$450 to replace igniter?! + upsell??

diy12345

My ignitor went out on my Goodman (about 10 years old). I decided to call someone instead of trying to do it myself - and they quoted $450!
I'm willing to support my local contractor community, have it waranteed, etc., but please! For a $33 part and a few mins of work??
So I decided I'd order it and try it myself, but...

There was a little crack in the front of where the flame jets enter the heat exchanger, and he said that it was too dangerous to run and that I needed a new furnace! It looked to me that it was only on the facia and did not wrap around under the heat exchanger, but he said that there was no "way to tell" other than ripping the unit apart. My attitude is "I'm not dead yet" so I'll probably continue to not die from CO poisining (and my windows are always open a crack), but perhaps I should take it more seriously? Can't they test for CO at one of my registers or something? -- looking online, I can get a passive CO detector for $3... Is he just overstating the danger to sell me a new furnace?

thanks

yuri

Post a pic of it if you can. My company charges over $300 for a igniter and we WILL NOT get into the debate of what people feel is fair pricing. Goodmans are BAD for cracked heat exchangers internally or popped compression rings that hold them together internally but not hairline cracks by the burners. If the pic is clear we may be able to help. If not get another opinion. You will get flamerollout/burnt wiring and other bad events BEFORE a CO detector goes off. They are ONLY meant for catastrophic events like a badly cracked exchanger or blocked chimney. Not to tell you the health of the furnace.

Flashheatingand

If the heat exchanger does have a crack and the furnace isless than twenty years, odds are the h.e. is under warranty. Not the labor, but the part is. Will you die of co poisoning today, probably not, but the crack wont get any smaller (if it is a crack). Providing there is a crack, it is best to get it changed out now.

Marty S.

Find another company to work with.

hvac122

Your not dead yet so your most likely not goig to die! Thats a heck of a way to tell if it is cracked. If you wake up dead in the morning then I guess you had a crack! LOL

Just giving you a hard time on how you worded things.

As said, get another company that knows how to check the chamber. It can be done and is not that hard with the right equipment. This guy just didn't know how I guess.

A CO detector will not alarm until PPM's are pretty high so that is not a good way to check for a crack.

hvaclover

Get a plug in CO detector. A Good one runs about $60to$70.

__________________
Just slow, not stupid.

beenthere

A $3 passive CO detector?

Be real. It won't tell you squat.
CO detectors don't alert at a level low enough, to depend on them. To protect you.

A crack is a crack. Although you may never get CO from it.
How quick can some one install a new furnace, or heat exchanger. If the crack becomes big enough that the furnace stops working this winter.

Brian damage from CO exposure can occur long before you notice any ill effects.

On a 10 year old furnace with a cracked heat exchanger. I would recomend you take the credit for the heat exchanger. And get a whole new furnace. Although it cost more to do it this way. You get a furnace that has full warranty on all parts. And a 20 year warranty on its heat exchanger.

Also. While the model furnace you have may be known for cracks and popped crimp rings. They can be caused by undersized duct work, for the furnace.

Find out what size furnace you really need(that means don't let contractors guess, not even from their XX years of experience, since thats why its oversized in the first place)by doing, or having a load calc done.

It can save you money upfront, with a less expensive furnace. And in the long run, with lower heating bills.