A Simple Trick To See If Your Heat Exchanger Is Cracked.
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
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If my furnace wasn’t having any issues I would have kept it. The way so many things today are made a upgrade can just as easily be a downgrade
That is how I see it as well, which is why I still have a 25 year old furnace that works fine. Plus an upgrade is a lot of $$$.
Barely call it an upgrade, just newer equipment. Newer isn't always better, keep what you have
I use an incense stick for all kinds of similar draft and air leakage tests. Works great lasts a long time.
We need more honest folks like you!!!
He has good intentions, but his advice is dangerously ignorant. He portrays a cracked heat exchanger as a minor issue, and likely a scam. People die every year from cracked exchangers, and many more suffer irreperable damage from CO poisoning. This is a neat trick, and we use similar observations during testing, but you need a combustion analysis and a CO report to know for sure. Be wary of this guys advice on this matter.
"honest folks" don't tell people cracks in their heat exchanger are fine if they are small. Small cracks get bigger when the heat exchanger heats up and causes metal to expand.
@@masterdirk101 How do "honest folks" know that the heat exchanger has small cracks if they don't take it completely out of the furnace and inspect it? They can't. They just make up false tales about cracked heat exchangers to sell expensive new systems.
Amen!
@@percyfaith11 The same way techs do, by inspecting it in place with a couple of cameras or mirrors? I've never condemned a heat exchanger for a crack that the homeowner themselves couldn't also verify. I also take videos starting with looking at the furnace itself which cuts all doubt. that its just some saved picture.
Either way, this is a poor test to determine a heat exchangers integrity, as I've said the small cracks expand when the heat is on, so a test on a cold heat exchanger might not say much. Even immediately after cool down.
I give credit to his point, people are out there trying to scam you and get you to buy a new system, its a fact of life, the problem is people are going to do this test and think their furnace is safe to run while they have a CO monitor from the early 2000's plugged into an outlet somewhere.
Correct me if wrong. But you did test on a cold heat exchanger. Small cracks some times seal when cold and expand when hot. Always have detectors. More than 1 they can fail too. Life is priceless.
In fact the furnace should be interfaced with one to shut it down. But manufacture liability may be to much for that. I am always amazed that homes with gas lines don't have auto shut offs with a gas fume sensor. Many an explosion could be avoided. After all the electrical system has fuses and breakers.🧐
Outstanding explanation!!!!! Thank you man!
I am a licensed hvac/refrigeration contractor. Will be sending this video to my customers! It’s the best and easy to understand video about heat exchanger issues that I’ve seen!
Thank you!
This is being done on a cold heat exchanger. A crack on a cold heat exchanger can be closed or sealed up but open up after it has been warmed up.Not saying this is a bad test just not a perfect test. If you have a bigger crack it will work real well., if it a smaller Crack that opens up more after it is warmed up it might not work as well.
You can do the same test after having warmed up the heat-exchanger.
Well explained and well done. You should it be a teacher because you take the time and I can see your devotion. Keep up the good work. Professor WG, US Army Retired/Disabled Veteran from Pennsylvania.
As a Senior appliance technician, I just gained valuable knowledge that will be very helpful for me. This young man takes his work seriously. I wish that there were more people like him. Thank you 😊
good follow through . watching the match burn fair after going back to an undamaged tube offers a very positive test. watching both flame sources got even better. i did hvac for many a year and never new of this test.
great way to upcycle an old furnace- the leak demo
Even easier- run the blower and stick your manometer in each tube. Any pressure change indicates airflow from your blower into your heat exchanger and proves there is a crack (of any size)
How many homeowners have a manometer. You missed the point of this video.
Awesome info, man.
Thank you for your ongoing contribution to this platform.
-Robert (fellow content creator)
Hi Gary from the UK I am an old heating engineer and I haven't worked on hot air systems too much, just wanted to say Great video very interesting and informative keep them coming Very good tip thank you
As a former gas fitter I was glad to see you putting out good info so folks don't get scammed.
It might be worth noting that this should be checked with both a “hot” and “cold” exchanger as sometimes if there is a crack in it, once the exchanger warms up, the metal expands slightly.
