[Shop-talk] Ancient furnace with cracked manifold

Mon Nov 8 11:33:09 MST 2021

It might also be helpful to have a CO detector rather than just an alarm,
like the below that allows ppm of CO to be monitored for trends, changes as
it heats and expands, etc.  It's a shame the AirThings detectors don't have
CO since they also monitor particulate matter,  CO2, VOC and radon.
https://www.trutechtools.com/Defender-CA6150

Best,
Ian

On Mon, Nov 8, 2021 at 12:00 PM Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:

> Thanks, guys.  (And, thanks for the “CO” correction.  I guess just too
> much talk about CO2 in the news these days.)
>
> I will confirm this tonight, but my guess is that there is no one around
> who could handle the job if my brother-in-law doesn’t know anyone.  (He is
> a local with deep, deep ties to the area.)  I will discuss it again with
> him and my daughter and we’ll try to find a safe solution.  If I can, I
> will persuade them to just bite the bullet and replace it.  Truth be told,
> it is really the boyfriend’s house and he has spent a small fortune on
> things that show, like the kitchen and bathrooms, but been more stingy with
> something like this that he can’t see.  I may just have to try to convince
> him that this is more important and, failing that, patch it and then keep
> working on him.
>
> Jim
>
> On Nov 8, 2021, at 11:29 AM, Jack Brooks <JIBrooks at live.com> wrote:
>
> It needs to be replaced, but in the interim an important question is
> whether the crack closes up when it gets hot.  I had a split manifold on a
> car that was not visible.  I could clearly hear it when cold, but closed up
> as the manifold heated up and expanded.  When it was finally replace, the
> crack was clearly visible.
>
> This, being and older home, is likely somewhat drafty.  This is not bad
> right now.  Regardless, if they continue to use it, additional CO monitors
> would definitely be a good idea.
>
> I suspect high temp goo might work out, but prepare for the worst.
>
> Jack
>
> *From:* Shop-talk <shop-talk-bounces at autox.team.net> *On Behalf Of *Jim
> Stone
> *Sent:* Monday, November 8, 2021 8:18 AM
> *To:* Pat Horne <patintexas at icloud.com>
> *Cc:* Shop Talk <shop-talk at autox.team.net>
> *Subject:* Re: [Shop-talk] Ancient furnace with cracked manifold
>
> Thanks, Pat.  You are correct that a replacement is unavailable.  The
> furnace is just too old.  As for having it welded, I should add that my
> brother-in-law - who lives nearby and is an engineer with tons of local
> trade contacts - looked at it and concluded that trying to remove it for
> welding was not a good option.  Surprisingly, he did not tell her to
> replace the system immediately, which was surprising as he is someone who
> generally errs on the side of caution in matters like this.  It has been a
> while since he looked at it (they have owned if for a year but not lived in
> it do to other extensive renovations) but I will also call him to discuss
> it.
>
>
> On Nov 8, 2021, at 11:05 AM, Pat Horne <patintexas at icloud.com> wrote:
>
> Jim, you hit on most of what I was thinking. At a MINIMUM I’d add a second
> CO detector.
>
> I assume a replacement manifold is unavailable. You might take your photos
> around to some welders to get their opinions & prices.
>
> The cost of repairs or replacement are nowhere as dear as losing someone
> to a faulty furnace.
>
> Peace,
>
> Pat
> Pat Horne
> We support Habitat for Humanity
>
>
>
> On Nov 8, 2021, at 9:58 AM, Jim Stone <1789alpine at gmail.com> wrote:
> My daughter and her boyfriend have bought a turn of the century house
> with an ancient coal-fired furnace that was long ago converted to natural
> gas.  It works fine and they’d like to put off replacing it for as long as
> possible while they invest their money in other parts of the house.
> However, the furnace has a cast iron exhaust manifold that is cracked
> pretty badly and it scares the hell out of me.  Following are some
> screenshots from a video she sent me, starting with the overall exhaust.
>
> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.19.11 AM.png>
>
> You can see the top of the manifold in the lower right.  Here is a side
> view:
>
> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.12.34 AM.png>
>
> The orange goop was applied by a furnace tech they hired, who said he
> really shouldn’t have touched it at all but did what he could.l. However,
> here is a shot just below the goop:
>
> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.13.09 AM.png>
>
> And, a shot from the other side:
>
> <Screen Shot 2021-11-08 at 10.27.00 AM.png>
>
> As you can see - assuming the photos come through - the manifold is
> totally shot, although it feels solid and doesn’t appear to be in danger of
> falling off.  In theory, it could be removed and taken someplace that does
> cast iron welding, but I suspect that would be a royal pain and not
> guaranteed to succeed.  She has a CO2 detector in the basement, but I will
> be visiting her next week and want to try to do more.  “More” might be
> trying to convince them to bite the bullet and replace the system
> immediately, but I have also thought about treating it like an automotive
> exhaust system and trying to patch it to get them by for a season or two.
> What are the group's thoughts on something like JB Weld High Heat putty (
> https://www.amazon.com/J-B-Weld-8297-HighHeat-Degree/dp/B007PP26RI/ref=pd_bxgy_2/138-6104268-8394138?pd_rd_w=nQ3PU&pf_rd_p=c64372fa-c41c-422e-990d-9e034f73989b&pf_rd_r=2F076DNFFJBZ1G9PK3TY&pd_rd_r=623d1e00-f712-4380-897c-474fe9ee6337&pd_rd_wg=1YSqH&pd_rd_i=B007PP26RI&psc=1)
> and/or their high heat wrap (
> https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N582CBY/ref=emc_b_5_t)?
>
> Thanks,
> Jim (and Sara)
>
>
>
>
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