HVAC Scam Rip Off told customer furnace heat exchanger cracked

[@CA-lk6fd]

I’m a 25 year electrician, I hear a lot of stories in my little world of companies that intentionally rip people off, it sickens me.

[@kyzor-sosay6087]

Me too,man. I’ve been doing Electrical work for a good 25-30 years,I’m 60,also used to do HVAC work,an older lady called me one time,a company told her that her house was going to explode if she didn’t replace her hvac system.The only problem was the igniter,for the gas heater.🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Grayarea321]

The customer needs to contact the consumer fraud division of the district attorneys office as well as the media.

[@stevencossaboon3237]

Nice job Ted. It's a shame there are scumbags out there doing this to people. It gives us all a bad name.

[@chatrkat]

I’m fortunately able to service all my equipment myself, because I’d sure be very uncomfortable calling a service tech in for repairs on anything. Honest guys like you with good skills are positively not the norm, as most of us here know already.

[@georgewelker853]

Shop for a service technician via referral near your home. Not everyone is but honest techs stay in the trade and the creeps are eventually driven out of the trade, but the general rule of thumb is that the more expensive and less they advertise the better quality of people they have in their trucks

[@HVAC_Curt]

Disagree. I am an HVAC technician, and 99% of the technicians I know and come across, as well as anyone in the industry as a whole are honest people who take pride in what they do and care about you as a customer. Where most homeowners go awry is when they start looking for a cheaper option. That billboard with the “$79 heater checkup” from the “big reputable company” of guys in white shirts with orange trucks is what gives us a bad name. You get what you pay for. AntiDIY is a man. But if you can use a meter and manometer and combustion analysis tool and gauges and understand the processes of different equipment then your doing well. Hopefully with the ability to do all that your making 6 figures in your current career. If your not then you need to get into HVAC, treat your customers right, fairly, take care of yourself and them. Because that’s what a majority of the trade is about. Always looking to “save a buck” will definitely cost you more in the long run. I can’t count the number of times I’ve come to a customer’s house and they try and tell me what they think is wrong and they are actually wrong.

[@mark33545]

@@georgewelker853the problem is, you dont know who they are going to send. I have a good company, but half the time they send clowns who are clueless. It’s luck of the draw. No single man hvac companies around here.

[@joeshearer1247]

Now put it back together

[@SORGIGERMANICO]

Lol

[@Android_Warrior]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂

[@CC-hv5hk]

He can probably do that in his sleep.

[@TedCookHVAC]

Uh..... no thanks. Unless you wanna buy it.

[@charlestomasino9161]

😂

[@douglasmayherjr.5733]

It would make a good garage furnace. I really hate when people in the HVACR industry take advantage of customers, residential or commercial. There is parts that are replaced during troubleshooting that may not be bad, but most people are honest when that happens. This is the same as reaching into a customer’s pocket and stealing money. I am all for making a good living, but there are plenty of honest ways to do that. Thanks for sharing, Ted.

[@c.blakerockhart1128]

There is 1 " Professional " here in Anniston Alabama that pulls that same crap. We have been called for a "Second Opinion" by several of his ALMOST victims. The last one that he said was a cracked heat exchanger was nothing but the high limit lockout because the blower wheel had a couple of paper towels sucked up into it. He made a bid of $5000 (five thousand dollars) to replace JUST THE FURNACE in a basement that you can stand up in. We came to do a bid, and wound up with a couple of paper towels for the home owner. HE WAS PISSED ! I am pretty sure that the home owner went to the board with the pictures that the guy Bluetooth shared with him. In OUR case the pictures were NOT even from the Rheem unit in question. My personal opinion is that the pics were of a Goodman PACKAGE unit.( Huge difference in design.) I haven't seen that contractor in a while now that i think about it.

[@buffystclair9042]

My house was built in 1986 , still has original furnace. I am a retired auto mechanic so good with my hands and brain has common sense to know what good and bad stuff looks like. I am afraid to have a furnace tech inspect my furnace because of hearing stuff like your video depicts. Only issues my furnace has endured in its 36 years has been with the blower motor twice and this A/C season of 2022 I needed to put bearings on the blower drum. My trade has had alot of bad raps too with rip off artists but were not all bad . Keep up the good work and be able to sleep at night

[@iexlrate1]

I had a HVAC tech come out to service a non working heater very similar to that unit, he pulled the access panel off, looked at the MFG date and told me it was a cracked heat exchange. Gave me an estimate to replace at $4k. I had a 2nd HVAC tech come in and in 15min said it was the vacuum valve, replaced it and charged me $150. This was 3 years ago and the heater is still working fine. ALWAYS get 2nd or 3rd estimate / opinion!!!