Do you actually know what you're talking about? Or are you just saying this as a concept?
@@kennethkline7702he actually knows what he’s talking about. It’s simple physics. Use google next time before posting a comment.
*All three commenters above have IDs that end in 02. Strange.*
@@raccoon874 Possible bot activity or someone in Desperate need of attention. Lol
It's a conspiracy.
Thank you for putting up this video!
I was nearly scammed years ago by an HVAC guy who told me my furnace had a cracked heat exchanger. Even whipped out his "carbon monoxide detector" to show me the high numbers coming thru the vents. I asked him then why my multiple CO monitors all over in the house were not going off if there was life threatening levels - to which he shrugged off. Then he and his boss tried to pressure me into buying some off brand furnace replacement.
Fortunately I had to get to work at the time, so put him off until I had a chance to arrange the finances. I then got a recommendation from a friend at work for a different HVAC guy to come out and look at it. He found that not only was there NOT a cracked exchanger, but that the previous HVAC guy had "booby trapped" my furnace by manually destroying the computer board so the furnace would not run at all now. The cost of replacing the computer board on the old girl was almost as much as a new furnace, so I had the new HVAC company replace it with a well known brand.
Now I understand it better and will know how to check myself! Thanks!!
co alarms have a high cut-off, not displaying anything below 30ppm.
no co in doesn't mean heat exchanger isn't cracked.
@@Jon-hx7pe The numbers he was showing me were all over 500 - well above the the cut-off and a life threatening situation - if true. The second HVAC guy who found the damaged computer board took multiple CO readings at the air vents - all were 0. People should ALWAYS get a HVAC second opinion when any repairman tells them the heat exchanger is cracked or leaking. CO is nothing to mess with!
It is very possible that someone was trying to scam you.
At the same time, people need to understand no co at vents does not mean the heat exchanger is fine. Only visual inspection can for sure confirm the heat exchanger has no cracks, holes, popped crimp rings. A combustion test including oxygen can tell if the heat exchanger is leaking badly, but can have a normal combustion test but it is still cracked. When a defect is found, the tech should be able to show it - second opinion not needed.
if you have unsafe wiring, it is still unsafe whether or not the wiring is actively overheating and smoking.
This guy's channel is terrible and he's basically trying to make it out like every hvac tech is an scam artist and there is nothing to this field, anyone can do it. Telling people to only buy crappy single stage mid efficiency furnaces too. There's some great stuff on youtube but not on this channel. @@lisanelson4750
Thanks HVAC Guy, that was an informative vid. An easy enough test to do periodically, to ensure furnace is functioning as it should. 👍
Be wary of this guys advice. You need a combustion analysis and CO report to know for a fact that it is not cracked. If it is, you and your loved ones can die, or suffer irreversible damage from CO poisoning. This guy may have good intentions, but he is clearly not a professional.
@@fuzzypickle5307 Is still nice to know how, if a home owner is concerned, after which, if in doubt it can be pursued further with a professional.
If somebody told me this, I would ask them to leave. Even if your at 5 or 6 pm co it's a problem long term exposure is dangerous. Google it.
@fuzzypickle5307 just have carbon monoxide detectors through out the home like you should anyways, not rocket science
Is it possible that a small crack could open up from heat expansion when the furnace is running?
Yes. This video is dangerous and misleading. Bryant recalled a ton of compromised heat exchangers that wouldn’t be identified by the matchstick test.
@@brotheraugustine I work in HVAC so I was genuinely curious. Normally we identify a cracked heat exchanger visually or by checking for carbon monoxide in the exhaust. It should be below 100ppm on a high efficiency furnace, but for comparison to a furnace that I've checked IRL that had a corroded heat exchanger, it can go well into the thousands.
Another thing about cracks is that they can start out small and be practically invisible when the furnace is cold, so it's not surprising that the matchstick test would also fail against a cold heat exchanger. I wonder if using a heat gun would affect the results.
