Replacing A Cracked Heat Exchanger 

I just replaced my heat exchanger on my 20-year-old furnace. Why?? I've replaced about every part on it in the last 3 years and bought extra parts that I have on the shelf. I know this furnace inside and out and can troubleshoot and service it myself versus paying someone. The quality of this furnace is still better than most of the cheap junk I see being sold. As long as parts are available, I'll keep it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to show how a real professional is trying to help others. There are still honest people in the world. God Bless.

Incredibly helpful. Really appreciate you showing us the flaws in the old unit. seeing is believing.

I bought new heat exchangers years ago in anticipation of around the 20 year mark or when it failed. Getting close! Thanks for the insight. I have a carrier.

Another high quality video with good information. I have a 20 year old Goodman split system. Each winter I visually inspect the burners to insure they are working properly. In Southern California, we average 15 to 25 nights of use for the furnace heat, usually 3 hours in the evening. Hopefully, this small amount of use will allow another 20 years of use with regular maintenance.

This was common years ago on lennox furnaces , lennox sent out a kit Stainless bolt nut and 2 washers to replace crip rings which is stronger . Seems overkill to replace heat exchanger when a couple of washers could fix the issue

You appear to be working on the exact same model as my unit. I really appreciate the video and you taking the time to show the procedure. I don't need to replace my heat exchanger right now but I suspect there will come a time. It just looks like a lot of careful disassembly and sharp edges and taking care to get everything back together properly. Working with a system that uses natural gas and emits carbon monoxide and other gasses one needs to observe a good amount of common sense. My heat exchanger runs $471 plus shipping and I suspect with my experience I can do the labor. If I had a criticism it would be that your video runs through the disassembly really damn quick 🙂

Excellent job explaining the heat exchanger and taking it out very good

Excellent works. Thanks for sharing!!

Very informative and helpful. Thank you sir

Great video. First time I saw a heat exchanger. Thank you.

This looks rather simple process. I'd just take photos during disassembly having not done it before. Check seals, etc.

Wow this video was really well done. Thank you!

dont negate the fact that the trane legacy model of furnaces are the most service friendly design in the market. i love them dearly. also have deep appreciation for the lennox HS and HP series of condensing units. they are a beut.

An excellent video! Thank you!

thanks for the video. I would not be afraid to tackle that job. Of course, I am fairly familiar with the parts on my furnace, and I am pretty mechanically inclined. It's a case of taking your time and thinking ahead as you go. Of course, if it's under warranty, I, as a homeowner wouldn't be able to do it myself I suspect. I have a two speed Trane with the variable speed blower. I'm more concerned about that super expensive ECM blower motor. I am installing a surge protector on the furnace to try and protect it. Those modules on those motors are super expensive by themselves without including the motor.

Nice job you made it look very simple. I’ve been in the trade for a few years band haven’t had the chance to replace a heat exchanger yet

Great vid. Knowledge is power. Thanks for some knowledge!

Looks like a $1000 repair vs $8000 for a replacement

Excellent demo. Thank you.

Great video Good information Thanks very much for the knowledge

nice video. great knowledge. thanks for sharing

Can those cracks be welded and exchanger be put back into service? Or will they fail relatively quickly and it's not worth your time?

I like the ankh! Way better than the cross!

Great video, I learned a lot! Thank you!

So, a heat exchanger can be replaced or is it a better value to just replace the furnace?

Great video well explained

Very good video. I like you do more videos. Spread the knowledge and experience . Thank you.

Thx so much for the video. I had a tech check my propane package unit, said “roll out” and that the tubes of the heat exchanger were cracked. He suggested I buy a whole new unit. I thought I could fix and you showed me how, including the tiny cracks. Couldn’t one weld over those cracked areas? Like a strong metal patch?

Thanks for posting this. We have one like it and seems to have some flame roll back. The flu vent is clear, How would i check for cracks? Thanks again

if a furnace is just out of warrantee, would it be cheaper and better to change the whole furnace or just the heat exchanger?

Just informed about crack in 28 yr Carrier called to check and bad board which I think was the main issue. Quoted 10k 14k. Going to breathe more life into it with this if I can manage to find one.👍😎

they should make them out of thicker steel so the would last longer, but then they would not sell as many. I just had my 45 year old furnace replaced and was told by the installers that i would be lucky to get 20 years out my new one. they don't make anything like they use to!!!

My record is 20 mins on a 80% goodman.

Great video. Thank you so much

Considering the amount of work you have to do to replace a heat exchanger , basically tear out the entire upper section of the furnace ( in your case) I would replace the unit . All that work and you still have old parts, switches, sensors, pc board, blower fan..... that with time they may fail and lets not forget the cost of labor. Single stage furnaces are not that expensive, I just replaced my 30 years old furnace for $2000 labor included

I have had to replace my furnace with a new furnace for this reason. Mine also was a Train as well. It was 22 years old so no warranty and was too big for the house. I don’t think it was that easy to replace the exchanger. I would add a photo but don’t know how.

So around 20 year is the age of heat exchanger and one should worry about replacing or when the flame start acting as you showed in 1st video then?