[@buddytaylor6983]

I’d save it and ask them to come and show the customer and you where the crack is. Please keep us up to date on this.

[@tgriebe]

Sadly, it is all too common. The "salesman" tech will threaten to condemn the furnace right there, take it out of service and leave the customer without heat, in the winter. That really puts anyone in a bind, especially women and older people. Plus, the hardware markup and installation fees are insane, especially with no competitive bids.

[@Cmill0588]

That happened to me. Tech tried to rip me off. I found out on my own the problem was moisture in the gas line preventing the furnace from igniting. Saved myself 7,500. It’s been running fine for the last 3 yrs.

[@Uticagreens]

Good work Ted, but … this can be a “sticky wicket” awkward situation we experienced a few times. When you notify the customer - who made their decision to replace the furnace without authorizing your inspection of the 2008 unit - you could possibly insult the customer. They may perhaps feel that you are showing off the fact that you were correct, and they made a costly wrong decision. People can be funny that way. In order to keep a new customer content and protect other vulnerable customers from unethical contractors who prey on them, we would expose dubious HVAC contractors to the appropriate government licensing agency to weed them out.

[@jacklabloom635]

The honest HVAC guys have all the business they can handle. Honest people don’t have to advertise. My HVAC guy has not had to advertise in over ten years. Word of mouth gives him all the business he can handle. He was on vacation one time in Florida, and talked me through a repair on the phone. He told me what to do and it fixed my furnace problem. I gave his name and number to everyone I knew at the time and still do. His other customers do the same thing. He has so much business he had to hire a helper. That’s how you build a solid business. Not by hook or crook.

[@katiek6678]

This video had me so frustrated... I find cracks in that exact spot on Tranes younger than that All. The. Time. If you put your inspection mirror through the high limit and look back towards the burners you'll find them where the two halves are crimped over. I'm not saying that the other company didn't lie and use an old picture from another system, but this video did not show confidently where to look and I would have liked to have seen a zoomed in shot on that trouble area before condemning the other company.

[@christiansnyder1746]

100% agree with you

[@LottimusMaximus]

Even if it’s not cracked, look at the hot spots on this thing, and it was condensing. You can see all the white chalky acidic residue on the inside. This thing was ready to go anyways.

[@rabokarabekian409]

I absolutely needed a new house trailer oil furnace in 2021. A fast talking salesman with lots of glossy literature first quoted over $10k, saw my expression, and then offered about $6.5k. I spent a little time online checking reviews, hired a small owner operated contractor and got quickly everything done including disposal of the dead unit for just over $3k.

[@sknight0391]

Hoodwinked!!!

[@michaelreynolds3592]

Thanks to watching you, I was able to stop a scam at one of my customers. (I do pest control). As I was walking and treating, I watched this old tech puncture one of those canisters I see you always change out. He then told the lady she needed a new unit. I immediately halted that conversation, and let her know. I called my company and they were there within 20 minutes and confirmed it, and corrected it. I gave you the credit, but it really is bad, the lack of ethics anymore. SALUTE TO YOU SIR.

[@gregmercil3968]

Not too long ago I found a crack in the heat exchanger of an old early 80’s Rheem furnace, the customer told me to get the hell off his property. Geez, the thanks I get for saving somebody’s life. 🤣🙄

[@cameronblades2394]

Name and shame. Too many good guys out there doing good work that don’t need to be subject to this.

[@snidelywhiplash8923]

Please report back in a future video what the homeowner found out and what the outcome is. The trades need more folks like you.

[@mpurecat4155]

when you have companies where service techs have sales quotas, this happens a lot. I work with someone who used to work for a company like that and he was glad he quit that company. He was told to sell to anyone he could, and while it wasn’t directly stated, it was implied to try and sell to people who were more oblivious or people who were more gullible (which generally meant women and older folks). I’m glad he has the good sense to leave that company, he really wasn’t comfortable with that business practice.

