Dangerous cracked heat exchangers in furnaces everyone wants heat when old man winter arrives in the fall. 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. If you dont maintain your heating unit, it can cost even more. I bought a house with an old lennox pulse furnace and am getting conflicting information about it. Lennox product warranty information lennox residential. Cracked heat exchanger on lennox furnace the furnace lennox g26q34 was installed around 1996.
Signs your heat exchanger is cracked romaniuk edmonton. Anyways the heat relay on the board had an open coil, and the main blower would not come on when in heat. Even though your furnace may look and seem fine, dangerous gases could leak into your home and seriously affect, even kill, your family members. You know its serious and you know you need to do something about it. I have been servicing furnaces in metro milwaukee for 27 years, thus allowing me the time served and knowledge to share. When a furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, can it be.
Performing seasonal maintenance on your heating system will identify such. Heat exchanger assembly, 108k btu, stainless steel. However, the heat exchanger has developed a crack that allows flue gas and carbon monoxide to leak into my home to leak into my home. Pour a little bit of the chemical on the hole, and leave it to dry until it seals around the exchanger. Lennox furnace heat exchanger cracked and is releasing. He came back saying that everything the other guy said was true, plus the heat exchange is definitely cracked, so you guys have been sucking low levels of co this whole time.
The cause of cracked heat exchangers avoid this common scam. He said they had another tech who was an expert on pulses because he used to be at a lennox shop. 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. This video is part of the heating and cooling series of training. Its the best way to examine your heat exchanger for cracks.
This trips a safety switch and shuts down the furnace. For residents of georgia, having an hvac, or heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, is imperative. Proper diagnosis of a failed or cracked heat exchanger. If someone informs you that your heat exchanger is cracked, call the tedder company, and one of our. I have an 11 year old lennox g26 series furnace and the heat exchanger has a small crack. Although we cant completely prevent cracked heat exchangers, there are a few steps you can take to prevent them from cracking.
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. Prevent a cracked furnace heat exchanger romaniuk edmonton. Ive read that they can be prone to cracking, so i was inspecting with a flashlight through the damper door, and in 3 of the cells i can see a line just left of the seam where the cell curves up to the right. The heat exchanger is a key part of the furnace and is responsible for the actual heating of air. Some people choose to live in denial of the seriousness of a cracked heat exchanger. Heat exchanger can crack for various reasons and should be checked every time furnace is repaired or maintained. Worked on a g26q275 which was around a very early 90s unit.
Co is produced as a result of incomplete combustion. A cracked heat exchanger in a gas furnace is a serious safety issue. Heat exchanger, pressure switch, induction fan, water leaks and more, except heat. A common failure that aging hvac systems suffer in fall and winter months is the breakdown of the heat exchanger due to thermal fatigue. Feb 15, 2010 i have an 11 year old lennox g26 series furnace and the heat exchanger has a small crack.
When a heat exchanger becomes damaged and the combustion fumes and gases mix with the clean air, serious consequences can result. Im hoping someone has experience with heat exchangers in whisperheat g20s. As mentioned at the very beginning of how a heat exchanger can be cracked because of improper airflow, the number one way to avoid this type of damage is by simply changing out your air filter on a regular schedule. It is a system which controls the primary climate inside your house or home enabling you to stay comfortable and healthy. Id say the lines are about 2 to 3 inches long and one has a very slight amount of rust. Diagnosis of a heat exchanger crack typically starts with a noheat service call. Hvac businesses in minnesota lock out furnaces when cracked heat exchangers are found. This site is not here to sell products or promote services. Duralok plus heat exchanger, built for lennox highefficiency 90% condensing gas furnaces, thats made of high. As a homeowner, getting the news that your heat exchanger is cracked is a bit of a harsh blow. Gas furnaces whisperheat g20ex engineering data upflow gas. In the video above the furnace techs says the oxygen reading could rise as high as. The first step is simply to look where most homeowners cant.