Check out the heat exchangers on Bryant 90s made between 1993 and mid-2012. They form hundreds or thousands of tiny white balls of condensation on the leaking points instead of cracks.@@magikarpusedsplash8881
Yes. Once the furnace is actually running that metal is going to expand and possibly become dangerously deathly. Just remember that as the technician inspecting the furnace, you are liable if something happens to the family if you didn't condemn the furnace if it is breached
@@MiguelRdgz916 Exactly..
One on hand, I understand that fear-mongering people is a predatory practice, and people that use this fear to extort people for money are scammers.
But on the other, this isn't a matter of money or comfort: it's a matter of safety. No technician, let alone a licensed one who knows the facts and has the experience, would take half-measures on testing and inspection, just to make their client happy.
Saving a couple thousand bucks or substituting proper testing for a "Simple Trick" shouldn't even be on the table when the consequences of being wrong could be lethal.
Man you are my hero, replaced my furnace following your tutorials, I am responsible for my actions but very thankful for all the info you share.
-replaced.
-built plenum (the old one was taller and slimmer) to connect to Acoil boxing.
-tested gas pressure with the amazon white manometer you used in one video.
-verified for days that carbon monoxide does not exist. With the klein tools that you use.
All for less than 700 including flexible gas line, new gas valve, new filter. New furnace was 3 years old but never installed, I got it for 400. Cleaned it and it runs perfectly.
Amazing. Thanks for sharing!!
@@diyhvacguyYou need to educate yourself about this subject before posting videos online that could actually get people killed. This is dangerously ignorant.
@fuzzypickle5307 it doesn't take a doctorate degree to work on hvac equipment safely and correctly....
@@fuzzypickle5307 with all due respect he doesn’t tell anyone to do it.
He shows how it is done, we are adults who understand the risks, and also follow thw safety tips and advice from @diyhvacguy.
So all cool sr.
Did you install the flex line into the furnace with a drip leg against icm code like this video?
I got ripped when my my ac unit developed a leak and was told it just needed to be recharged. I vowed to educate myself to not let that happen again. Thank you for your educational videos.
It's just like a car tire losing air consistently. You have a leak in that tire. The same goes for leaking refrigerant.
@@primusheating1 Thanks primusheating1, being ignorant, I took the technician at his word until a few months later the same problem occurred. This time I researched it only to find out refrigerant doesn’t go bad but can leak. Called another company who quickly determined it was a leak. Appreciate your comment.
The same happened to me about 10 years ago. The thief charged me $10 PER OUNCE and put in almost 6 POUNDS of R410A . Never again !!!
Knowledge IS power.
How did you get ripped? was the leak large enough that you think the A coil, refrigerant lines, or entire unit should have been replaced and you now will be constantly recharging until then? Or is the leak rate small enough that it might be several years before needing a refrigerant top off?
Same thing happened to me.Buhler Mechanical in thunder bay ripped me off.
I appreciate this class brother,happy 2024 👍🏽💯
Information is power. This info may save my bacon one day, so I'll add it to my tool chest. Much appreciated :)
Not the only way to tell if there’s a crack. If you visually see one then it’s cracked… this won’t always pick up on that
I bet some " techs " carry photos of cracked heat exchangers . If they are dated and it doesn't match - time for a " mysterious truck fire " !😂
Great video, thanks. My furnace is 27 years old still working fine. I've replaced the igniter and the inducer motor twice. I have a new furnace sitting ready to go , bought it 5 yrs ago waiting for this one to go. lol bought it for $1250 Canadian they've doubled in price since then.
Great video. I have an 26 year old furnace in my home and plan on using it forever if possible. The new ones are expensive junk. I have a complete identical furnace for parts that worked fine when “upgraded “ a few years ago from a neighbor. I have co monitors but this test will help me make sure the old beast is still safe. Thanks!
This is one way that MAY tell if you have a bad heat exchanger, but it only works if the hole is close enough to the flame to make it move. Certainly not the best way to tell. If you have an old furnace just get a cheap inspection camera and look at the heat exchanger. Easy, or follow safety advice from a rookie HVAC guy that retells stories he heard on the internet. Good luck, and yes, there is expensive junk out there but there is some very good equipment that will make your home much more comfortable than on old one ever could and will last a good 20 years if installed orrectly, but that’s not important to some people, so keep the old one going. I agree with that.
