientific. It is a system which controls the primary climate inside your house or home enabling you to stay comfortable and healthy. A furnace with undersized ductwork will lack proper airflow and suffer a similar fate as that of a clogged filter. A combustion analyzer gives us co and oxygen readings.
It was better than nothing, but it was still only slightly better than flipping a coin. Lack of airflow also leads to much longer heating cycles, so not only is the heat exchanger hotter than it needs to be, it also has to endure the pain for a great time. Either the heat exchanger or furnace must be replaced your options if the heat exchanger has cracked. Please read this article about why heat exchanger cracks do not allow carbon monoxide into the house. The your heat exchanger is cracked so your furnace must be. Even hairline cracks open, close, and expand as the heat exchanger heats and cools thousands of times over the course of the winter. Now that you have fixed the heat exchanger, replace it in the furnace. Dangerous cracked heat exchangers in furnaces carbon monoxide detectors and cracked heat exchangers heat safety is important. Trane eventually became altec and charts heat exchanger group was born in 1998 with. We use it to check co levels given in parts per million, or ppm and determine for sure whether theres a crack in your heat exchanger. Were you recently told that your furnace heat exchanger is cracked and needs to be replaced. I was a field service rep for trane dso in louisville. For assistance in locating a local independent dealer, contact trane at 800 94044 between 7.