How To Repair A Crack In A Gas Furnace Exhaust Pipe

How To Tell If My Heat Exchanger is Croaky? [With Pictures]

A cracked heat exchanger is a big problem for homeowners! It is non something you desire to deal with on your ain, and if it goes unresolved, the consequences tin can be disastrous. Here are some critical things to know most cracks in rut exchangers and how best to address them when they arise. So let'southward get into it!

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What Is A Rut Exchanger?

Heat Exchanger

For starters, what is a heat exchanger? Every gas furnace has at least ane estrus exchanger. The estrus exchanger is a gear up of metal coils in the furnace that are warmed directly by combustion gas and fire. It is used to transfer the heat from the exhaust fumes / flue gas into your house without passing on any harmful gases!

Primary Oestrus Exchanger

If your furnace is lxx%-80% efficient, then you have only one heat exchanger. High-efficiency furnaces (xc+%) contain a primary and secondary oestrus exchanger. The primary estrus exchanger is the expanse that has the hottest flue gas and information technology is located nearly the burner.

Secondary Heat Exchanger

If you lot have a high- efficiency furnace (90%+) then you also accept a secondary estrus exchanger. The secondary heat exchanger is where the flue gas undergoes further heat exchange and water vapor forms. After exiting the principal heat exchanger, the burning gas proceeds to the secondary heat exchanger. As water is changed from a vapor to a liquid, it releases more heat into the secondary heat exchanger. This is what makes the furnace even more efficient.

Now, you may wonder what's the big deal with a small scissure in your furnace oestrus exchanger. And then allow's go down to business.

Is A Cracked Estrus Exchanger Dangerous?

Y'all're likely questioning whether a elementary heat exchanger scissure is dangerous or if the matter can exist ignored? One thing'southward for sure a croaky heat exchanger is a silent decease trap. If there is a heat exchanger crack, it can crusade carbon monoxide gas (CO) to leak out of your gas furnace. Picture this, 1 minute you lot are sitting in your living room, and the adjacent, blackouts all around! All because of this little slice that has been left unattended for too long. If it's not replaced soon, so be fix to say bye to life every bit nosotros know information technology - without any warning at all! Lesser line: this natural gas is poisonous and tin be fatal. Carbon monoxide poisoning manifests as unexplained headaches, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, strange collapses, unconsciousness. tiredness, and problems with your eye sight.

How Do I Know If I Have A Cracked Heat Exchanger?

Surprisingly enough, one of the virtually frightening things is that you won't know if yous accept a croaky oestrus exchanger. When a scissure occurs, usually there are no early on warning signs until it has become near fatal. Your furnace might end working if you're lucky, merely most ofttimes, it will keep running fifty-fifty with a scissure, allowing carbon monoxide to seep into your house. The only signs that you take a damaged heat exchanger is either no heat during the winter, reoccurring influenza-like symptoms, or a beeping carbon monoxide detector. But not everyone is lucky enough to be given a warning sign.

Carbon Monoxide Detector Goes OFF

Y'all may hear the carbon monoxide (CO) detector go off. Y'all should be aware that if your CO detector goes off, your unit is not merely leaking; it is probably releasing quite a bit of CO. Normally, CO detectors sound an alarm at high levels. Seriously, do not ignore an warning from your CO detector! The majority of CO detectors take a high limit before they get off, and many do not fifty-fifty go off at all. CO detectors have an expiration date, and so if yours is over five years one-time yous should replace it.

Household Members Experiencing Flu-Like Symptoms

In the worst-case scenario, your croaky rut exchanger could exist leaking carbon monoxide, and your detectors fail to detect it. Pay attending if anyone in your habitation develops headaches or flu-like symptoms without a clear reason. Carbon Monoxide exposure causes headaches, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, and breathlessness, as well as collapse and unconsciousness and problems with vision. Elderly individuals, small-scale children, and pets are especially vulnerable to carbon monoxide poisoning. Nosotros advise households with pets, small children, or elderly adults to utilise two carbon monoxide detectors.

Your Furnace Is Not Producing Any Rut

Look at it this fashion, if your furnace stops working considering of a crack in your heat exchanger, consider yourself fortunate! The inconvenience of a broken furnace is cipher compared to the danger of a CO leak. An air leak in your furnace's heat exchanger could forbid the burn from called-for in the firebox and blow information technology into the burner bedchamber. Depending on your furnace, information technology may close off once a flame rolls out of the burner chamber, thanks to a safety detector chosen the Flame Curl out Condom Detector. It is of import to annotation that this does not happen in every instance of cracked heat exchangers. This is only the second best-case scenario; (the first-best option is to get annual furnace maintenance on your unit so that your technician catches the cracks before whatever issues can surface). If your furnace stopped working, yous explore other common reasons your furnace won't turn on here.