I think it is the same price to install the new furnace or to replace the heat exchanger….

Got a 1972 lennox the heat exchanger cracked

Thanks!

Clear concise information. Covered under warranty? How many hours of labor for the typical job? Thank you, 3 hours labor. 16 year old unit. Thank you.

GREAT VIDEO!

nice video , but the music is TOO LOUD ! Every time music is on I have to turn it down than when you start to talk I can not hear you

When dealing with a cracked heat exchanger, does the CO only get pulled through the ventilation system by the forced air, or would it also come out the front of the furnace?

If you have a house that you plan on living in for years to come, you may want to check & See if the mfg. makes the heat exchangers in stainless steel. The replacement ones he is installing will crack after the recycle life. I’ve had stainless for over 20 years & still no cracking.😊. The initial cost was more expensive tho. Ask about the $.

Awsome I have to do this at our hunting camp oil furnace

Awesome, thanks

Can you actually get one if you are not a tech?I doubt it at least if you are in canada.

Nice video. Is the only way to look at heat exchangers on furnaces that sit horizontal is to go in through the limit with a camera?

Nice video. Seems like an expensive fix. I wonder what the price difference is between a new furnace and replacing the heat exchanger. Even under warranty you still pay labor.

Nice - thanks!

Do you have to set manifold gas pressures after installing new heat exchanger? Thanks

great job king

I put a new gas furnace in 95 plus and man it must of had a couple ounces of oil from manufacturing outside the heat exchanger and was smoking bad for a minute enough for the smoke alarms and the homeowner to freak out on me thinking I did something wrong and was burning her house down

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I had the same problem with my furnace(heat exchanger).but furnace still working fine for now, should I keep using it for now? any problems?pls let me know. Thanks.

Excelente video 💯💯💯💯

informative video, even with the needless honky tonk piano

Did you do a combustion analysis when you added the new heat exchanger. Also other ACCA 5 QI standard checking e.g. on airflow and water flow through heat exchanger?

Our oil furnace smells lil bit at start then seams to go away - we were told it’s a crack heat exchanger

I have a 24 year old gad furnace w a cracked heat exchanger. Do you think it's worth placing or should I just buy a new furnace?

Wow. I guess that's the biggest repair job possible on a gas furnace! I'd like to know the cost of the replacement part. Nice job, and well produced video.

Looks like a design flaw. Are other furnaces have same heat exchange design like that?

Wouldn't installing a new furnace be a better choice for the owner the labor alone seems like it would pay for a new furnace

These things are $800-$900 and seem like they are built like crap. Stamped steel, galvanized and spot welded in certain spots? For that price I would expect stainless steel tubes fully welded into a manifold. But, if their furnaces lasted for many years they wouldn't get more of your money.

How do I find out if the heat exchanger still under warranty ??

How much should this cost

Do the duct cleaners get inside of the furnace to clean the exchanger area?

Just received a quote to replace heat exchanger for $4345. But they’re being generous & giving a $650 ‘good customer discount’. Let’s say the part cost $1000 which it don’t but let’s run with that for now. That means labor is $3350. We can subtract the $650 from it & it still is $2700. Suppose it took him all day or 8 hours… that’s $350/hr on labor. But realistically it takes 4 hours right? And that’s including his bologna sandwich with Fritos lunch! So now labor is $700/hour.

👍👍

Nice bracelet

No sir WE APPRECIATE YOU! I’m suspecting I have a bad heat exchanger three out of my four burners are slightly burning outside the whole . Could it be any other reasons?

How much did the new heat exchanger cost?

Could you use some JB weld on it if it wasn't under warranty?

What would’ve been the price different. Between a new furnace and repairing it ?

Designed to fail on purpose...

Why do you change that part what was the problem

Please Turn Down The Rag Time Music! Really Not Needed. Peace/;-))) Very Well Done Demo !

I kind of think those leaks in the heat exchanger could have been fixed with some sort of high temperature steel epoxy like JB Weld. The heat exchanger itself wasn't cracked, just those rings either let go, rotted away, or were never there. Maybe the mating surfaces should be crimped together during manufacturing. Or they could be crimped together if repairing.

trane has more screws than god was that under warranty

What was the cost parts and labor for this job?

Perhaps a video showing the INSIDE of the old heat exchanger. How the two SECTIONS relate to one another? We understand two separate air chambers.

Where's the crack at?

Great video. Can you come replace mine? The technician I had come out was too scared to replace it because of possible CO2 leakage. He was trying to sell me on a whole new furnace unit around the price of $8,000 to $10,000. No thanks.

What a waste of money. I would never replace the heat exchanger in a residential furnace. The whole furnace should be replaced so all the parts are new and a new warranty applies. If there is a full replacement warranty on the heat exchanger, I would ask for a cash credit on a new furnace. A defective heat exchanger is strong evidence of a defective product so I would change brands as well.

*What a crappy design, it's practically guaranteed to fail.*

Thank you for the video to see how it's done.... lots of information...very professional ......but please lose that clown music....🤡🤡 !