@@jonswisher8796 My rental property has a Trane updraft furnace installed in 1990 that is still going strong, and on the original ignitor and draft motor.
@@chetmyers7041 I just updated the old gas train on a 1954 Ward gravity because the elderly homeowner likes the heat and no fan. If it is installed correctly and maintained, most equipment can last a long time, if not, it will not last. Trane make s a good product, we work on them all.
Thanks for the tip. FYI - the 1998 date you pointed out is not the date of manufacturer. The date of manufacturer is the first four digits of the serial number in format MMYY. The 1998 date you pointed to is the date of the applicable code referenced there.
My first four are 9104.....
So what month is "91" exactly then??! (MMYY, according to you)
Thanks
Btw... it looks way older than from year 2004, looks like its from early 90s
@madmax8620 there are a few manufacturers that label their serial number different than the rest. I'm going to guess that you have a goodman or an amana system. So yours would be first 2 digits are the year then 3rd and 4th digits are the week that the system was manufactured
@MiguelRdgz916 its a janitrol, and that would make sense, what you said.
We (with the repair man) are having a real hard time figuring out why it is malfunctioning, and only short cycling.
This is what we (he) did;
Checked for flame rollout and flame tested for cracks in heat exchanger. Tested good.
Cleaned the ignitor and flame sensor.
Then Replaced Ignition board that allowed the flame sensor to be bypassed, and allowed the ignitor to be the sensor instead(a dual option sensor board ?)...THIS made the Furnace operate correctly, so we thougt the flame sensor was bad, and ordered a new replacement sensor.
The repair man wanted his expensive board back, as it was a temporary loaner until the new flame sensor arrived.
Installed the new sensor, wired the board appropriately, BUT THEN it continued to malfunction like before, intermittently ignighting, and or short cycling(with new board and sensor).
Voltage/resistance tests were performed, but could not identify the problem.
Any suggestions would be quite helpful at this point, as the repairman (a friend) is stumped now....???
@@madmax8620 does the igniter come on? At what stage of startup is it short cycling
@@madmax8620 oh and janitrol is made by goodman. It's almost like I know what I'm talking about 😂
Great diagnostic!
The color & flickering visual test I call “flame pattern test” not full proof, but an indication
You can also put a carbon monoxide detector in front of a supply vent for a few weeks to see if there is a reading.
The inducer fan creates a vacuum through the heat exchanger and pulls blower air in. The CO does not get into the room - Unless it is a huge leak.
My inducer fan blows air into the combustion chamber and out the flue. In the other case, if there is no carbon monoxide being forced into the supply ducts, then it wouldn't be a hazard for the occupants. @@RobertTuck-vo8cw
@@RobertTuck-vo8cwUnderstand your statement. Under this the INDUCER is actually pulling air form the ROOM air that is in circulation.
thank you
OUTSTANDING INFORMATION SIR! This was such a good demonstration. I will be trying this on mine just to practice my newly acquired DIY knowledge (less the hole of course😂).Thanks for this information. Keep them coming sir!
Please run the heater so we can see if the flame is still blue or lots of yellow flames.
Thanks
25 Years in the trade here, your video is everything a technician needs to know. Well Done.😊
You need to be retrained
Great vid. Honest. Truthful. Helpful and simple. Thanks for educating us. Keep up the great work.
Even easier- run the blower and stick your manometer in each tube. Any pressure change indicates airflow from your blower into your heat exchanger and proves there is a crack (of any size)
That would work fine for techs, but he is showing how to do it for homeowners to keep from getting scammed.
