The weather is starting to cool off and its time to start using your furnace again. If you have a gas furnace, you may want to have your furnace inspected and tuned up. If you do, and the technician tells you your heat exchanger may be cracked and you need a new furnace, you should read further . . .
The basic role the heat exchanger plays in your gas furnace is to confine the combustion from your gas furnace in a metal enclosure (the exchanger). The combustion heats up the exchanger and the heat is then blown throughout your house.
If the exchanger is cracked, then it means you’ll likely have to replace the furnace because it can pose a health hazard. One of the gases produced by the combustion is carbon monoxide, an odorless gas that is highly toxic. Replacing a heat exchanger is frequently not economically feasible and buying a new, replacement furnace is more economical in the long run.
That’s why it’s prudent to have your gas furnace inspected annually by a qualified heating technician from Beacon Plumbing. We’ll inspect the heat exchanger and other critical components in your furnace to give you peace of mind that your furnace will operate at peak efficiency when you need heat.
Contact us about one of our high efficiency gas furnaces that carry a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger, and don’t forget, the tax credit for these furnaces expires at the end of 2010! For a very limited time a 10year extended warranty on parts and labor are being offered by some manufacturers.
Where is the crack?
1.Don’t let a dishonest heating technician try and sell you a new furnace by telling you
your heat exchanger is cracked. Ask that person some basic questions such as:
2.How big is the crack?
3.How much air is leaking from the crack?
4.Is the crack actually in the combustion area or in the sheet metal of the frame?
5.How will this crack affect the operation of the furnace?
6.Can you see light (blower removed) from the air side of the furnace?
7.How does the crack compare to the burner openings and the flue opening on each end of the heat
exchanger?
