If you suspect your gas furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, you shouldn’t ignore the instinct. A damaged heat exchanger can be potentially hazardous to your family if not repaired at the right time. It will expose you to toxic gases like carbon monoxide.
Cracked heat exchangers and carbon monoxide poisoning are responsible for hundreds of fatalities in Canada To keep your family safe, you need to inspect and maintain your HVAC regularly. Thankfully, HVAC maintenance plans from Vese in Edmonton are affordable and reliable.
What exactly is a heat exchanger?
The heat exchanger in a gas furnace is the furnace component that actually heats the air. It is made up of a series of tubes or coils that loop through the airflow inside the furnace to heat the air. The coils’ shape is determined by the type or model of your furnace. Don’t ignore the possibility that your heat exchanger is cracked. In terms of home safety, a cracked heat exchanger is a major concern. If this component cracks, the gases that are being burned off, such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrous oxide, could leak into your home, causing illness or, in extreme cases, death.
Why Do Heat Exchangers Fail?
A dirty, clogged air filter is a common cause of heat exchanger failure. A clogged air filter restricts airflow through the furnace and causes overheating of the heat exchanger, resulting in stress cracks.
It is also critical that your furnace is properly sized for your home. Overheating and cracking of the heat exchanger can also result from an oversized furnace.
However, the most common cause of heat exchanger cracking is simply normal wear and tear. Metal heat exchangers undergo continuous expansion (as they heat up) and contraction (as it cools). This will simply cause the metal to fatigue and crack over time.
Manufacturers recommend maintenance yearly for furnaces older than 15 years. To help prolong the life of your furnace, schedule yearly inspections and change your air filters as often as manufacturers require.
A cracked heat exchanger poses a serious threat to the safety of your home. If there’s a crack in one of the cells of the heat exchanger, the gases being burned – carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide – could leak into your home, causing illness or, in extreme cases, death.
Which new furnace should I choose
Replace a furnace that has a cracked heat exchanger, with a new more efficient model that can help to offset volatile energy prices. Aside from the cost, modern furnaces pollute less and increase comfort by producing heat more steadily than older furnaces. The most common heating fuel is gas, so this report focuses on gas furnaces. Any work in your Edmonton home for furnace installation services backed by Canada’s best warranty, installation, and annual maintenance of natural gas, diesel boilers, and solid fuel boilers. When you choose Vese Heating & Cooling for your indoor comfort needs, you will receive the level of service you deserve. Contact us today to make an appointment with air quality experts.
