As a licensed Home Inspector, I always immerse myself into c.e. (continuing education), (both required and voluntary) and thoroughly enjoy your vids. Keep up the great work! Ned
I really enjoy your videos, I worked in plumbing after I retired as a police officer and the company I worked for was a very honest one. I helped the hvac guys out on big jobs so I learned a lot. My company bought a camera to check for cracked burner flues kinda different than the one you showed. I actually have one like yours for engine work. Anyways I have actually learned quite a bit from you do keep em coming. Thanks!
My older hvac system i took the burners out to clean them, with them out i shined a very bright flashlight into each chamber with the A coil door off you could see the heating tubes if i had had any cracks you would be able to see light shine out. Not why i replaced the 1990s unit It wasted too much energy and the AC condenser was faulty. I went to a 97% eff furnace and a seer 16 unit, paid for itself in about 3 years in energy savings. I've had it over 11 years and i get biannual service well worth the money. Still less then i was paying for energy beforehand.
I DO Agree on Scams from Some HVAC company and Tech.👎 That's Why homeowners must thanks your channel and Many other people that Share and Teach homeowners How to 👍❤️👍
Those were great ideas. I bought one of those cameras, and they're great for that, or looking inside a wall for pipes, wiring, etc, just by drilling a small hole in the wall. I really like the idea of removing the blower and looking at the heat exchanger AND the evaporator coil. While you're at it, clean the blower wheel and the motor. You are right about crooked HVAC people. That happened to my sister in law, and she was smart enough to get a second opinion. No cracks whatsoever. It's a shame how many people want to rip off their fellow man.
People should know if they look at a burner flame and they have a humidifier running, especially the cool mist type, then orange flames are very likely. Look at your gas stove top flames and they will be orange too.
Mine was legit cracked. The exhaust coming out the side of the house was actually flammable. Yeah, that cost me just what you said....4K, and that was a deal from a friend. OY
Another easy check for the 80% non condensing furnaces is to pull the blower out and shine a bright light up through the heat exchanger. If there are any cracks, you’ll see light where the burners go in.
I like to run the blower on high, close humidifier damper, temporary wire shut bypass dampers and close about half the vents to greatly increase static pressure. you have to watch for false positive that way, because there's always some air leaks around thermostat/limits and fastened together areas.
You can easily drill a hole in the supply pleanum and thread the milwalkee scope through it to be able to see the heat exchanger, just put a piece of mastic tape over it when youre done
Retired after 37 yrs., used a smoke pen to detect a heat exchanger problem. All major manufacturers recognize this as a valid test. The Goodman furnace that you showed would have a 20 yr warranty on the heat exchanger(part only, labor is billable). Warranty paperwork would have to be done by a contractor.
There is another sign that you may have a cracked heat exchanger on a 90 plus furnace and that's a smell coming from the furnace in the ductwork not Always from in the furnace room.
Good video. One thing I don't understand though. Why don't we just replace the heat exchanger when they go bad if the rest of the unit looks good? I know that they're easy to replace. We don't junk our cars when we have bad tires or even a bad engine if the remainder of the car is good.
many are not easy to replace, since they're about the very first part installed, everything afterwards has to come out, so it can be a multi-hour job, in which the labor isn't cheap and it quickly cost more than the value of the furnace. that's assuming the HE is under warranty still, if not the HE+ labor is for sure beyond the cost of a whole new unit. in terms of a car, it's like putting a brand new engine in a 200K+ mile vehicle, with every bushing, steering ,suspension, brakes, transmission and multiple bearings worn out and failing. where do you stop?
I just purchased a new Carbon Monoxide sensor/alarm which I placed 4 ft above my bedroom register. Am I correct in assuming if I have no CO alarm my heat exchanger is ok?
That depends on the CO alarm sensitivity and if there is a crack, the size of the crack. Cooking, burning candles or incense, or using a wood or gas fireplace can put low levels of CO into your home. Most CO alarms have some threshold below which they don't alarm to prevent false alarms from the above activities. That also means that a small crack might not be hitting the alarm threshold. However, chronic low level CO can still be harmful. I recommend getting a CO alarm with a display that shows the level of CO. That way you can see if CO is present even if it is below the alarm level.
@@BryanTorok Thanks for your comments. My new Kidde CO alarm does have a display and a 10 yr lithium battery. I also have another CO alarm with a display in my living room. Plus I do inspect my gas furnace annualy. Thanks
Man I remember doing a no heat call for a guy and found these old horizontal units from the 70s in his house. Brought out my CO detector and got 70 PPM coming out of vents. No joke the dude tells me he wakes up with headaches and a sore throat in the morning. It was the beginning of the heating season; Im convinced that guy and his wife would have died. I turned off the gas valves and snipped the power cables on those.
My furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, but no Carbon monoxide. I'm not worried about it. When I can smell exhaust or the alarm goes off. I'll replace. Till then, it's still heating the house. I do love the other scam that they try on you. The HE furnaces. The cost of these furnaces is so high that most people almost never recoup their money back in their bills unless they're in an area with incredibly high costs. And people also don't realize that if your ducting for exhaust inside the house has at least 10-12 feet before it exists the house. You're still going to get another good chunk of that heat in the house. My furnace has about 10 feet of ducting before it exists the house, and by the time the exhaust hits that. It's luke warm. Like, sure. Maybe it's not a 95 or 96% furnace, but it's still probably around 90% if you include this heat that's lost through the ducting inside the house. So you're paying thousands extra for like, a 5% increase in efficiency.
@@truckywuckyuwu well every single thing you said is wrong. FYI if you have a metal exhaust on your furnace its 70-80% max efficiency, so moving to a 96% saves at least 16% on gas. And in most states the energy rebate almost makes up for the price difference. Here in MN its $750 -$1000 cash rebate, which usually covers the difference. Stay in school.
@@Lenny3669 Nothing I said was wrong. Cracked heat exchangers don't always need immediate replacement. Should you? Probably, yes, as it will get worse. But they aren't all leaking exhaust or Carbon monoxide into the building. HE furnaces are also a bad investment, even with the rebates. Financially they make no sense unless your gas cost is incredibly high. They are significantly more expensive. They are harder to install. Replacement parts and maintenance on them is harder, and costlier. Basic furnaces start at about 85% efficiency these days. And you can find them as cheap as a few hundred dollars. You do not recoup or break even on the cost in most cases with a HE furnace unless you can get a deal, and yes, even rebates. Or like I said, your gas bill is incredibly high. As for the ducting? Physics 101. Hot air moving through a metal tube, the air loses heat to that tube. If your ducting is long enough, and inside the house. You'll be getting greater efficiency with the heat that's being exchanged. It can take a 85% unit and bring it up past 90%. I do like the attempt at shaming me about schooling when you don't understand basic physics or the costs associated with this. Maybe take your own advice? I'm in the middle of nowhere in Canada. With winters that hit -45 C. And usually around -25 to -30. I use the furnace when the temperature starts regularly dropping below freezing at night. This leads to about 5 months of usage. Doing the math on how much i'm spending. My gas for the furnace is about 110$ a month, including fee's. With a HE furnace, it's still going to be about 104$. Because the gas is cheap, and even if I use less gas, i'm still being charged all the other fee's anyways. 5 months x 6 dollars = 30$ on average 'saved' each year. Now, Over 25 years that adds up for sure. it's about 750-800$. But you know what else just saves you in the short term? Buying a 600$ furnace instead of a HE one for 2000+, and you've already saved more than you would for the entire lifespan of that HE furnace just from that alone. Not to mention the minute you start replacing parts, you're saving even more. Now, if your gas bill is actually significant, then yes. HE is the way to go. But your average person is very much in a situation like mine, where slightly less gas use doesn't really impact your bill enough for it to be worth it. And when you account for the extra heat absorbed from the exhaust as it leaves the house through ducting. It makes even less sense to switch. If you want to have more of an impact on savings. You know what you should spend that extra 1000$ on? 2 or 3 solar panels and a battery bank to run that furnace. The electricity is more expensive to run that blower fan in most cases, compared to the gas. When I start using my furnace, my electricity bill goes up by about 45$ each month. You'd break even on the solar panels after just a few years of use. Especially if you're able to sell the power back to the grid when you're making extra.
It doesn't take a lot of CO to cause damage to your body, and CO detectors cannot detect low levels of the gas. It's also odorless so waiting until you smell it isn't going to get you very far
As a licensed Home Inspector, I always immerse myself into c.e. (continuing education), (both required and voluntary) and thoroughly enjoy your vids. Keep up the great work!
Ned
I really enjoy your videos, I worked in plumbing after I retired as a police officer and the company I worked for was a very honest one. I helped the hvac guys out on big jobs so I learned a lot. My company bought a camera to check for cracked burner flues kinda different than the one you showed. I actually have one like yours for engine work. Anyways I have actually learned quite a bit from you do keep em coming. Thanks!
I’ve seen this before. I am always impressed with the detail you put in your work. I always enjoy your vids and have learned and used a lot. Thank You
My older hvac system i took the burners out to clean them, with them out i shined a very bright flashlight into each chamber with the A coil door off you could see the heating tubes if i had had any cracks you would be able to see light shine out.
Not why i replaced the 1990s unit
It wasted too much energy and the AC condenser was faulty.
I went to a 97% eff furnace and a seer 16 unit, paid for itself in about 3 years in energy savings. I've had it over 11 years and i get biannual service well worth the money.
Still less then i was paying for energy beforehand.
My furnace is 23 years old, just checked the heat exchanger and it looks like new!