How Does An HVAC Pro Know I Take A Cracked Estrus Exchanger

Professional person-Grade CO Detector

Now, you may be wondering how a technician's CO detector is different from your's at home.

Even though many homes accept CO detectors, near fail to get off until a dangerous level of CO has been released. Unfortunately, a shop-bought CO detector is not sensitive enough to find chronic depression-level exposure. REMEMBER, CO at chronic depression levels is still harmful! A professional Carbon Monoxide detector picks upwards low traces of CO before they accumulate to more sickly and deadly levels.

Combustion Analyzer

Every bit you lot know, potential CO sources are numerous. But because you lot may find a CO leak, doesn't hateful information technology's coming from your furnace- it could be from your water heater or stove! This is why a Combustion analyzer is a very important tool.

A combustion issue in your furnace is a sign your heat exchanger is cracked. The combustion analyzer determines efficiency of fuel-burning appliances, by calculating the temperature and levels of oxygen and CO. It can be used on boilers, heaters, furnaces, kilns, and engines. If the combustion analyzer determines your apparatus does not come across the manufacturer specification level of efficiency, and then you have a combustion problem. A combustion problem in your furnace is a solid red flag that you have a cracked heat exchanger.

Why? Let'south break information technology down:

Combustion problems arise due to airflow issues. Not enough air menstruation can crusade incomplete combustion. Restricted air menstruum can issue from clogged air filters, blocked vents, and dirt build upwards. This makes the burners run hotter and longer. In plow, backlog heat causes your heat exchanger to crack. As well, existing cracks in your estrus exchanger can also create extra air in the combustion area which can cause extra CO to spill out. Both of these airflow problems cause incomplete combustion and are indicators of cracks in your rut exchanger.

Infrared Camera

HVAC Pro finds rust on the heat exchanger during furnace tune upward

Video inspection is done using a high resolution infrared photographic camera, which slides inside the furnace. With this technology, the technician is able to run across holes, cracks, or corrosive damage inside the furnace. Without a camera, identifying cracks or holes based on the technician's visual observation is less reliable.

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What Causes Cracked Heat Exchangers

So allow'due south become downwardly to business. What causes a croaky heat exchanger? Simply explained, a heat exchanger cycles through being heated and cooled. This intended cycle makes the component's metal constantly expand and contract. Over time this wears out the heat exchanger. Somewhen, the metal will crevice equally a event of stress and fatigue. Even if your furnace is in practiced condition, cracks are inevitable after years of normal article of clothing and tear.

If yous maintain your furnace well through its life, y'all can preclude those cracks from appearing for a considerable amount of fourth dimension. Cracks in the heat exchanger tin can develop much faster if your furnace is poorly maintained or improperly installed. Now let's have a closer expect at what causes a cracked heat exchanger.

Age

rusted and croaky heat exchanger

For starters, the age of the equipment is a significant gene. The wear and tear of years on your furnace will naturally atomic number 82 to cracks over time. If your furnace is aging, and then information technology may be a good thought for you to check the age of its estrus exchanger. Heat exchangers final from 15-18 years, so if your heat exchanger is crumbling, it may exist time to supplant it. It is impossible to repair a croaky heat exchanger. The only solution is replacing the heat exchanger (which is very expensive) or replacing the entire furnace.

Air-conditioning Leaking Water

water overflows from Evaporate Coil principal drain pan

As you know, it is never a good sign when unexpected water appears. The moment you detect any water coming from your furnace or AC, you lot should telephone call an HVAC professional person right away. Ignoring a leaking furnace or AC volition issue in internal equipment damage. Considering the indoor air conditioning unit of measurement is typically situated on top of a furnace, a leak causes water to seep within the furnace and form rust. The rust formed from dripping h2o volition atomic number 82 to your estrus exchanger dandy in the future. Your AC can leak for multiple reasons- check out our blog post to sympathise why!).

Dirt & Deterioration

rusted and cracked heat exchanger

The reality is unless your HVAC system is well maintained, dirt, dust, corrosion, and rust will develop on many components, including the oestrus exchanger. Over time, natural disuse eats away at the metallic, although deterioration is accelerated when proper cleaning is neglected. As dirt and deposit accrue,the air filter, blowers, and coils become clogged. As a outcome, air cannot laissez passer through to be heated. Because of this, the burners continue to emit heat without anything existence able to absorb it. When this happens, the oestrus exchanger itself starts to crack and splinter.