Most cracks will be where there is a curve in the metal. In some rare cases, it can cause flame impingement when air from the blower enters the heat exchanger. Jan 21, 2020 heres what you need to know about maintaining your heating system. A cracked heat exchanger allows air from the furnace blower to interfere with the flame causing it to flutter or even roll out. Simple furnace heat exchanger test hvac learning solutions. Its hard to believe, but winter is just around the corner, and with it comes a new wave of hvac claims. If not the heat exchanger is considered leaky and could be unsafe. Signs your heat exchanger may be cracked or damaged include.
In the unique design of this heat exchanger the sides of the clam section. In an attempt to sell new furnaces, numerous heating contractors will lie about cracked heat exchangers. I have an 11 year old lennox g26 series furnace and the heat. According to the tech, the heat exchanger is under lifetime warranty and we would have. Ive got a new born baby in the house and this junk of a furnace is always down. Lennox heat exchanger, fits brand lennox 40ly1896l75. A furnace with a cracked heat exchanger will definitely produce carbon. Thermal fatigue in hvac heat exchangers hvac investigators. The furnace lennox g26q34 was installed around 1996. Cracked heat exchanger furnace trouble shooting help. Even though your furnace may look and seem fine, dangerous gases could.
Popped rings or cracked faceplates on a lot of models. Dec 16, 2012 heat exchanger can crack for various reasons and should be checked every time furnace is repaired or maintained. So on the lennox duracurve heat exchanger its on the bottom curve in the back. At its outset, a cracked heat exchanger is a problem that will go unnoticed by most homeowners. The heat exchanger is a metal container inside the furnace that collects hot combustion gas from the burners. Should i replace my heat exchanger or buy a new furnace. Were you recently told that your furnace heat exchanger is cracked and needs to be replaced. If you are a technician this is a must see video on where these lennox curved heat exchangers fail. A combustion analyzer gives us co and oxygen readings. If the heat exchanger is cracked, the oxygen reading will change a lot when the blower turns on.
Cracked heat exchangers pose a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning carbon monoxide is produced by combustion but is typically vented safely from the furnace out of the home, but if the heat exchanger is cracked, carbon monoxide can leak into the home. Press this onto the furnace heat exchanger, and allow it to dry. The extra air will cause the oxygen reading to change notably. Its not unlike a doctor telling you about the c word. Or, have you wondered just how safe your furnace may be. Lennox duracurve aluminized steel heat exchanger lennox developed heat exchanger eliminates fatigue failure, ticking, resonance and cleanability problems.
Lennox furnace heat exchanger cracked and is releasing carbon. Nowadays, checking for a cracked heat exchanger is way more scientific. The furnace heat exchanger is the one of the main components inside the gas furnace and its used to transfer the heat from the gas burner to the warm air thats blown into your home. Can you repair a cracked heat exchanger on a gas furnace. I bought a house with an old lennox pulse furnace and am. Did any particular model years have a higher failure rate than others. In this video you will discover where all the lennox curved heat exchangers fail and why.
However, if a crack develops in your units heat exchanger, then you might be looking at either an expensive repair or replacement. We use it to check co levels given in parts per million, or ppm and determine for sure whether theres a crack in. Theres a lot of good info on there, but some of it is misleading and there are a lot of straw man arguments made. This is because air is leaking through the crack in the heat exchanger into the combustion chamber. 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. Dec 02, 2015 proper diagnosis of a failed or cracked heat exchanger. Lennox wanted people to believe the damper in front did something but in reality, it was the old furnace design the heat exchanger did not reduce the stack temperature. Located in the center of the furnace, it is where fire, gas and heat connect. The inspector stated a tip regarding how lennox furnaces over 15 years have the potential for cracked heat exchangers. Diagnosis of a heat exchanger crack typically starts with a no heat service call. We had a technician come out today to diagnose a problem with our furnace and upon inspection he noticed that there was a crack in the heat exchanger and the blower control board needs replacing the original problem. Lennox furnaces are engineered with one of two types of heat exchangers.