[@New2Life]

Commission isn’t a bad thing if your tech is honest. I take videos and SAY the customer’s name in my videos so the customer knows I’m not lying. If your tech is on commission AND honest, you are likely to get a tech that will be very thorough during inspection.

[@steveoxler9774]

A good test under these conditions would be to fill the heat-exchanger with water. This will occasionally find the types of cracks that are hard to see. The original tech may have seen some flame flicker to condemn this beast.

[@shapedstones]

The heat exchanger experts are two brothers that put on a class and go around the country teaching about heat exchangers and where to find cracks. On that particular style furnace the heat exchangers crack right at the opening of the heat exchanger entrance on the underside you'll need a mirror to see. Not saying there is a crack there, but they can be no longer than about a half centimeter and it is cracked. Just thought I'd let you know where to look. But sounds like a scam for those other guys for sure. Good job checking back on the work

[@patrickcomerford1523]

It's such a shame that this happens in our industry. It drives me crazy, and to often the customer loses all trust for our trade and this is a prime example of why. There is more than enough work out here that this should never happen, that image and scare tactic is criminal. The tech should be fired and never work in this field again period.

[@r6f09]

Wouldn’t a cracked heat exchanger chance the flame color simply by running it from blue to yellow?

[@HVACRSurvival]

I found something similar on a boiler that someone else condemned, the customer wanted a written statement that he could use in court when he took the other company to court. Nothing like getting pulled into a legal battle as a witness.

[@kentinman2326]

I've been working in the HVAC industry for 43 years in the trenches. When I came into the industry it was all about honesty and quality. Not about sales. I find myself combating the the sales motivated so called technician's dishonesty for two decades now. It's a difficult thing to do to prove I am not one of them. Because they tell the customer all the same things I tell them. When I do maintenance. I cover all the bases. Lets face it a C&C is used to get a foot in the door to make a sale. If a "technician" only spends 15 minutes on maintenance or C&C he's not doing the job properly. I've had customers watch what Im doing. When they see me pull the burners and wire brush the burners and zip passage they tell me no body has ever done that before. Is this thing going to run when you're done? Then I explain why its important to do that. To avoid delayed ignition. They are shocked when I tell them I found no problems. And I don't try to sell them anything.

[@Jbev-cz4cn]

I've been working in new construction for the last 11 years or so. And I've been trying to find a good reputable service company to work for. And man, almost every company I've talked to pushes all that sales and commission shit really hard, and that worries me. I don't mind selling a customer something they need or could really benefit from. Some of these places, I felt like I was interviewing more for a sales rep position than a service tech.

[@simon359]

Problem is what recourse does the buyer have, figuring the way government works now, doesn’t seem like you would have a chance, unless you sue them on your own and get a lawyer! Expensive!

[@anthonyspadafora1384]

I use a UEI combustion analyzer that has a exchanger test feature. Basically it snapshots the the exchanger with the blower on and then again with the blower off and compares combustion results. They must be within a certain range. If not it prints out that the exchanger is leaking and at that point I am legally responsible if I turn that unit back on, which I don't. Visual inspection is not a for sure way to tell especially with the secondary exchanger. I often use the exchanger test feature on new installs to make sure it is reading accurately.

[@heavyd777]

I used take gas furnaces apart all the time to replace the heat exchangers for Sears. It's not too complicated, just keep up with everything. He's lucky, most techs are working in tight crawl spaces under a house. You can't take any chances with the possibility of a cracked heat exchanger. I've come behind techs who said the furnace was fine but the pilot kept going out after they left the house. I went in there and inspected the heat exchanger and it had 12 inch cracks which were leaking carbon monoxide into the home. The tech could have killed the elderly couple that lived there. It is a prosecutable offense. We replaced the heat exchanger the next day.

[@Doing_it_right_the_first_time]

We all know that was from a totally different job and then they used that picture to convince the customer that it was for their furnace. I’m a plumber and a septic system contractor and I don’t do those kinds of things. I like to have the customer with me and I like to tell them what we should see if everything is good before we even open it up that way they know and are comfortable with me if we find something abnormal. Edward H. “Integrity Plumbing, Septic and Drain” out of Madison, CT USA.

[@LuckyDogDog]

You're a good man sir it's hard to find good technicians like you whether it's for your furnace or for your automobile people have no more integrity or pride in their workmanship. I'm not an HVAC guy and I'm sure you're not going to approve of it but I fixed my share of furnaces and did one hell of a job for not being a trained tech. The reason I say that is cuz I fixed them for free made some people real happy. Of course I'll never tackle anything that I'm not 100% sure about. And I still think you sound like rip wheeler from Yellowstone have a good one my friend I love listening to you.

