What do you do now?

[RobC]

You have found this

Download Attachment: HeatingCrackedHeatExchanger_L.jpg

41.86 KB

Do you report it-

to the Gas Company?

to the Sellers

OR

simply include it in your report, inform your clients and go home.

Then who is responsible if something happens?

I know an HVAC contractor would red tag it on the spot. Does the Home Inspector have a greater responsibility beyond his clients in this case?

What does everybody think?

[kurt]

Tell everybody about it, recite the appropriate safety commentary, & leave a note on the kitchen counter. Baseline; replace the furnace immediately.

It certainly is a toasted furnace, but inasmuch as I have never been able to measure even 1ppm from heat exchangers w/ holes big enough to stuff a cat through (pressure differential pushing air into the exchanger, not drawing it out and all that), I don't get that het up about it. Notify everyone & go to the afternoon job.

[Jim Katen]

Originally posted by RobC

You have found this

Download Attachment: HeatingCrackedHeatExchanger_L.jpg

41.86 KB

Do you report it-

to the Gas Company?

to the Sellers

OR

simply include it in your report, inform your clients and go home.

Then who is responsible if something happens?

I know an HVAC contractor would red tag it on the spot. Does the Home Inspector have a greater responsibility beyond his clients in this case?

What does everybody think?

Well, you're definitely going to include it in your report to your clients. I don't see anything wrong with telling the people who live in the home. However with a crack like that, I usually don't bother. Calling the gas utility is overreaching.

The thing about cracked heat exchangers is that they're really not the big bad wolf that a lot of inspectors seem to imagine. They rarely contribute CO to the household air in significant quantities.

When you hear about people getting sick from CO or being killed by it, it's almost always a venting problem, not a small crack in a heat exchanger.

Now when you start talking about fist-sized cracks or holes, that's a different matter.

- Jim Katen, Oregon

[swarga]

You mean there not supposed to like like that?[:-dunce]

Here we only use the heater for 3 weeks a year. I would report it as damaged and tell them to get it fixed before it gets cold. You know like 50 degrees at night.[:-bigeyes

For the record it was 105 here today.

[Jim Morrison]

I'd tell my client that the furnace must be replaced immediately for the safety of the occupants. Though I do normally inform the homeowners of any major safety concerns, that crack probably doesn't meet the threshold for me. It's a judgement call and frankly, sometimes it just depends on my mood.

[Steve Knight]

I inform the homeowner of any item which could be a safety risk to the homeowner. I tell the buyer I will be informing the homeowner of the item even though my report is a confidential document prepared for the buyer. I explain my concern about the safety of the occupant. I leave a letter at each home I inspect which describes the inspection process and tells sellers I cannot discuss the contents of my report unless authorized by the client. I note on this letter any thing I find that could be a safety concern to homeowner. If I found the cracked heat exchanger in July, I would not inform seller. If it was during normal heating season, I would inform seller at time of inspection.

[RobC]

I get the sense from all of you that it's not the end of the world, and I agree. I have yet been able to record anything over 2ppm and as Jim stated, it's bad venting that kills.

As I understand it, the realtors, sellers and most likely the neighbourhood by now, know about this furnace and not to use it. I didn't and it won't get reported to the gas Co. either.

[aaron]

Hello,

I am a little late for this post but I do not get into deciding whether a crack in a heat exchanger is bad or okay. A crack in a heat exchanger is grounds for replacing the furnace( or heat exchanger). I do not worry about ppm's

Dont make it seem like they are going to die, but get the dang furnaced fixed.

Aaron Flook