In addition to cleanliness and upkeep, furnace maintenance is important to ensure that every function is working properly. Unfortunately, it is possible for the valves that regulate the oestrus exchanger to wear out as well, contributing to cracking. Due to this, the heat exchanger tin handle less pressure. In order to make sure the rut exchanger remains in proper condition and is safe to use for the autumn, HVAC experts suggest yearly furnace maintenance. Learn more than almost what a furnace maintenance includes here.

Improper/ Poor Air Flow

Here'due south the matter, airflow is vital to the health of your HVAC system. When your furnace is not getting enough air flowing into it, the furnace volition overheat. Furthermore, this overstresses the metallic in the oestrus exchanger, forming cracks. This can happen if your air filters are dirty or your registers are blocked. To assist foreclose this from happening, proceed them clean through maintenance and irresolute your air filter quarterly.

Your Furnace Is Not Sized Properly

Perchance unsurprisingly, if you have an improperly sized furnace, your heat exchanger will fissure much more quickly than a correctly sized furnace.

Undersized Furnace

A furnace that is too modest for your abode will cause airflow problems, which volition lead to overheating. When your furnace overheats, it causes your estrus exchanger to crack much quicker than it would if your furnace was sized correctly for your home.

Oversized Furnace

As you know, furnaces have to be powerful enough for the size of your home. But when a furnace is oversized, it goes through frequent on-and-off cycles, which causes your heat exchanger to aggrandize and contract more than often than information technology should. Every bit a upshot, the constant fluctuation wears your heat exchanger out before its time.

Some other event that results from an oversized furnace is condensation. With an appropriately sized furnace, condensation will form within your heat exchanger when you first turn it on, and after a few minutes, the condensation evaporates. However, considering an oversized furnace will turn on and off too frequently, it does not allow enough fourth dimension for the condensation to evaporate. Over time, this condensation tin rust out your estrus exchanger'south walls. Rust and corrosion deteriorate the heat exchanger, leading to cracks and holes.

How Much Does It Cost To Repair or Replace My Damaged Heat Exchanger?

OK, I know what y'all're thinking. What are my options? And how much will this cost me? Unfortunately, there is no style to patch or seal cracks in a oestrus exchanger; therefore, repair is non an option. Replacing the part can cost several thousand dollars and is but recommended if your HVAC system is newer with an existing warranty on the estrus exchanger. You should exist aware that you tin await pretty high labor costs when replacing this particular, even if information technology is covered by the original warranty. This is because, since the heat exchanger is situated in the middle of the furnace, the unabridged furnace must be disassembled in order to replace the heat exchanger. In low-cal of the high cost, nosotros advise furnace replacement, specially if your current furnace is 10 years old or more.

How Can I Prevent a Cracked Oestrus Exchanger?

The chief way to avoid problems with your oestrus exchanger or other HVAC components is by having an annual inspection and servicing performed by a qualified professional person. During the yearly furnace tune upward, the HVAC pro will inspect for cracks in your system before they plough deadly. Remember that there are rarely indicators of cracked oestrus exchangers until it's also late! You'll as well find these inspections help foreclose traditional causes that atomic number 82 to a cracked estrus exchanger, such equally clogged filters and blowers.

HVAC Specialist inspecting the estrus exchanger during a furnace tune up.

An annual check-up with our experienced professionals is the all-time approach to preventing issues with the heater exchanger or whatever other role of your complex heating system. It is the perfect opportunity to confirm or correct the status of your HVAC system. Acquire how a furnace tune up can protect your home and how yous tin provide maintenance for your furnace on your own here.

And if you are moving into a new home, information technology is important to get an HVAC inspection before you negotiate your contract terms. While the standard abode inspection is important, the home inspector is not an HVAC pro and volition not be able to tell you if you have a croaky heat exchanger before you motility in. Many times when you lot have a cracked heat exchanger it is more than cost effective to supplant your entire HVAC organization.

Protect Your Dwelling & Family Today

At that place are so many things that can go wrong with your heating arrangement, but a croaky oestrus exchanger is the worst of them all. A scissure in this vital piece of equipment will cause it to malfunction and could lead to carbon monoxide poisoning or even death. Just don't look until information technology'southward also late to prepare for the worst! With some preventive measures like almanac maintenance on your heating system from our experts at SuperTech HVAC Services, we can assist preclude any cracks or other damage before they happen. Don't welcome harmful gases into your abode. Contact us today if you accept questions virtually a cracked estrus exchanger—or if you simply want more than information about how to keep your home safe and salubrious. Nosotros offer furnace repair, furnace maintenance, and new furnace installation.

Source: https://www.supertechhvac.com/cracked-heat-exchanger/

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