[@bc8265]

I have had the opportunity to discuss furnaces with several people I know that are licensed HVAC techs. The common answers I get as to why heat exchangers fail so early ( approx 15 yrs) is that they are made from thin, often recycled steel. Sadly that's where we are nowadays with pretty much any and all appliances. But wouldn't one think that with a potential deadly situation of a cracked heat exchanger that they would be made close to indestructible?

[@joshuaseaton4526]

In Seattle, I used to be the "2nd opinion" guy. I followed up on numerous contractor's claims that the heat exchanger was cracked. Most of them were from a certain large company who will remain nameless. What they would do is sharpen the end of a screwdriver and gouge the heat exchanger real good upon the "inspection". Ya, those guys were crooks and I'm sure they got busted many times.

[@fishyfool]

You don't tug on superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask on that old lone ranger and you don't mess around with Ted.🤠

[@robertlamey7612]

Why didn’t he get the other company that condemned it to change it? Let me guess he said I’d rather you do it I trust you but trusted their word on the crack lol

[@herranenspearguns]

I hear that "i have a cracked heat exchanger " line all the time from people calling for a bid on a change out. I can very very rarely ever find it and it never shows on a co meter ( with the exception of very old units)

[@ffjsb]

i got my furnace replaced because it had other problems that were going to cost a lot to fix, and the furnace was 20 years old already. Turns out it also had BAD cracks in the heat exchange, so I was very glad I replaced it. I'd tell that company you either refund ALL MY money, or I'll sue you and have the attorney general file fraud charges.

[@MrBen527]

Can't imagine how many folks get hit with this crap everyday. At least hundreds. Even if the "tech" is not on commission they are going to make money off it.

[@natehicks8939]

Now, Ted, that’s one of those look into the future inspection mirrors, and that’s when the crack is going to be found in the future!

[@BryanClementi]

I had that exact thing happen to me. Tech told me crack in heat exchanger. Thankfully, I got a second opinion. Gotta look out for yourself.

[@Zildjian_DW]

These companies are nothing but thieves! Lowe's wanted $7000 to replace my hot water heater! I laughed at them and did it myself for $900.

[@ronb8052]

A few years ago, my furnace stopped working. I call an HVAC contractor....he went into my attic and said "well, you definitely need a new furnace".......he was six feet away from the furnace when he made that diagnosis. I changed the igniter....it's still working. (Oh....his quote for a new furnace was $4000) He's no longer working for that company.

[@dondalphinjr5953]

I was in So. California. There was several such companies that paid commission only, and if you did not meet your sales quota, you were shown the door. One stands out in my mind. Where I did a 2nd opinion. It was a "no heat" call. I could find nothing wrong other than the HSI was unplugged. Fired it up, checked manifold pressure, which was around 1.5 in w.c., readjusted it up to a 50 degree rise per mfg spec. Then did a carbon monoxide test, all was good. The commission tech told them the heat coil was broken in several pieces, and would need to get one & return in a couple days. And showed the ( NO JOKE !) A piece of 14 awg bare wire, rolled into a coil.

[@brnmcc01]

Even if there really was a little crack somewhere, that heat exchanger still under warranty until 2028 at least. What a ripoff.

[@JohnSmith-ug5ci]

So sad that there are those people that will pull those kinds of scams.

[@bengoolie5197]

Thank you sir! It is good to know there are a few honest tradesmen out there.

[@patchesthejaybird8431]

Haha, this is why I like to know as much as possible about this stuff. I also like to have the tech show me in person. If they can't or won't, they can blow off. This also feeds my desire to DIY! Nobody likes being ripped off, that's for sure.