I DO Agree on Scams from Some HVAC company and Tech.👎 That's Why homeowners must thanks your channel and Many other people that Share and Teach homeowners How to 👍❤️👍
Thanks once again for keeping us informed👌
Those were great ideas. I bought one of those cameras, and they're great for that, or looking inside a wall for pipes, wiring, etc, just by drilling a small hole in the wall. I really like the idea of removing the blower and looking at the heat exchanger AND the evaporator coil. While you're at it, clean the blower wheel and the motor. You are right about crooked HVAC people. That happened to my sister in law, and she was smart enough to get a second opinion. No cracks whatsoever. It's a shame how many people want to rip off their fellow man.
Incredible instructions. Very clear and lots of visuals. Thank you so much for all your hard work!
Thanks for your honesty. Enjoy watching your videos.
People should know if they look at a burner flame and they have a humidifier running, especially the cool mist type, then orange flames are very likely. Look at your gas stove top flames and they will be orange too.
Use a combustion analyzer to confirm techs should have the correct tools for the job
Thank you for creating this very informative video!
Mine was legit cracked. The exhaust coming out the side of the house was actually flammable. Yeah, that cost me just what you said....4K, and that was a deal from a friend. OY
Another easy check for the 80% non condensing furnaces is to pull the blower out and shine a bright light up through the heat exchanger. If there are any cracks, you’ll see light where the burners go in.
Thank you for your time :)
I like to run the blower on high, close humidifier damper, temporary wire shut bypass dampers and close about half the vents to greatly increase static pressure.
you have to watch for false positive that way, because there's always some air leaks around thermostat/limits and fastened together areas.
You can easily drill a hole in the supply pleanum and thread the milwalkee scope through it to be able to see the heat exchanger, just put a piece of mastic tape over it when youre done
Thanks for a great video. Very informative.
Retired after 37 yrs., used a smoke pen to detect a heat exchanger problem. All major manufacturers recognize this as a valid test. The Goodman furnace that you showed would have a 20 yr warranty on the heat exchanger(part only, labor is billable). Warranty paperwork would have to be done by a contractor.
Good video. Thanks for sharing
Very helpful, gracias mate.
You’re a GOOD MAN!
Great information thanks 😊
Glad to have ELECTRIC heating.
There is another sign that you may have a cracked heat exchanger on a 90 plus furnace and that's a smell coming from the furnace in the ductwork not Always from in the furnace room.
Good information.
The rusty line is where the pipe is put together
Good video. One thing I don't understand though. Why don't we just replace the heat exchanger when they go bad if the rest of the unit looks good? I know that they're easy to replace. We don't junk our cars when we have bad tires or even a bad engine if the remainder of the car is good.
many are not easy to replace, since they're about the very first part installed, everything afterwards has to come out, so it can be a multi-hour job, in which the labor isn't cheap and it quickly cost more than the value of the furnace. that's assuming the HE is under warranty still, if not the HE+ labor is for sure beyond the cost of a whole new unit.
in terms of a car, it's like putting a brand new engine in a 200K+ mile vehicle, with every bushing, steering ,suspension, brakes, transmission and multiple bearings worn out and failing. where do you stop?
Good to know
I just purchased a new Carbon Monoxide sensor/alarm which I placed 4 ft above my bedroom register.
Am I correct in assuming if I have no CO alarm my heat exchanger is ok?
Yesir
That depends on the CO alarm sensitivity and if there is a crack, the size of the crack. Cooking, burning candles or incense, or using a wood or gas fireplace can put low levels of CO into your home. Most CO alarms have some threshold below which they don't alarm to prevent false alarms from the above activities. That also means that a small crack might not be hitting the alarm threshold. However, chronic low level CO can still be harmful.
I recommend getting a CO alarm with a display that shows the level of CO. That way you can see if CO is present even if it is below the alarm level.
@@BryanTorok Thanks for your comments. My new Kidde CO alarm does have a display and a 10 yr lithium battery. I also have another CO alarm with a display in my living room. Plus I do inspect my gas furnace annualy. Thanks
@@Altoid777 That sounds like you have it covered.
good info thanks!
Yeah there’s a lot of crook HVAC guys
Use a combustion analyzer and you will know if the heat exchanger has any problems.
These are tips for the homeowner to do themselves. I doubt they are going to spend $1200 on a tool
Man I remember doing a no heat call for a guy and found these old horizontal units from the 70s in his house. Brought out my CO detector and got 70 PPM coming out of vents. No joke the dude tells me he wakes up with headaches and a sore throat in the morning. It was the beginning of the heating season; Im convinced that guy and his wife would have died. I turned off the gas valves and snipped the power cables on those.
Not orange. Look for yellow.
Buy a good unit and it's made out of stainless steel heat exchanger.
My furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, but no Carbon monoxide. I'm not worried about it. When I can smell exhaust or the alarm goes off. I'll replace. Till then, it's still heating the house.
I do love the other scam that they try on you. The HE furnaces. The cost of these furnaces is so high that most people almost never recoup their money back in their bills unless they're in an area with incredibly high costs.
And people also don't realize that if your ducting for exhaust inside the house has at least 10-12 feet before it exists the house. You're still going to get another good chunk of that heat in the house. My furnace has about 10 feet of ducting before it exists the house, and by the time the exhaust hits that. It's luke warm. Like, sure. Maybe it's not a 95 or 96% furnace, but it's still probably around 90% if you include this heat that's lost through the ducting inside the house. So you're paying thousands extra for like, a 5% increase in efficiency.
I'm hoping with all of my faith in humanity that this is an AI-generated troll
@@Lenny3669 Nope. Just someone tellin you the real real.
Furnaces crack all the time. Doesn't always mean they're dropping exhaust into your house.
@@truckywuckyuwu well every single thing you said is wrong.
FYI if you have a metal exhaust on your furnace its 70-80% max efficiency, so moving to a 96% saves at least 16% on gas. And in most states the energy rebate almost makes up for the price difference. Here in MN its $750 -$1000 cash rebate, which usually covers the difference.
Stay in school.
@@Lenny3669
Nothing I said was wrong.
Cracked heat exchangers don't always need immediate replacement. Should you? Probably, yes, as it will get worse. But they aren't all leaking exhaust or Carbon monoxide into the building.
HE furnaces are also a bad investment, even with the rebates. Financially they make no sense unless your gas cost is incredibly high.
They are significantly more expensive. They are harder to install. Replacement parts and maintenance on them is harder, and costlier.
Basic furnaces start at about 85% efficiency these days. And you can find them as cheap as a few hundred dollars.
You do not recoup or break even on the cost in most cases with a HE furnace unless you can get a deal, and yes, even rebates. Or like I said, your gas bill is incredibly high.
As for the ducting? Physics 101. Hot air moving through a metal tube, the air loses heat to that tube. If your ducting is long enough, and inside the house. You'll be getting greater efficiency with the heat that's being exchanged. It can take a 85% unit and bring it up past 90%.
I do like the attempt at shaming me about schooling when you don't understand basic physics or the costs associated with this. Maybe take your own advice?
I'm in the middle of nowhere in Canada. With winters that hit -45 C. And usually around -25 to -30. I use the furnace when the temperature starts regularly dropping below freezing at night. This leads to about 5 months of usage.
Doing the math on how much i'm spending. My gas for the furnace is about 110$ a month, including fee's. With a HE furnace, it's still going to be about 104$. Because the gas is cheap, and even if I use less gas, i'm still being charged all the other fee's anyways.
5 months x 6 dollars = 30$ on average 'saved' each year.
Now, Over 25 years that adds up for sure. it's about 750-800$. But you know what else just saves you in the short term?
Buying a 600$ furnace instead of a HE one for 2000+, and you've already saved more than you would for the entire lifespan of that HE furnace just from that alone. Not to mention the minute you start replacing parts, you're saving even more.
Now, if your gas bill is actually significant, then yes. HE is the way to go. But your average person is very much in a situation like mine, where slightly less gas use doesn't really impact your bill enough for it to be worth it. And when you account for the extra heat absorbed from the exhaust as it leaves the house through ducting. It makes even less sense to switch.
If you want to have more of an impact on savings. You know what you should spend that extra 1000$ on?
2 or 3 solar panels and a battery bank to run that furnace. The electricity is more expensive to run that blower fan in most cases, compared to the gas. When I start using my furnace, my electricity bill goes up by about 45$ each month. You'd break even on the solar panels after just a few years of use. Especially if you're able to sell the power back to the grid when you're making extra.
It doesn't take a lot of CO to cause damage to your body, and CO detectors cannot detect low levels of the gas. It's also odorless so waiting until you smell it isn't going to get you very far
Can you just weld a cracked heat exchanger?
Great video and great information. Really appreciate your insight.
Do you know any honest HVAC companies in the Las Vegas area? Thanks
check BBB for rating. it helps
Shouldn't that fan be pulling air through their ?
The heat exchanger is a closed circuit. The blower just removes the heat off the metal and feeds it into the ductwork
You should tell people it's a hot air system,
Did you get a haircut in the middle of the video😂
I filmed this is segments 🤣🤣
I'm so glad I live in a somewhat warm climate that I can have a heat pump
Who has thousands of dollars?
HVAC guys that scam people.
Exactly
This is miss info, the best way and all manufacturers recommend is combustion test. This is the problem with DIY GUYS!
What are you doing here? Are you the TH-cam DIY police? This is one of the best channels on the Tube! Keep off!
Please explain how a combustion analyzer is better than a match test for determining if there's a crack.