rollout switch on furnace won't reset?

carbon monoxide detector reads 7 image

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i've had lots of problems with my furnace in the past two months. I've had 7 technician visits. Number six, after being here for the third time, told me it was my heat exchanger before he even got the furnace open. Of course the heat exchanger is not covered under the insurance plan. $600 fix. He said the rings in the bottom of the furnace mean its the heat exchanger, the thing is, the heat exchanger was already replaced once, and the rings were not removed at that time. This same chap on visit number five said it was the gas valve, and replaced that. After he left, the furnace quit within 15 minutes. We went down to the furnace to find a hose off that he hadn't connected going from the valve to the burner box. We hooked up the hose, and the furnace worked fine for approximately three weeks. Then the roll out switch started tripping. For two days, every 45 minutes we had to reset the rollout switch. On the second night, we turned the furnace down three degrees to go to bed, and it worked fine all night long. When we turned it back up the next day the rollout switch was tripping every 20 minutes. That's when the technician came, and i described the problem to him, and he took everything out of the furnace, with the exception of the heat exchanger, and told me its the heat exchanger, based on these rings. Suffice it to say, i didn't believe him, and wanted a second opinion. The tech put the furnace back together, and left. I turned the unit back on, and low and behold it worked fine for three days. Then this rollout switch problem starts again, but this time, i can't reset it. It won't reset at all. I've cut the power to it but nothing works. I have another tech come out here, and he opens it up, and gets the rollout switch working, but doesn't replace it, looks over the furnace and says he doesn't think its the heat exchanger, that it looks fine. Proceeds to tell me that he's going to call the first guy, comes back 10 minutes later, and says now he thinks its the heat exchanger. However, he takes his carbon monoxide detector with an 18" probe and sticks it in the furnace, with the furnace running, about six inches above the heat exchanger, and the tester comes out with a 0 ppm reading. He then says he has to check the vent outside. He comes back in, with the alarm bells ringing on the tester, and lights going and tells me its off the charts, and that he could smell it when he went out there, so its definately the heat exchanger. Well here's my problems: 1. you can't smell carbon monoxide, 2. how come it wasn't the heat exchanger before he gets on the phone, and now its the heat exchanger 3. how come you can get a 0 ppm reading six inches from the heat exchanger, but an off the chart reading of 900+ ppm on the vent outside (besides the fact that isn't this where its supposed to be venting - outside). The company has now condemned my furnace and notified the utility that the furnace is condemned. I still don't believe that its the heat exchanger, but more likely that they are covering each other's butts. Problem is, they didn't replace the manual rollout switch, and i don't have the jumper thing he used to reset it, so even though i turned the furnace back on when he left, and it was working fine for half an hour, the rollout switch eventually went out, and won't reset. And because they have notified the utility, I am now forced into either replacing the heat exchanger $600 or get a new furnace $2000+. Not sure exactly what i'm looking for, but does anyone have any suggestions?

Answer
I would have this company remove the heat exchanger and visually prove to me that it is cracked. If it has been replaced once already then it may be a different problem causing this. You are right by saying the meter should have a high reading in your vent pipe. The furnace may just need servicing and cleaned properly. If they show you a definite crack or hole in your heat exchanger then it is true. If they cant prove it then it probably isnt there. Your roll out shouldnt be by-passed for your safety

Sources of carbon monoxide in the home?

no

I moved into a new home a little over a year ago and have been having on going problems with mild/ moderate levels of Carbon monoxide in my home. I have severl CO detecters in my home, one as part of the smoke detector system and then several wall mounts. the alarm will sound when the level reaches 50 and it goes off when I have closed the windows for a length of time. This is about once every few months. The wall mount detector has a window to register peak levels and it ussually reads 10 -27. it does not alarm until it hits 30 though. I know that those are low levels but still worrisome. and need to find the source. soon after moving in we had significant levels of co in the house and required medical care. At that time I had someone go through the house, test it, and make repairs. The problem is still there though. My home has a wood burning stove which is hardly ever used, a propane gas oven and range, and for heat and hot water we use heating fuel to run a boiler. I do live in a eemote area with limited support services. Question: what are the sources of CO and how do I check for it? Any advice on how to deal with a home with low levels of CO in it. I can not leave the windows open 24/7 and that is what I am having to do now. Should we see a physician again and if so what tests should we request?
I am in northern Alaska so my house is very weatherized. Maybe to well it seems.

i was not able to get a tif detector but am using the wall co monitior to test around the house. it has a backup battery with ac plug. will it take readings with just the battery? also do you know how to rest the peak level on the Kidee wall mount CO detector?

Thanks all for the help and ideas

Answer
If everything is vented or working properly your co readings should be zero. Long term effects will cause fatigue, headaches, and a number of other ailments. Sources of co could be many or few depending on the home and appliances. Pilot lights on older gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters and dryers if not vented properly or are malfunctioning causing a larger than average flame can emit a substantial amount of co. Newer appliances often have electronic ignitiers with no pilot lights. Gas grills, running cars, lawn mowers, weed eaters, chain saws, anything that runs on a fuel can cause co. Maybe you can borrow a hydrocabon detector (Tif) from a heating contractor. A Tif detector will detect ppm levels of hydrocarbons (meaning leaking propane or natural gas) in addition to Carbon Monoxide. You would wave it around appliances, pipes, regulators, tanks, etc and it will detect and help you pinpoint problem areas. A new Tif detector is around $200. Maybe you could find one on ebay inexpensively. Maybe by placing co detectors near each possible problem appliance you could zero in on the source or sources of the CO. I wish you much luck.

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