Can a heat exchanger get clogged
@@donreahm5512yes. More common though is with a high efficiency furnace with the secondary heat exchanger, the secondary sometimes will get clogged. I’ve also been to some 80% gas furnaces that actually sooted up the heat exchanger like oil would due to a bad fuel/air mixture
My man, ANY crack on a heat exchanger is a life safety issue. I like that you are trying to help people, but as a professional, you MUST shut down an appliance with ANY compromised HE. Also it’s VERY common for CO to mix through a crack with household air, and contrary to what some of the homeowner DIYers think, the reason your CO detectors don’t alarm and mine does, is the calibration level that’s set. Most household detectors don’t alarm until 200ppm, the BEST ones at 50ppm. Mine detects to 1ppm, you risk serious brain damage at @20ppm. The reason yours don’t alarm until at least 50ppm is to avoid “nuisance” alarms from unvented gas ranges. If you have a gas range that does not vent to the outside, you ARE raising CO levels in your home to dangerous levels, often. Hire a reputable company who’s opinion you trust. If you get a bad feeling about the tech BEFORE he delivers news you weren’t prepared to hear, find a new tech you can trust. Don’t disbelieve him just because you don’t like the news, your family’s life is quite literally at risk.
Hola señor DYI I was watching the video I just found today and I will watch the next videos that you recommended to watch after this one it’s amazing the knowledge that you have and the experience you have achieved working with hvac systems I will go to school in the future and I will enroll in this hvac 😊Saludos from Texas 👋😃👋you have a great day 😊
If you have a newer system with cooling I'd recommend pulling the disconnect for the condenser and putting it in cooling mode. some systems wont run the blower at full speed when only calling for fan. calling for cooling with the disconnect for the condenser pulled will give you full fan speed
Great idea. Thanks for your input!
It would be interesting to see the unit running with the hole in the heat exchange too. Great video overall, it's really helpful to know a way of checking the system myself.
This is a neat trick, but dont rely on it. You need a combustion analysis and CO report before you can conclude that there are no cracks. This man is also dangerously ignorant about the dangers of CO poisoning. In his last video he stated you shouldnt be concerned about anything less than 100ppm of CO. At that level you will have irreversible damage. This guys advice about this subject is actually dangerous.
little bit harsh don't you think, I'm sure he's aware of the dangers of Co poisoning, he never said you don't need a CO detector in your house if you do this. he's just showing you how to check if you have a failure in your heat exchanger which could save somebody a bunch of money just on diagnostic charges alone.
@fuzzypickle5307 I saw that video and he stressed the importance of having a CO detector. Now regarding ppm of CO, the chart displayed in that video was acquired from Boiler and Machinery Engineering Bulletin, Federal Register, Vol 45 and Industrial Toxicology 3rd Edition. If you have a disagreement, take it up with them. Where are your videos helping homeowners from getting ripped off? I’ll wait for your response.
Oh yeah, CO detectors on every floor. I meant checking as in if some tech says I have a cracked exchange and shows me pictures, there should be other signs besides a photo that may or may not be my system. Unfortunately there are some dishonest folks out there happy to replace perfectly good, working units.
@@fuzzypickle5307…..aaannnddd that’s why no one likes you.
This explanation is perfect! Thank you very much!
After 1 of your shows I down loaded the app you mentioned Skillcat. And Thank You for that info. Any how I was using that app to prepare for the 608 test. I was however delayed due to personal matters. But recently Skillcat contacted me asking about my progress and or any feedback. During that conversation I mentioned how I had heard about them on your channel😁
My man, thank you very much. Im about to replace the gasket on my Goodman collector box cover which is leaking. I want to make sure the exchanger isnt damaged and will do this test first. Again, thank you very much!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I hope more people find your videos! Stop the Ripoffs! You should be on Clark Howard’s show.
Thank you very much for teaching me such a critical stage.
Although this a good idea, it is by no means a slam dunk, when the heat exchanger heats up and expands, tubes can separate from tube sheets, also with 90 plus furnaces the secondary heat exchanger could be damaged, be careful, the last thing you want to do is endanger someone’s life over a few bucks. there are times when furnaces are tripping rollout switches with no visual evidence.
Great help. Question… does this method work on high efficiency furnaces as well since there’s a primary and secondary exchanger?? Thanks
You can have a cracked heat exchanger and not have flames dance like that. This flame test is only useful if the crack is massive. Most of time when cracks are found, it is on a general maintenance and the cracks are small but present. Cracks are found, but not bad enough to allow this flame test to work. The manufacturer and the gas company both state that any crack larger than a 1/4" makes the furnace deemed as "unsafe". Not dangerous, but unsafe. The problem then becomes, when will it get bad enough. As the metal heats up, it expands and the crack spreads, therefore every start up that crack is likely getting worse. If your HVAC technician is trying to scare you into a new furnace, that's shady. Ask your technician to show you in person there is a crack, if you have any doubts in the technician. Any good HVAC tech will have a CO detector on them also.
