The best way to repair a cracked heat exchanger is to remove it and put on a new one. This does not require replacing other parts of the oven. Often too costly a repair compared to installing a new oven. Like any other machine or appliance, heating systems need routine maintenance to extend their useful life.
These rugged equipment is subject to rapid and extreme temperature fluctuations and oxidation, which can lead to failure. A cracked heat exchanger is a safety hazard and cannot be ignored. The question is whether welding is an option for repairing a cracked heat exchanger. There are several reasons why welding a heat exchanger is not a viable option.
The number one reason that welding a heat exchanger to repair a crack or leak is considered bad practice is the safety factor. Heat exchanger designs prevent flue gases from mixing with the air in your home or business. No reputable welder will guarantee that they can weld a crack or leak in a heat exchanger that will not continue to leak. No one would knowingly commission a repaired heat exchanger, knowing that the heat exchanger can continue to leak toxic gases into the home.
Security concerns far outweigh any monetary consideration. Just the labor to properly disassemble, weld and reassemble the furnace is more than the cost and installation of a new heat exchanger. In some cases, the cost of repair would exceed the cost of a new oven. Economically, there is simply no point in repairing a heat exchanger.
The number one indicator of a broken or cracked heat exchanger is a carbon monoxide detector that is alarming and reissues an alarm after a restart when the heater is turned on. If you don't have carbon monoxide detectors and you use any type of heating system that burns gas or oil, you're playing a dangerous game. A carbon monoxide detector can detect levels of this deadly gas before they reach toxic levels. If you or someone in your family starts suffering from headaches or other flu-like symptoms for no apparent reason, you should immediately suspect carbon monoxide poisoning.
Some of the symptoms include: The easiest way to prevent this is to get several opinions from different HVAC technicians. If all the diagnostics indicate a cracked heat exchanger and you decide that replacing the entire system is the best alternative, you should insist that removing the old system shows you the cracked or damaged heat exchanger. Reputable HVAC companies will have no problem with this request. Heat exchangers have no moving parts that can wear out.
They are not subject to movement or vibration. What causes a heat exchanger to crack or rust to the point of failure? Without sufficient airflow through the heat exchanger, the metal overheats, causing more expansion and contraction, leading to stress cracking along bends or welds. A number of problems can cause this lack of air flow through the heat exchanger. If you suspect that your oven has a cracked or damaged heat exchanger, find a competent professional HVAC technician to examine your system immediately.
Carbon monoxide poisoning is a dangerous and fatal event. Experts estimate that about 500 people in the United States die from carbon monoxide poisoning, mostly from faulty gas or oil furnaces. Have you ever wondered how to set up and build a trailer frame? Look no further. So it's no wonder that there are so many people.
If your heat exchanger is cracked, your furnace is likely to be near the end of its useful life (18-20 years). We've even seen some technicians draw a line on the heat exchanger with a pencil, show the owner the line of a fiber optic camera, and convince them they're seeing a dangerous crack. If you maintain your oven for its entire lifespan, you can prevent those cracks from appearing for a considerable period of time. If a technician has condemned your oven due to a cracked heat exchanger, I suggest you explain to the technician that you will want to see the crack with your own eyes when they remove the oven.
If not properly installed, the heat exchanger in your furnace could have been damaged when it was first installed. The best solution is to replace the entire oven with an oven of the correct size (usually 1 to 2 sizes smaller). Find out how a boiler tune-up can protect your home and how you can provide maintenance to your boiler on your own here. A lot of times, when you have a cracked heat exchanger, it's more cost-effective to replace your entire HVAC system.
Or if you're thinking of changing your air conditioner as well (people usually replace the boiler and air conditioner at the same time), you should consider a heat pump. When a furnace is first ignited, the flame impinges on the cold heat exchanger and water vapor from the flame condenses inside the heat exchanger. When a professional arrives for repair, they will inspect the oven and determine if the problem is really your heat exchanger. A cracked heat exchanger allows air from the furnace blower to interfere with the flame, causing it to stir or even spread.
If other parts of the oven begin to wear out or its flame has started to change color, the heat exchanger may have cracks. Both of these airflow problems cause incomplete combustion and are indicators of cracks in the heat exchanger. Without sufficient airflow through the heat exchanger, the metal overheats, causing more expansion and contraction, leading to stress cracking along bends or welds. .
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