The Dangers Of Cracked Heat Exchangers | Comfort First

The Dangers of Cracked Heat Exchangers

2 Major Reasons To Get Your Furnace Serviced The Winter

It’s no secret that this winter has been a particularly harsh one for North Carolina. Early snowfall and plummeting temperatures are prompting many to crank up their thermostats a bit higher this year.

Make sure you’re prepared for Jack Frost’s annual visit and check that your furnace is functioning at its best. Cracks in your heat exchanger can lead to costly repairs, and dangerous—even deadly—consequences if not addressed right away!

  • Furnace Fires

If you do not receive routine maintenancechecks on your furnace, your home could be at risk of cracks forming in the heat exchanger. If a crack develops in your heat exchanger, a disproportionate amount of gas and air may mix and result in a furnace fire.

Uncombusted gas is supposed to build up in the heat exchanger to warm the inside and outside walls of the device, while cold air from your home is run along the outside of the newly heated walls. The warmed air is then circulated throughout your home via air ducts while the gases on the inside of the exchanger are sent outside of your home through a vent.

However, if there is a crack in your heat exchanger, these gases can escape into your home through the crack instead of being vented outside and away from your residence. If combustion gases are released into your home, they can easily start what is known as a furnace fire. These fires can be extremely dangerous and unpredictable, and repairing the damage from these fires can be extremely pricey; families spend over $4,500 on average recovering from a furnace fire.

  • Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is well known for being extremely dangerous and even deadly—and for good reason! Odorless, tasteless and colorless, CO cannot be detected by the naked eye.

The heated air that is circulated throughout your home should be free of carbon monoxide, as the heat exchanger is designed to vent combustion gases away from the home. However, if there is a crack in the device, CO could be released into your home.

Three conditions must be met in order for carbon monoxide poisoning to occur via your furnace:

  • Gas from inside your heat exchanger must improperly mix with the inside air.
  • There must be a crack in your heat exchanger that allows gas to escape into the home.
  • The motor that pulls air through the heat exchanger must be functioning improperly.

While it may seem unlikely for all three of these conditions to be met and CO to be released into your home, you’d be surprised by how easily it can happen. If you are unsure of your heat exchanger’s status or worried that it is cracked, call a professional right away to address this potentially dangerous and costly issue.

Keep your family safe this winter and schedule your annual furnace maintenance today. At Comfort First, we want to ensure that every North Carolina home we service is equipped with heating equipment they can count on. Feel free to call us with all your heating needs, even emergencies! 800-279-4822

ribbon
Schedule Service Today

Sidebar

Why Choose Us? Expect Excellence From Our Team
Blue animation of a trophy with a star on it
Over 50 Years of Experience
file-certificate-duotone
Comprehensive Guarantees
users-duotone
Trained, Certified & Licensed Team
hands-holding-dollar-duotone
Trustworthy Prices
shield-check-duotone
Quality Installation Procedures
house-heart-duotone
Genuine Care for Your Comfort
trophy-star-duotone
Over 50 Years of Experience
file-certificate-duotone
Comprehensive Guarantees
users-duotone
Trained, Certified & Licensed Team
hands-holding-dollar-duotone
Trustworthy Prices
shield-check-duotone
Quality Installation Procedures
house-heart-duotone
Genuine Care for Your Comfort
50+ years of experience ribbon with stars
Satisfied Customers
Total Reviews
4.6 Google Rating
Our Reviews

What Our Clients Are Saying

testimonial_image

Excellent all-around generator install experience; the initial call, the sales meeting, the installation guys, the communication, the pricing... everything was/is perfect, I will highly recommend and use Comfort First again without hesitation.

Wayne Braren

,

testimonial_image

Had these folks install a couple of whole home dehumidifiers for me. They were prompt, courteous, professional, and efficient. During the installation, several deficiencies were identified from the previous installers of the existing HVAC equipment and rather than step back or charge extra, they rolled up their sleeves and took care of the problems (that they…

William Dunford

,

testimonial_image

Absolutely AWESOME! These guys knew what they were doing, had a plan, and executed it. The customer’s satisfaction was always paramount to any issues that arose. It was evident that "Customer First" is an attitude that stretches from the great guys/gals on the install crews, to those in Admin, and those at the TOP. Absolutely would…

Albert Renaud

,

testimonial_image

Extremely efficient and professional. Took the time to walk me through the process and to answer questions. I would highly recommend Comfort First Heating and Cooling.

Betty Lovelace

,

testimonial_image

What a great experience. Each and everyone that we had come out to our home from AJ who helped us pick out the system that was best for our home to the installers the spent almost a whole day at our home putting the system in were professional and courteous! We will definitely refer anyone we…

Freddie Stuart

,

Affiliations & Awards