Cracked Oil Furnace Heat Exchanger

If your gas furnace is about that age the chances are high that the heat exchanger can crack.

Cracked oil furnace heat exchanger. Proper diagnosis of a failed or cracked heat exchanger. 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. The heat exchanger on a furnace is the section that keeps the combustion chamber and the breathing air separate 3. Combustion gasses and carbin monoxide can be.

Remove it from the furnace and examine it in the light. There are certain signs to look for to determine if the heat exchanger has been. Signs your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger. Here is a video of a crack in a heat exchanger we found during a oil furnace cleaning and tune up in yardley pa.

The combustible gas will become hotter as it accumulates in the exchanger. A cracked heat exchanger allows air from the furnace blower to interfere with the flame causing it to flutter or even roll out. Diagnosis of a heat exchanger crack typically starts with a no heat service call. Examine the crack itself.

If the flames come outside the proper area like in the video above the flame rollout limit switch senses it and shuts the furnace down to protect itself. When a heat exchanger becomes damaged and the combustion fumes and gases mix with the clean air. This trips a safety switch and shuts down the furnace. Before you can do any repairs you should make sure that you check over your furnace heat exchanger thoroughly.

Even though your furnace may look and seem fine dangerous gases could leak into your home and seriously affect even kill your family members. Furnaces are equipped with a safety feature called a flame rollout limit switch. So you need to get a replacement ready to avoid inconveniences if it breaks. 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.

If a heat exchanger becomes cracked then your heating system will not perform as it should. Consequently air temperature becomes hotter. Step 1 check the furnace heat exchanger. Look for signs that the metal has been overheated or symptoms of long term metal fatigue.

In some cases owners discover they have a cracked heat exchanger because the furnace shut down. A cracked heat exchanger in a gas furnace is a serious safety issue.