[@jonathanponce1957]

🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂 I see why the customer didn't want you to inspect it!!! You just cracked it for sure now!!! 😂

[@AMStationEngineer]

To borrow a term from Daffy Duck, "that's despicable"! I co-owned a Carrier dealership for 18 years, and rarely saw cracked heat exchangers in gas furnaces; oil furnaces were another story, especially when oil dealers changed the nozzle sizes/pattern types to force additional consumption, (saw one which damaged the cool air return side of the box), at times, these nozzle substitutions would "soot-up everything in creation" - and then some! For what it's worth, my favorite customers responded to advertising on the reverse of 'weekly newsletters from local churches'. At times, usually around the holidays, I'd either donate $50.00-$150.00 in the name of the customer to the church who hosted the advert; customers with children, and some elderly respondents would get a surprise delivery of groceries, or a gift certificate from our locally owned grocery store, or Army-Navy clothing store. Doing such, seemed to make the community a 'happier' place to live and work, and while it may have been a "things done in Mayberry approach" to living life, whenever I return to the area, I'll hear someone comment about how much better things were when business remained 'largely local'.

[@gizmo5601]

I had an old furnace which stopped working. The first tech, new to the HVAC company and with over 20 years experience checked the heat exchanger. Said it was good. But his mgr oddly then insisted he check it. The mgr found a crack and showed me on the screen. I was very suspicious that it was a stored photo not of my furnace. The new employee was shocked and surprised (and openly questioning his own competence) that he had missed such an obvious failure in the exchanger. Felt like a scam but given age of furnace, freezing Cincinnati January temps and complaining tenants I had no choice but to replace the furnace.

[@1977beanhead]

I would be shocked if you found one of those furnaces without a crack. They crack right in the corner above the fat part of the cell and right below the crimped over "tab". The secondary drain pan cracks in the bottom corners right inside the inducer opening. You have to look closer.

[@mikethehammer360]

Just diagnosed a bad board for a customer on one of these tranes, board was $1200 after it was all said and done, and they just spent another $1200 on an inducer motor a month prior. Unit was 2 months out of warranty. They got persuaded by my boss to replace the whole unit...Merry Christmas

[@Smittyschannel]

He prob saved photos from a cracked exchanger & re-uses them to scare customers

[@nathanduke5323]

I used to work with a couple "techs" that were father-in-law and son-in-law that would always compete with each other to sell the most jobs. One service meeting, the older guy came in bragging about condemning a two year old furnace (still under warranty through a local competitor) and convincing the customer to purchase a new furnace. It was at that point that I figured out that my employer was not a good fit for me and I was eventually able to move on.

[@LongTrout]

See it all the time hear in Michigan. If the tech's fancy little meter beeps that means a bad furnace to them. Get a borescope. Won't have to disassemble the whole furnace. I will normally find crack plastic or broke fan wheel blades with flakey pressure switches. On todays furnaces you most certainly can have flakey pressure switch cut off with a cracked heat exchanger. Cracked heat exchangers are rare on 80+ or 90+ in my opinion. I have however seen many cracked face plates on round gun type burner openings like on a goodman. Never on oval openings like on a Ducayne..

[@matthewklunk2813]

Most common places I have seen with those furnaces is the inducer transition and the plastic secondary cover. The plastic will be cracked causing water leaks etc. Usually caused by overheating/oversized furnaces.

[@christopherlabre3889]

I recognize the crack in the Photo. I used to work for trane/ American Standard dealers. That is a common crack on the collector box. This video didn’t show us any close ups of the heat exchanger components. To find this failure you either have to use a manometer and when the blower comes on you show see positive pressure rise (Trane’s recommended way) or camera scope it.

[@stephenbullock1443]

Definitely rip off.I being the customer I'd want my money back lickley split.I smell a lawsuit

[@williamserver4332]

My first boss did this to people and sadly that company is still around 23 years later. Thanks for the video

[@dndhvac9576]

First thing I do is check the flame and see if it bounces around when the fan turns on. That gives you a indication right away if theres a problem. Then check CO levels, temps, visual inspection if you can.

[@epssax2]

I had this happen 13 months ago. The company who I had a bi-annual service contract with came to look at my furnace after it wouldn't stay lit. 8 year old carrier heat pump/gas hybrid system. He showed me a picture of a crack but I think that picture was saved in his probe camera. He told me Carrier was not a good furnace(my builder model) and that it was out of warranty. I later found out the heat exchanger had a 20 yr. warranty. We got ripped off by the heating and air company AND the "no interest loan" company in Atlanta. We wrote to the Attorney General in Kentucky, the consumer board of Kentucky, the head of Carrier(the heating and air company was a CARRIER dealer!)

[@baron1c]

I assume trane has a heat exchanger warranty like all the other companies? Usually in the 20 year range. That should be covered.