This is dangerous, as one of the gases produced by the heat exchanger is carbon monoxide, a deadly. Its not uncommon for a homeowner to spend thousands of dollars every single winter to keep a home warm. Are there any common defects with lennox pulse furnaces in the 2025 year old range. Supplements the 20year limited warranty coverage on heat. When youre dealing with a gaspowered furnace in your home, you have a powerful tool for staying comfortable in any weather. Much older than the ones with the surelite control. Mar 11, 20 as a homeowner, getting the news that your heat exchanger is cracked is a bit of a harsh blow. A cracked heat exchanger is pretty serious, as far as safety for your home goes. Lennox g26 cracked heat exchanger on a water leak call youtube.
A damaged heat exchanger in a gas furnace is not an issue that should be ignored. Have you been told that you have a cracked heat exchanger. 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. My lennox furnace is eighteen years old and is working well mechanically.
The reason a crack in a heat exchanger is such a cause for concernand reason to think about replacing a furnaceis because it creates a major health hazard. In fact, the lack of maintenance could lead to issues like a cracked heat exchanger, which can be more than costly but also dangerous. 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. Leaking and broken heat exchangers expose homeowners. How do you guys diagnose cracked or bad heat exchangers.
You will find most cracks form near the back and where the heat exchanger metal bends, since this is where it will be weakest due manufacturer weakening the metal by bending it. When the temperature falls all we have to do is go to the thermostat and turn the heat on. If a house i was purchasing has one of these furnaces, should i have it looked at by a heating contractor for cracked heat exchanger or anything else. This one is about a crack i found in a heat exchanger that caused no symptoms. Looking for lennox heat exchanger, fits brand lennox 40ly18. We have read field reports of heat exchanger cracking and carbon monoxide hazards involving the lennox gepnnnnn series heating furnaces. If it cracks after the warranty is up, usually at least 20 years, consider replacing the entire furnace. Had the bcc3 board, and the original honeywell spark box. According to the tech, the heat exchanger is under lifetime warranty and we would have to pay for the blower control board. Supplements the limited warranty, increasing coverage on parts from 5 years to 10 years on select lennox elite series and lennox merit series gas furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, air handlers, coils, boilers, minisplits and residential packaged units. A heat exchanger is made of thin metal, and as it heats up from the combustion of the furnace, it transfers the heat to the air being distributed through the house by the blower 3.
I was under the assumption that any furnace in general has this risk, but anyways the question he wanted an answer to was, is there any signs that a heat exchanger is cracked without obviously having an hvac guy in to inspect it. A gas furnaces heat exchanger is the furnace component that actually heats the air. Refer to the lennox equipment limited warranty certificate included with the equipment for details. Visually check heat exchanger for cracks you will find most cracks form near the back and where the heat exchanger metal bends, since this is where it will be weakest due manufacturer weakening the metal by bending. However, professional hvac technicians always check heat exchangers for damage during their preseason maintenance inspection. The crack allows the release of dangerous carbon monoxide into the air. It is important that the heat exchanger is taken care of as hazards can build from a faulty exchanger. Oct 18, 2017 cracked heat exchangers pose a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning carbon monoxide is produced by combustion but is typically vented safely from the furnace out of the home, but if the heat exchanger is cracked, carbon monoxide can leak into the home. Signs and symptoms of a cracked gas furnace heat exchanger. A heat exchanger is a heating component inside furnaces that transfers heat to the surrounding air, which is then distributed throughout the home.
Unless you are one of the top 3% of people who have all the money, replacing the furnace is going to hurt the pocket book if you have not planed for it, but it has to be done. A look at a heat exchanger crack that cant be found youtube. Furnace heatexchanger crack signs your furnace has one. This call was for a water leak when i took the door off to check the condensate pan i found this dont have your blinders on when doing service.
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