A cracked heat exchanger is one of the worst things that can happen to your home’s furnace. If this issue occurs in your home, then you’re going to need to contact a heating professional as soon as possible. Gas furnaces are from inherently dangerous systems, but they can be if you’re not properly taken care of.
We’re going to get into what a cracked heat exchanger is and the potential hazard it can be in your home if it cracks. We want your gas-powered appliances to work well this season. We specialize in heating in Boston, MA so you can turn to us when something goes wrong with your heating system.
Your Heat Exchanger: What It Is and What It Does
Your home’s heat exchanger is the part of the heater that’s responsible for heating up the air that moves through your home’s heater. It works a little like this: your furnace turns on, the combustion progress begins, hot gas is generated, and the gas is collected inside the heat exchanger to keep your heater safe.
If you were to actually open up your heat exchanger and look at it, you’d notice that it looks like a clam-shell. This is an important part of your system that needs quality service.
After the air is properly heated up, the blower of your home’s furnace is responsible for moving the warm air throughout your home. Your air picks up heat from the furnace wall and moves it into your home’s living space. This means that you can get the warmth you’re looking for without ever having your home’s heated air make direct contact with combustion gases.
All in all, the heat exchanger is responsible for ensuring that your home is never in danger due to carbon monoxide poisoning. As long as you have a working heat exchanger, you can have gas harmlessly exit your home.
What Happens If It Cracks?
Your heat exchanger is like any other part of your home. This means that it might wear down a little over time. Your heat exchanger does hard work and the metal contracts and expands due to the extreme temperature changes. This means that it can get worn down and eventually crack over time. The combustion gases create a reaction that corrodes and weakens the metal throughout the system’s lifespan.
The problem with your heat exchanger cracking is that it puts your personal health in direct danger. This is because that carbon monoxide that collects in their part of your furnace leaks out and begins to plague your home and personal health.
How To Tell If You Got a Crack
So how can you tell if you have a crack in your furnace’s heat exchanger? Here are some of the warning signs to know:
- Ineffective heating
- High heating bills
- Side effects of carbon monoxide poisoning (nausea, dizziness, feeling faint, etc.)
- A carbon monoxide detector that constantly goes off
Don’t ignore these signs of a crack. Contact our professionals to get the issue identified and fixed.
Give us a call to find out how we can meet your unique heating and cooling needs!