[@akhtarkh]

If this is how you check the crack, the customer sure made the right call.

[@donaldpainter956]

I appreciate your videos and showing these liars in the business

[@marcorecinos8629]

I replaced a cracked heat exchanger that it was only 5 year old. I don't know what caused that heat exchanger to fail to soon. Cause I never seen a hole that big before.

[@harrychang9376]

I had same experience years ago as a HVAC guy cheated us for our CA rental house ( we live in NJ), for only changing parts instead of changing the whole furnace and charging us the price of a new unit. Our real estate agent didn't check his work after he was done and we didnt know the scam until we visited the house a year later. I wanted to report to CA government authority but that guy promised us to service the old furnace for its lifetime. What a punk HVAC professional!

[@MakerMike-bx5ms]

I'm a technician, and this gives us all a bad name. They should be ashamed of themselves!

[@philllsxga.7737]

Is the customer taking legal action?? Please keep us updated. Thanks!! This stuff sickens me I tell people about it all the time ask a lot of questions same with your vehicle in the shop...

[@SchecterMongoose]

I think most us who looked up a video about heat exchangers have been screwed by a technician. I'm looking at replacing my 13 year old furnace so I don't know if I should replace the whole thing or just the heat exchanger. It's blowing pressure switches every year. We start it up for about 20 minutes every few weeks in the summer months. No more parts anywhere for a 2010 Luxaire tg9s060.

[@dontcare563]

I have a furnace manufactured around the same exact time, 2008/2009 that puts out no heat or very intermittent heat. The HVAC company came out 4 separate times and couldn't figure it out. Their excuse was I had a dirty filter, some of my vents were closed and so forth. When they fixed that nothing improved! I did find out the guy servicing it had ZERO formal training on HVAC systems and everything was on the job training. Even his boss came out and couldn't find the problem. I've given up on poorly trained and just bad companies in this industry! If you find someone really good make sure you keep them!

[@allan6344]

The good news is they picked the right company for the replacement. Why not a combustion analysis?

[@eastcoast186]

Ted the the fail point on those heat exchangers follow the rolled seam up to the bottom of the inlet of the heat exchanger that were they crack find them thru the limit with a mirror at the right angle

[@generals6561]

1st off you shouldn't have to take it apart. Should have just been able to look down and you would have seen it. Also has a 20 year heat exchanger warranty.

[@drwhoeric]

Why did you destroy a perfectly good furnace when you could have pressure tested the heat exchangers that would have revealed any leaks or potential of a catastrophic leaks. Another good point to make is even though a customer claims no need to check it is always ethical to check and report to the customer your own findings.

[@CommercialGasEngineerVideos]

Loving the quality of the vids. Salutations from London

[@jbkoch55]

Yeah thats a shame, makes alot of good techs look bad! Trane would've warranted that heat exchanger in a heart beat.

[@tomtheplummer7322]

Dink. My 80’s furnace was probably still good. I wanted central A/C instead of getting on ladders for my swamp cooler. I’m 63, I gave all my tall extension ladders away. I can’t bounce off the ground like I used to. Got furnace, A/C, hot water heater, humidifier in one package. Sure probably paid too much. 60 months no payments or interest. I paid in full day before just to see it all clear next day. Now that it’s done no regrets. Wash the condenser,change the filter and humidifier media. Simple no ladders...

[@TTrades-xt7xe]

Thanks for sharing this. I'm glad to see you pointing out scams like this. Thankfully, there are still honest techs out there like yourself.

[@markbeiser]

Yeah, those inspection mirror pictures are not of that heat exchanger... I've never found the primary cracked in one of those, but I've found a couple where the secondary was leaking water. Both were in badly zoned systems that had undergone severe prolonged overheating, causing the plastic to warp.

[@timharman8228]

So whomever replaced this furnace is just as guilty of fraud as the contractor that condemned it.

[@keehn20]

I personally would just move on and not stir it up. You gave them the opportunity for you to give a second opinion, they didn’t want it. They just wanted you to replace it. You provided the service they wanted and met the need they had.

[@WORDversesWORLD]

I was sent out to replace a 3 ton condenser, a/c only. When I got there the first thing I noticed was the breaker tripped outside, hum! I wondered why because if the compressor was blown then the tech would not have left it running, so I went inside home to find indoor panel and the breaker there was tripped, now I’m curious! So I go inspect the unit myself and found a cap blown, so I replaced it and left. Got back to the yard and was immediately fired, I cost them a 4590 dollar job! Oh well I sleep good at night!

