How to Tell If You Have a Cracked Heat Exchanger
Even in the Valley of Sun, furnaces are needed to keep us warm during those chilly desert nights. Avoid an unplanned heating emergency by scheduling regular furnace maintenance. Having your furnace cleaned and inspected annually ensures it’s ready when needed.
A serious heating repair that’s often needed when regular furnace maintenance is neglected over the long term is a cracked heat exchanger. A heat exchanger heats the air that circulates throughout your home to keep you warm.
Operating your furnace with a damaged heat exchanger can not only cause more serious damage to your furnace, but it’s always dangerous for your health and safety. Toxic gasses like carbon monoxide can be released inside causing nausea, dizziness, loss of concentration and even death.
COMMON SIGNS OF A CRACKED HEAT EXCHANGER
- The presence of carbon monoxide (CO). CO has no smell, color or taste. A CO detector is necessary to know when it’s in your home environment. Every home needs a CO detector! If yours is beeping, turn off your furnace and call Shadrach Plumbing & Cooling immediately.
- Weird smells. A cracked heat exchanger often causes odd odors similar to formaldehyde or rotten eggs.
- Excessive dirt and soot around your furnace or in the burners indicates a problem that could be a cracked heat exchanger.
- Visible changes in the flame inside the furnace. Normally the flame is blue. If you need a heat exchanger repair, it’s typically orange or yellow.
- If you see any signs of corrosion or cracks, call Shadrach for heating service.
- Strange noises coming from your furnace such as, popping, cracking or banging usually signal a problem.
If you notice any of these indicators or other abnormal visible signs or sounds, don’t wait until your furnace completely shuts down. Shadrach Plumbing & Cooling has trained HVAC technicians ready to get your heat exchanger repaired.
For a suspected cracked heat exchanger or any heating repair, call Shadrach today.
