"I have had heating and air companies tell me in the past that I have a crack in my heat exchanger. I cannot see the cracks but assumed that you need magnification to see them. Is there a way to tell if this is true or if they are just trying to scam?"

There are a couple of things that should have been done there. If it is a very small hairline crack, you are probably not going to see it unless you have a heat exchanger camera and you go in there with a light and find it.

Different heat exchangers from different makers are more prone to fail in certain spots than others so it is important that you have that information also. A picture can be taken with these cameras or like with our devices they have a screen that the home owner can watch while the technician performs the test. This can and should be done so that you can be confident in the work that is being done and so that you can see what is they are finding.If they do find a crack in the heat exchanger, it should be disabled immediately because of the carbon monoxide risk. We disable all of ours when we come across this because it is a safety hazard. We do this because the risk of CO coming into your house is not worth the risk of not turning it off. We turn it off, turn off the gas, put a sticker on it, that way if a company comes behind us they will know that we a have found a cracked heat exchanger.

Now I have had these phone calls before where companies will come behind us and say they can’t find any leak. So I, on this occasion, asked the technician and he said to me, “did they take the top off the unit?” and they guy said no and so our tech told him that if he took the top off he would find the area that has the crack and it has a marker around it.

So if you are going to get a second opinion make sure you have someone that is qualified and knows what they are doing. This is nothing to play with. So you want to make absolutely sure that there is no crack or any damage before you turn that gas back on.

Your friend in comfort and energy savings,

Derek Cole

5 Ways to Warm Up on Cold Nights
There's nothing quite like a cold night to make you appreciate the warmth of your bed. But if you're someone who gets chilly easily, those cold nights can also be pretty miserable. If you're looking for ways to stay warm this winter, look no further! Here are five tips to help you stay cozy all season long.
Wear layers: This one's a no-brainer. When the temperature starts to drop, put on an extra layer (or two...or three). You can always take layers off if you get too warm, but it's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. And when it comes to choosing your fabrics, stick with natural fibers like wool and cotton. They'll trap heat better than synthetic materials.
Close the blinds: Believe it or not, up to 30% of heat loss in a home occurs through the windows. So on cold nights, close your blinds or curtains to help keep the heat in. Just be sure to open them up during the day to take advantage of any solar gain.
Cook dinner: Cooking dinner can actually help heat up your home—plus, you'll have a delicious meal to enjoy when you're done! So go ahead and crank up that oven or stovetop and get cooking. Just be sure to open a window if you start to feel too warm.
Do some laundry: Running your dryer for even just 20 minutes can add some much-needed warmth to your home on a cold night. So go ahead and throw in a load (or two) of laundry before you go to bed—just be sure not set it on "high" or you'll risk overheating your home.
Sleep with extra blankets: This one's pretty self-explanatory. On especially cold nights, sleep with an extra blanket (or two...or three). And if you really want to stay warm, invest in a good down comforter—they're well worth the price tag!
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Derek Cole is the General Manager of Simmons One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®, an independently owned and operated franchise based in Laurinburg, North Carolina since 1953. He has been in the HVAC industry since 2001 and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise Player Spotlight. Derek has also been seen on CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, and Bloomberg Business sharing about home comfort tips. Find Derek here: Text him: 910-463-5811 Simmons One Hour Heating & Air: https://www.simmonsonehour.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/derekmcole Twitter: http://twitter.com/derekmcole Instagram: http://instagram.com/derekmcole Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-cole-2634322b/ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/derekmcole Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/derek-cole/id1260964387

Derek Cole is the General Manager of Simmons One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning®, an independently owned and operated franchise based in Laurinburg, North Carolina since 1953. He has been in the HVAC industry since 2001 and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine Franchise Player Spotlight. Derek has also been seen on CBS, FOX, NBC, ABC, and Bloomberg Business sharing about home comfort tips. Find Derek here: Text him: 910-463-5811 Simmons One Hour Heating & Air: https://www.simmonsonehour.com Facebook: http://facebook.com/derekmcole Twitter: http://twitter.com/derekmcole Instagram: http://instagram.com/derekmcole Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derek-cole-2634322b/ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/derekmcole