[@kcMan7938]

Furnaces like the one you have here that have clam shell type heat exchangers can develop halves separation. When that happens you get higher levels of co. In the dwelling . Also vacuum switch won’t have enough “WC vacuum to keep switch closed. Some heat exchangers were riveted together , and they would pop off primary heat exchanger allowing clam shell to separate

[@kevinmehrings2538]

Looks like the black transition piece where the back of the inducer meets the heat exchanger… I’ve seen them cracked pretty often

[@lorenzo42p]

hold them accountable best you can. scams live on as long as they're profitable.

[@cliffanderson7544]

Been in residential HVAC for 15 years. Ive seen it all. Crazy how some companies will do and say what ever they can to sell a new system. Plus they don' t make systems the way they did back in the day . Luck to get 10 ys out of a system these days. Shady ass sales people!!!

[@kamX-rz4uy]

This is why homeowners need to watch the inspector and see what they are looking at first hand. I had a furnace that needed replaced due to a crack. The inspector showed me exactly what he was looking at right there and then. No photos of someone else's furnace, no purposely damaging the furnace during the inspection. The odd thing about that house was that there were two furnaces, the original one in the main part of the house was over 50 years old and still fine. It was the 25 year old furnace in the addition that needed replaced.

[@MrMultitool]

I would feel sorry for the homeowner but what kind of person doesn't want to give someone else the opportunity to look at it and give their opinion.

[@CDX825]

Not surprised. We have a local big company that uses this as one of their scare tactics. They tell the customer that the heat exchanger is cracked or has corrosion or rust when it actually doesn't. They also show them pictures of cracked heat exchangers that are not actually of the customers furnace. Some of the people get second opinions and others take the bait.

[@jgz6989]

There needs to be a meet up with you and customer, the tech and the furnace..............that needs to be part two. (maybe even include a lawyer)

[@ЮтюбПетрович]

We have no crime scene here, some furnace, from somewhere and looks like it doesn't work. But know you have a parts🤣

[@natew48]

We dont get commissions at my company so theres no reason for me to sell a new furnace or ac unless there is something wrong or it's a safety issue

[@richardwalling9695]

I had a furnace tech tell me that the heat exchanger had a crack. I called the company about a problem with my fan. The guy took apart the furnace and told me he had to by law shut down the unit and could have another installed by mid afternoon. I told him I have a carbon monoxide tester and it has never went off, and to put the furnace back together or I will call the police. He did what I told him. A month later I had a newer HVAC system installed by a friend and told him to put the old one outside and I will check it out in the spring to see where the crack is. I took the furnace apart and no crack was found. I then read on the internet that the heat exchanger crack is the biggest scam in the furnace repair industry This was about 20 years ago.

[@knechvatal]

most furnaces from that era have a 20 year or even a lifetime warranty on the heat exchanger so trane should have replaced it if it was faulty. how did they determine it was cracked in the first place? did they do a co2 test?

[@melquesedekcastro7480]

Sometimes the Tech is pressed by his "tech managers" to sell and not to repair whenever it is possible. Some just cave in.

[@rev.djmurray7716]

I had a contractor company while selling a house with the same ruse plus flue was bad. NOT! buyer later fell for the scammers. Larger heating contractor in area. 10k fce and ac sale.

[@russellhancock9765]

That's what was wrong with My Parent's Trane when it jumped the tracks. The air conditioner was fine, but The Heat exchanger had a crack in it.

[@MrACDude]

Don't most condensing furnaces have a long heat exchanger warranty, like 25 years?

[@boby115]

Doesn’t look like it was a picture of that furnace’s heat exchanger (possibly using scam pictures ?). I know Trane has problems with rooftop unit heat exchangers 10 years old or so but that model is a pretty good one👍. The customer most likely won’t go through with a lawsuit but he would have a pretty good case if he did.👨‍⚖️

[@alexdickerson8356]

It's a lot easier to see the cracks in the picture by putting an inspection camera straight up through the limit hole. I've found several recently but you cannot see them with just an inspection mirror unless they removed the coil!

[@justinpisarski412]

Not true. The trane clamshells crack in the same spot. Go through limit with inspection mirror