ohmy
@sas.com
| Plastic was sucked into the furnace return
I was changing the furnace return filter and the plastic wrapper from the new filter got sucked into the return (I know, I should've turned the fan off before changing the filter...but until now I never really understood why :-(
Even though it's pretty chilly outside, we turned off the heat for now because you could smell the plastic.
Any advice on this?? Do we need to put in a service call? Or will it be okay? |
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nightdesigns
Gone missing, back soon
Premium
join:2002-05-31
AZ
 ·Cox HSI
| I'm guessing a service call is in order. It has probably melted itself onto the heat transfer tubes. You might be able to do it yourself by popping the side of the unit of and scraping off any melted plastic.
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This Space for Rent... |
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ohmy
@sas.com | It's 33 degress outside, but I take it we should leave the heat off until we can get someone to look at (or my husband tries to repair it), right? |
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB
 ·TELUS
1 edit | Yeah leave it off. The melting plastic will give off toxic fumes, you don't want to be breathing that!
Looks like the heat exchanger will have to be pulled out and melted plastic scraped off.
That's some really bad luck though. Most of the time plastic would just get caught up in the blower wheel and not make it into the exchanger, but if you're smelling plastic I'd say it did make it past the blower. |
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ohmy
@sas.com | Thanks so much!
Happy Thanksgiving! |
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB
1 edit | said by ohmy :
Happy Thanksgiving!
Not thanksgiving for us, but happy thanksgiving to you! |
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SandShark
So it goes
Premium,MVM
join:2000-05-23
Santa Fe, TX
clubs:
1 edit | reply to ohmy
If you can access the blower compartment (with the unit off), see if you can see if the plastic is caught in the blower. It's hard for me to believe the plastic made it past the blower. |
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TODarling
U.S. Army Retired
Premium
join:2004-11-27
Fort Smith, AR
| said by SandShark  :If you can access the blower compartment (with the unit off), see if you can see if the plastic is caught in the blower. It's hard for me to believe the plastic made it past the blower. It depends on how is air handler is made. Mine goes thruogh the filter past the heating and cooling units and then the blower.
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Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.
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tp0d
yabbazooie
Premium
join:2001-02-13
Carnegie, PA
clubs:
 ·Verizon FIOS
| Yea hard to believe it made it past the blower. Unless it was in little pieces
Its possible the plastic stopped over top the motor itself and the heat melted the plastic. If that is the case, the motor could be heat damaged ($$$)
Either way, definetly dont run that thing, theres not only the risk of breathing plastic fumes, but the blower could overheat and catch on fire, destroying the furnace, and possibly more.
Expensive lesson methinks..
-j |
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dolphins
Miami Dolphins
Premium
join:2001-08-22
Westville, NJ
·Comcast
| reply to ohmy
Had a similar incident some years ago when mom bought some high efficiency filters. They were supposed to stop a higher percentage of allergens.
It did it's job so well that it stopped the airflow altogether and was sucked into the blower. I spent an hour or so pulling chicken wire and the rest of filter from the blower with needle nose pliers. After I left mom called PSE&G to give it the once over since she was covered under their maintenance plan. As it turns out no damage was done.
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Prevent Malware |
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TheMG
join:2007-09-04
Edmonton, AB
·TELUS
| reply to tp0d
said by tp0d :Its possible the plastic stopped over top the motor itself and the heat melted the plastic. If that is the case, the motor could be heat damaged ($$$) Either way, definetly dont run that thing, theres not only the risk of breathing plastic fumes, but the blower could overheat and catch on fire, destroying the furnace, and possibly more. All of the blower motors I've seen had built-in thermal protection that opens the circuit should the windings get too hot. Yeah, running it like that with the thermal protection tripping all the time certainly can't be good for the motor in the long run, but you'd be hard pressed to cause a motor to self destruct or even catch fire.
Think about it - if the motors didn't have thermal protection what would happen when the start/run capacitor fails (very common problem)? |
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