1996 Carrier Heat Exchanger Cracked?

Posted by dantheman on October 17, 2008, 6:22 am

Hi All... my neighbor's carbon monoxide alarm goes off, she shuts down
her 1996 Carrier Weathermaker 58TUA hi-efficiency furnace, calls in
Frank the HVAC guy, and after a peek inside (from the top), Frank
concludes that the heat exchanger is cracked and a whole new furnace
is needed.

Is this possible? Common?
How can you tell if it's cracked (it looks like new haha)?
What else might be the matter?
Carrier had a 20yr warranty on those things back then... shouldn't a
suggestion be made to use it?
This was an expensive furnace... wt*?

Thanks for all of your help,
:Dan

Posted by Noon-Air on October 17, 2008, 8:30 am

> Hi All... my neighbor's carbon monoxide alarm goes off, she shuts down
> her 1996 Carrier Weathermaker 58TUA hi-efficiency furnace, calls in
> Frank the HVAC guy, and after a peek inside (from the top), Frank
> concludes that the heat exchanger is cracked and a whole new furnace
> is needed.

did he actually *SHOW* her the cracks??

> Is this possible? Common?

Yes its possible, especially if it wasn't installed and set up correctly.
Was it serviced every year like its supposed to?? You wouldn't buy a new car
and try and run it for 12 years without ever having it serviced, would you??
Why would you do it with the single most expensive appliance in your home??

> How can you tell if it's cracked (it looks like new haha)?

The tech should have *SHOWN* the home owner the cracks

> What else might be the matter?

Its broken... there are several reasons it could have set off the CO
detector... cracked HX is a likely culprit, as well as over-firing,
partially blocked vent pipe, etc.

> Carrier had a 20yr warranty on those things back then... shouldn't a
> suggestion be made to use it?

Replacing the HX will cost almost as much as a new furnace...even if Carrier
warrantys the HX.

> This was an expensive furnace... wt*?

Expensive is relative... If it was the cheapest price, then all bets are
off. If it wasn't installed by a *competent*, licensed, insured,
professionaly trained, Master HVAC Tech, then all bets are off.

> Thanks for all of your help,

Your welcome

> :Dan

Posted by Mark on October 17, 2008, 10:38 am

> > Hi All... my neighbor's carbon monoxide alarm goes off, she shuts down
> > her 1996 Carrier Weathermaker 58TUA hi-efficiency furnace, calls in
> > Frank the HVAC guy, and after a peek inside (from the top), Frank
> > concludes that the heat exchanger is cracked and a whole new furnace
> > is needed.

the cost of the CO detector turned out to be a good investment..
Mark

Posted by Bubba on October 17, 2008, 5:35 pm

On Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:22:18 -0700 (PDT), dantheman

>Hi All... my neighbor's carbon monoxide alarm goes off, she shuts down
>her 1996 Carrier Weathermaker 58TUA hi-efficiency furnace, calls in
>Frank the HVAC guy, and after a peek inside (from the top), Frank
>concludes that the heat exchanger is cracked and a whole new furnace
>is needed.
>Is this possible? Common?

Possible? Yes. Common? Define common. It happens......yes.

>How can you tell if it's cracked (it looks like new haha)?

The tech saw the crack so the tech should be happy to show the
homeowner the crack.

>What else might be the matter?

The furnace could be in need of repair or the carbon monoxide detector
is detecting something else or is defective.

>Carrier had a 20yr warranty on those things back then... shouldn't a
>suggestion be made to use it?

Sure but it'll be about as much as a new furnace and thats if the heat
exchanger is still available.

>This was an expensive furnace... wt*?

Define expensive.

>Thanks for all of your help,
>:Dan

In a nut shell a 2nd or 3rd opinion might well be worth the call.
Bubba

Posted by on October 17, 2008, 5:45 pm

wrote:

>On Fri, 17 Oct 2008 03:22:18 -0700 (PDT), dantheman

>>Hi All... my neighbor's carbon monoxide alarm goes off, she shuts down
>>her 1996 Carrier Weathermaker 58TUA hi-efficiency furnace, calls in
>>Frank the HVAC guy, and after a peek inside (from the top), Frank
>>concludes that the heat exchanger is cracked and a whole new furnace
>>is needed.
>>Is this possible? Common?

>Possible? Yes. Common? Define common. It happens......yes.

>>How can you tell if it's cracked (it looks like new haha)?

>The tech saw the crack so the tech should be happy to show the
>homeowner the crack.

I thought that was just plumbers ?

>In a nut shell a 2nd or 3rd opinion might well be worth the call.
>Bubba

Don't MOST of your posts implicitly come from a
nutshell ? :-)

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