how do I know if I am victim of a cracked heat exchanger scam when having a furnace serviced?
after lots of insisting that i'll need to get a second opinion on it he convinces me to go over there... he shows me how one of the burners goes a different color and gets much larger than the rest once the blower starts... he says my heat exchanger is shot, i need a new furnace and it is unsafe... he turns off the gas to my furnace and sends a sales guy over...
The contractor has no obligation to show you the crack unless you pay for his time in dis-assembling the machine to show it to you. A crazy flame pattern is a dead giveaway for a crack it it does it when the fan cuts on. Hopefully he has contacted your gas supplier and had them shut off your gas before you kill everyone in the house. You might be able to get your gas company to come out and confirm the failure but dont mess around with this, I have seen people die in this situation.
You should ask for evidence. A picture of the crack. or a co2 and air quality reading, if there is a crack in the heat ex changer your combustion air will mix with your supply air, that's bad. Most furnaces have a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger.
After lots of insisting that I'll need to get a second opinion on it he convinces me to go over there. He shows me how one of the burners goes a different color and gets much larger than the rest once the blower starts. He says my heat exchanger is shot, I need a new furnace and it is unsafe. He turns off the gas to my furnace and sends a sales guy over.
Short of purchasing the correct diagnostic tools, you need to rely on the integrity of your service company. A second opinion is another option. Keep in mind that the second opinion may be in the position to state that the exchanger has failed thinking that his/her 'confirmation' would guarantee them the job. Yes, I am cynical. But, if your furnace is more than 15 years old, or of a poor brand, or one that does not use a stainless steel heat exchanger, or any of several other issues, you are at the least at-risk for a failed exchanger. Note that most service groups that have been around for a while are generally honest. But if you are seeing red flags, be careful!
