Corrosion Issues

5 comments

Rate

Anonymous Poster	Corrosion Issues 09/19/2010 9:52 AM
	Why are the burners on my furnace corroding , or rusting, at the place where the flame comes out? It is a 100,000 btu forced air furnace, installed in 1980. L P gas. The corrosion seems to be affecting the furnace to the point it is not burning properly . Do I need a new furnace or can the burners be replaced? My friend says that it is caused by a chemical reaction from the LP gas and poor combustion. What are the chemicals here?
	Reply

Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.

These comments received enough positive votes to make them "good answers".

waldig Commentator Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: VA Posts: 84 Good Answers: 4	#1 Re: corrosion issues 09/19/2010 10:48 AM
	Chemicals are bleach and other household items in the air. We find that the burners in intermittant ignition furnaces are often subject to rusting due to water overflow in the summer due to clogged A/C drains. Second the burners on an upflow furnace are cooled by the cold air falling off the condenser during off fan operation. The coil is cold and the cold air falls within the furnace cooling the OFF burners. Humidity can form as a result and the rust follows. Thirdly Propane burns hotter and erodes the burners. You can clean them with a gentle wire brush and if they are blocked or missing slots due to advanced erosion, they are available and replaceable with normal effort and some thinking. Usually we recommend replacement of such furnaces and opt to sell 95% furnaces that qualify for the 30% TAX CREDIT THAT ENDS THIS YEAR - 2010. ENJOY, Woody __________________ Life is short, eat your dessert first .......In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is. Yogi Berra
	Reply Good Answer (Score 3)

klearzen Power-User Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: St Louis MO USA Posts: 224 Good Answers: 7	#2 In reply to #1 Re: corrosion issues 09/19/2010 11:33 AM
	GA ... a 30 year old furnace is past it's peak, but a burner replacement is a less than ideal second option. Thanks for sharing your knowledge waldig. Ray __________________ klearzen
	Reply

Doorman Guru Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Yellowstone Valley, in Big Sky Country Posts: 7425 Good Answers: 295	#3 In reply to #1 Re: corrosion issues 09/19/2010 11:43 AM
	I would add a number four to waldig's comment: IT IS THIRTY YEARS OLD! For crying out loud... please review the Wiki definition of Household Corrective Maintenance! As waldig says, the burner is neither difficult nor expensive to replace. The original lasted THIRTY YEARS! As well, it may be time to consider an upgrade to a more efficient unit anyway. In closing, waldig's answer seems 'Good' to me, so GA for him! [edit] Sorry, Ray... did not intend to step on you. I was typing before you posted. I see great minds think alike! __________________ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi
	Reply

munch Power-User Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: The Canyons of the Ancients Posts: 356 Good Answers: 2	#4 Re: Corrosion Issues 09/19/2010 6:39 PM
	"My friend says that it is caused by a chemical reaction from the LP gas (poor quality with moisture in it) and poor combustion (above 2,000'). What are the chemicals here? (do these chemicals precipitate out and stay on the burner?)( what are aldehydes ?.) I am in the process of getting a new high efficiency furnace. Will the same thing happen with the new one?. Thanx __________________ " looking for conscience in the brain is like looking for the band in the radio" N. H.
	Reply

Lou Bindner Power-User Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 103 Good Answers: 2	#5 Re: Corrosion Issues 09/20/2010 3:04 PM
	If your furnace is 20 years old you should immediately have the heat exchanger checked by a professional for leaks. The corroding burners will merely fire inefficiently and cost you extra money... a leaking heat exchanger can kill you. At 20 years your furnace is beyond its life expectancy and is the least expensive component of a heating and cooling system. It's a no-brainer; replace it!
	Reply

These comments received enough positive votes to make them "good answers".

Copy to Clipboard

Doorman (1); klearzen (1); Lou Bindner (1); munch (1); waldig (1)

	Got Something to Say?
	Ask a Question Start a Discussion

	Aerospace
	BioMech & BioMed
	Chemical & Material Science
	Civil Engineering
	Communications & Electronics
	Education and Engineering Careers
	Electrical Engineering
	General Discussion
	Instrumentation
	Manufacturing
	Mechanical Engineering
	New Technologies & Research
	Software & Programming
	Sustainable Engineering
	Transportation

	Site Directories
	Forum Directory Blog Directory User Group Directory RSS Feeds CR4 Rules of Conduct CR4 FAQ Site Glossary Who's Online (110 right now) Show Members