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Posted by Meat Plow on October 4, 2007, 7:06 pm
On Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:38:58 +0000, jay-n-123@verizon.net wrote:
> I had my 20 year old Carrier forced air furnace tuned up today. The
> technician snaked a camera up the inside of the furnace. He did NOT find
> any cracks, but he found "bulging spots" which he also referred to as "hot
> spots", inside the furnace. He claimed the heat exchanger had these bulges
> and claimed that this is a sign that it is getting close to developing
> cracks, and showed me the bulges.
>
> But I wonder if what he showed me really was the heat exchanger....can a
> camera can really be snaked up inside a heat exchanger?...or was what he
> showed me something else. I always assumed that a heat exchanger is a
> tremendously dense piece of metal and that you would not be able to "view
> inside it with a camera" only "view it from below with a camera". This
> same cavity could also be seen without a camera by looking into the furnace
> with flashlight (he had removed one of the panels above where the burners
> are) What he showed me was was a vertical cavity which had a couple of
> bulges on the sides of the cavity which were bulging toward the outside.
> Is that really the heat exchanger he showed me? What does the heat
> exchanger on a 20 Yr. old Carrier furnace look like and exactly where is it
> located?
>
> There is also some rust present on the inside of the furnace.
>
> The burners look like they produce a nice blue flame.
>
> The technician is recommending a new furnace based on the age and based on
> the bulges and rust. Do I really need to be seriously thinking about
> getting a new furnace at this time because of the rust and bulges, or is it
> possible this furnace could last several more years? I believe they
> recommended a new furnace 3 years ago when I moved in although I don't
> recall anyone showing me the bulges before, but I'm suspecting they could
> have been present 3 years ago too.
>
> BTW, the company I've been using prefers to install Goodman systems,
> although they would also be willing to give me a price on another brand that
> I have in mind which is Carrier. They say that they will warranty both the
> parts and labor for 10 years on the Goodman, but the warranty on the Carrier
> would depend on what their warranty is. Is a Goodman likely to last as long
> as a Carrier?
>
> Thanks,
>
I used to do furnace checks and was told to sell new furnace installs at
any cost short of being fraudulent. The heat exchanger in you furnace is
welded steel and is not known to crack or develop leaks at the welded
seams. However at 20 years in service I would consider an upgrade if it is
your budget to afford it. If it is affordable you would benefit from an
increased efficiency in a high SEER rated furnace.
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