1/4”?!?? That’s freaking massive. The reality is a tiny crack is not unsafe. Does it have the potential over the year sure, but that’s the point of checking. And obviously the most important thing is to have CO detectors and make sure they’re operable
Hey, I agree on 1/4" being very small but I don't make the rules. CO detectors are CO alarms. The lowest threshold is 40ppm for 4 hours or 200ppm immediately. Both are arguably too high. I've had flue rot out, dump CO into the house and the 1 year old CO detector not go off. Batteries and test feature were good, so I don't trust them. But you do you man. I like the work you do and I know you have good intentions. Have a good holiday.
any crack is unsafe. ul co alarms need 70ppm to go off unless the exposure is over a long time - they are time weighted. @@diyhvacguy
EXCELLENT TEST , Perfect clear explanation of furnace heat exchanger and testing. The video is the best I have ever seen about furnace sequence of operation and proving crack with matches. Thank You!
This is unbelievable knowledge you’ve shared with us. Thank you.
The flame/smoke test is a good one to perform, but I have an issue with one thing you said. Something along the lines of "a small crack that won't do anything." That is a seriously dangerous mentality to teach homeowners. If there is indead a crack, no matter how small it is or whether or not it will disrupt the flame at the time of testing, it is completely irrelevant. That small crack can and will grow. No matter how small a crack is, either the heat exchanger should be changed out or the furnace. If you're telling your customers a small crack is nothing to worry about, you're endangering them.
Yeah no kidding..
Thanks for that information. I really appreciate it. You do good work.
Can the leak be patched some aluminum tape or solder?
That's all nice and good, but first and foremost, let me find out what a heat exchanger is. Does it look like an incline bench?
DTE (Detroit's Utility provider) came out to fix my furnace and ended up tagging it and locking it out because they said the heat exchanger was cracked. The furnace was over 30 years old so I just replaced it, luckily my neighbor used to install furnaces for DTE and replaced it at cost + a case of beer, my help and I donated to his grand daughters college fund😉
A real pro will always use a combustion analyzer ,print a strip and show you the results !! I use a testo 310
If it has a crack is not hoing to show up witth you little match, but when heat exchanger gets hot ut certainly will, but if a technician tests it with a combustion analyzer customer wont believe it
Well done! I will have to try this method.
Thank you for sharing.
Great idea.... also having the ductwork attached on top of that furnace would add a little backpressure to help make the flames reaction increase with that slightly higher pressure coming in on a blower system thats not totally unrestricted at all
I bet if he put a piece of plywood on top you would really a reaction.
In the house, close all the supply's as good as possible to build up pressure
Just saying, you don't actually have to build pressure for this to work. In most cases the flow through the coil is going to hit a reduced cross section. So you have an increased velocity. This will create lower static pressure than ambient. Which will still cause the flame to flutter. for example induced flues on old water heater. The density change from combustion flows up to an open air hood above the water heater. That high velocitiy creates a low static pressure zone which induces air flow from the room to carry the combustion products and the air from the room up the stack. Another example of this principle is fluid injectors.
@@willrefling6395 Sounds like an engineer's perspective. Appreciate the technical explanation.
Many thanks for all of your education. You are awesome in every regard. I am watching all of your videos. They are excellent. I wished you were my HVAC guy.
You should show how the burners look while running with the hole in the heat exchanger
Great tip, thanks for teaching me something new.
Good way to test for sure, but saying a technician is scamming you if they find a crack, but because its so small and not “doing anything” to the match flame is not true. In my province, if we find a crack, we are supposed to shut the unit down or risk our gas ticket. Basically a cracked heat exchanger in any way is supposed to be replaced.
That's what the American Gas Association says. Which is who people should listen to above any tech or guy putting videos on UA-cam.
