Bendix Home Inspection,Inc. 734-377-5616 Rick@bendixinspect.com
Do it Once, Do it Right
Furnace Inspections
Gas Fired Water Boiler
The HVAC system (heating,ventilation,and air conditioning) is an area that is hard to check because the main component of the furnace (the heat exchanger) is often enclosed and partially hidden.
Checks I can do are: With the furnance running, I use a carbon monoxide tester and a combustible gas leak tester to check for any fumes the furnance might emit. That is why I stress proper maintinance, including having the system check by a Licensed HVAC contractor.
My evaluation of the Air Conditioning system is to examine the connections for leaks, and to see that the unit is draining properly, and that it is wired properly. Once again, I stress proper maintinance, including having the system check by a Licensed HVAC contractor.
Heat Exchanger: Forced Air Furnace The heat exchanger on a furnace is the metal that separates the fire from the air stream. The problem with a crack in the heat exchanger is that it can let combustion products into the air stream and could cause health problems due to leaking flue products into the air stream. However a cracked heat exchanger is the point at which a furnace is considered to be needing replacement or a new heat exchanger. So it can be either a serious health problem or a license to steal. If you have a crack on a standard standing pilot furnace with out a combustion blower then you have the possibility of combustion products leaking into the living space but the problem with that is the combustion area is normally under a slight negative pressure and the flames would not go up the tubes but instead roll out. To top it off when the fan or blower is running it puts the outside area of the combustion chamber (heat exchanger) under positive pressure so there is no way the flue products could ever come out. The main reason that flue products would get into the living space is if the chimney is obstructed like a bird building a nest in the chimney and with this you will have other problems too like condensation in the flue pipe. If it happens to be a newer furnace with a combustion blower either an 80% efficient or a condensing furnace 92%+ efficient then there is a combustion blower (or draft inducer) running all the time that there is fire so there is no way that the flue products could get into the main air stream. The biggest problem with having a crack on one of these furnaces is that the flames will roll out because the draft air is leaking through the crack. But what constitutes a cracked exchanger. If you have someone look at your furnace to determine if there is a crack in the heat exchanger the best way to do it is visually by shinning a light in the exchanger and looking for obvious cracks. But what constitutes a crack. Many furnaces will have hair line cracks in the metal and sometimes welds will pop and leave a tiny hole. What I would consider a major crack is is the metal has buckled or separated. Sometimes the metal can be of poor quality or condensate from the air conditioning coil can leak and ruin the metal. But when this happens it will usually cause the flames to roll out or dance in the burners. I have seen cases where the heat exchanger is actually rotted out from rust which would the flames will roll out and shut off the roll out switches long before the combustion products can do much damage. When having someone look at your furnace make sure that they do a good inspection. Regular maintenance You can perform some of the necessary routine maintenance on your heating system. 1. Clean or replace air filters monthly during the heating season. 2. Vacuum register grilles and make sure they are unrestricted by furniture, carpet or drapes. Also, use the adjustable blades on registers to reduce heated air in unused rooms of the home. 3. To save energy, turn off the pilot light during the summer months. Heating Tune-ups Existing equipment can be upgraded to perform more efficiently. A professional contractor may be your best answer to realizing savings, before you’re ready to replace your heating system. Xcel Energy recommends tuning up older systems every year or two, and newer systems every two to three years. A tune-up should take two to three hours and cost between $100 -150. In addition to the following steps, technicians should test the effi ciency of your furnace before and after the tune up, and provide you with a copy of the results. The efficiency test measures fl ue temperature, percent carbon dioxide or oxygen, smoke number, carbon monoxide, and draft . Furnace tune-ups • Removing and cleaning burners.