You are the best, fantastic explanation. I have seen HVAC companies are some of if not the worse on scamming consumers and not just cracks in the heat exchanger, but trying to sell a whole furnace because a fan going out (very easy to replace) or igniter, etc. Thanks again.
Too much useless BS nonsense just have a working carbon monoxide detector in your house it would let you knowif your furnace is working properly that's all you need
So......how do you know your Chinese or Mexican CO detector is working properly..?
This is a great way to do this. I usually use a combustion analyzer, but it’s hard to explain to customers there’s a problem. This helps visually.
This pretty much confirms something I've always thought. The draft inducer blower creates a low pressure inside the heat exchanger and the main blower (fan) creates a high pressure outside the heat exchanger. Air always flows from high pressure to lower pressure, so as long as both blowers are running, there is no way for combustion gases to leak out of the heat exchanger. In older less efficient furnaces that lacked a draft inducer blower, it was possible for CO to leak into the heated air stream.
Still, CO and also smoke are nothing to be complacent about. 40-some years ago my then girl friend and her parents had a near miss with an older furnace with cracked heat exchanger dumping CO into the air. Another family that I knew of died because a bird nest blocked their chimney flue. Having smoke and CO detectors is a very good idea. Also, it is good to get a CO detector that displays the level even if that level is below the alarm level. Long term exposure to low levels of CO is also harmful.
This isn’t true at all. The main blower will counteract the inducer and cause a flame rollout condition or turbulence pulls the exhaust fumes into the plenum.
That was an excellent video explaining how home owners can ck their unit . Much thanks to you for sharing your knowledge that's so very helpful. Blessing to you
What if the hole was drilled near the top of the heat exchanger, instead of the bottom (which was closer to the test flame on the matchstick)? Would it still flicker as much?
I’ve been a service tech for over 20 years and while you are technically correct, it’s super dangerous to tell people cracks in their heat exchanger - minuscule or not - are not cause for concern. Liability issues are true issues.
Great demonstration. Thank you for sharing this and many other HVAC tips.
Great tip for a DIY check. I am very impressed on your one handed match lighting skills :D
Thanks, i am having problems with my furnace now blows cold air, I'm going to have a tech come out and look at it to see what the problem is, now I'm a little wiser on how the furnace works.
Great demo, great service to the public! I was a heating/cooling guy for several years and we used to use smoke bombs which would cause a sulfur smell in the home immediately; this is much easier! Thanks again!
Even easier- run the blower and stick your manometer in each tube. Any pressure change indicates airflow from your blower into your heat exchanger and proves there is a crack (of any size)
Sure - but this was a simple test for homeowners, not needing any other tools than a match.@@rayzerot
Very helpful hard to find honest people willing to help you not to get beat education is powerful even now someone comes to my home I will ask them to show me how he determined my heat exchanger was bad kudos to you my man kudos thanks
Good job I'm in the same field and that was a great presentation
This was a good demonstration, im a tech, and never knew the lighter technique.. your channel has GROWN TREMENDOUSLY! And in such a short period of time as well! Bravo!
Thanks so much. It’s all because of awesome viewers like you! 🤘🏼🤘🏼 thanks for your support
Could you imagine explaining to the judge that your not guilty of neglegent homicide of a family of 5 cause you used the "matches trick" you saw on you tube to ensure everyones safety......
I actually like this idea but only as an initial test before getting burner on. Just ao ppl know that was actually a big hole he put in. It may seem small to some but that was pretty big compared to a normal crack that would appear. Also even a hairline crack is bad there is no safe size crack pls dont listen to that advice on this video. The metal will warp with heat and cracks can open and close from different temperatures. So if theres a crack no matter the size it needs to be replaced. You can have a crack for years and nothing happen but thats because the burner is burning properly. Once those flames burn improperly you have a dangerous situation. A small crack will only get bigger over time. Also please be careful when jumping R and W. If u accidentally jump the wromg terminals u can shortcircuit your unit. We always unplug the unit when putting any jumpers on a Forced Air unit. Unplug then place the jumpers then plug back in.
Brilliant video young Sir! One of the best videos on the subject. Thank you for taking the time to explain and show exactly the issue and what to look for. Keep them coming. Much appreciated.
Wrong on so many levels.. that is not the furnace date code.. and if your furnace is cracked, a good contractor will show you the cracks upon replacement. I've been in the hvac industry since 1992 and an owner operator since 2005.. your video is not accurate and you are putting home owners at risk
OK, so this is a great test to identify large cracks in heat exchanger. And when I say large, I'm talking about pinholes in the heat exchanger. What I have found multiple times in my career. I have 15 years in the industry. there is a situation where hairline cracks develop on the seems of the heat Exchanger. What happens is when the heat exchanger is cold. This test will not identify the cracks. But after you light off the burner and the heat exchange gets properly hot. You'll be able to identify What we call impingement of the burner flame on one of the burners. This is where the flame turns orange and seems like it Doesn't fully inject into the bunner cavity. These hairline cracks are hard to identify Because you may have to run the burner for up to ten minutes before the impingement develops. On another note, the danger of carbon monoxide is during the lighting cycle before the blower comes on. The cavity surrounding the heat exchanger fills with carbon Monoxide. I know there is unscrupulous contractors out there. But a majority of us are not.
Great video! Looks like that is almost the exact same model of furnace as my grandpa’s!
Closing off some of the supply dampers might help raise the static and help accentuate an issue.
Thanks, Awesome trick to help us from getting screwed over 👍👍👍👍
awesome video really easy to understand and very straight forward thank you keep it up !
A legally blind friend of mine outside of Chicago had a control board replaced (over $1,800!) and the guy said his exchanger was cracked and quoted him over $7,000 on a new furnace!!! I did this test using a long lighter and flame was straight up in all tubes. For you Chicago area peeps - Avoid "Four Seasons" or "ABC" by all costs.
If there's a crack miniscule or not you have to have them sign something releasing the company of liability and recommend a new one in would think.
I would definitely sign it as I'd get more than one company look at it anyways, too many scammers out there
lol what. what is forcing you to sign? HVAC POLICE SIGN HERE. Go ahead and red tag it
Great demo and will save you money and the potential of something bad happening !!
Great simple test. I have an older Carrier with the secondary heat exchanger issues and this is an easy test to make sure it is not leaking.
This is not a conclusive test. You will need a combustion analysis and CO report to determine if there is a crack or not. If it is leaking and you miss it, it could kill you and your loved ones.
Excellent video, very thorough, and it's burned into my memory without any flickering. Knowledge is power and thanks for passing it on.
Thank you. It shows that Your Business Model is working. Much success.
Excellent presentation👍👍. Just some thoughts on the behavior of the flame: The crack(or hole) on heat exchanger is probably reducing the intake flow from furnace burners apart from introducing turbulence. The reason, why the lighted match goes out, is because of not enough suction, making the heavier Co2/CO (by product of burning) choke the flame. The dancing is probably because of partial flow of air up, with the heavy Co2/CO flowing down at the same time, creating turbulence. The lighter on the other hand is less affected, because of the higher efficiency of butane in burning and pressurized butane pushing the exhaust Co2 out of the way.❤️👍
How is the "heavier Co2/CO (by product of burning) choking the flame" when the test was performed with the burners off?
This is great. I would thinking a lighter might be better than a match since residue from the burnt end of the match could fall off and get inside the heat exchanger.
We totally got screwed by a guy who ran no tests and said our heat exchangers were bad not just in one furnace but two and we replaced them both.
Well done with the demonstration!
Man that was a tiny hole. Wouldn't have thought that little of a hole would move the flame so much! Very informative!
Excellent video!! Thanks for showing us how to test heat exchanger
Excellent explanation! Wonderful video.
Good preventive maintenance tips especially the winter times or anytime.
Thanks !
Would love to see vid on proper “oil furnace “tune up.
Thank you for letting us know about this so we don't get taken to the cleaners from some not so honest technician.
Very good demonstration! Thank you for making this video.
Learning HVAC right now hopefully as a career change but at the very least I'll be scam proof and when I get my EPA cert i'll be diagnosing and charging myself.