Gas-powered furnaces offer heating power that is almost unmatched for residential comfort, and that makes them especially appealing in Colorado and our often tough, dry winters. Although gas furnaces have a reputation as potentially hazardous, this is mostly unwarranted: contemporary gas furnaces are designed with numerous safety precautions, and if your furnace receives routine annual maintenance from a professional technician, you should have few worries. (We recommend you set up carbon monoxide detectors in your house as a precaution, which is a service we can provide.)
One area of safety concern when it comes to gas furnaces is cracks developing along the heat exchangers. Should this occurs, it calls for immediate professional repair work to replace the exchanger. Call Bell Plumbing and Heating for your needs for heating repair in Denver, CO, such as a cracked heat exchanger.
A heat exchanger is a metal chamber shaped liked a clam. The exchanger’s role in a gas furnace is to collect the hot combustion gas from the burner and transfer the heat to its metal walls, where it then transfers to the current of air form the blower. This keeps fumes from the combustion gas away from the air that moves into the ventilation system. Once the combustion gas cools down, it vents out of the heat exchanger and safely up the exhaust flue and out of the house.
Although gas furnaces do not use water, corrosion and rust can start in an aging furnace because of the natural reaction between metal and the combustion gas. When corrosion starts on a furnace, it is usually a sign that the furnace has aged past its usefulness and should be replaced.
But corrosion can start even on a newer furnace if there is a problem with proper exhaust venting. If corrosion begins on the exchanger, the weakening across the metal and the force of the exchanger expanding as it heats up will create cracks.
A cracked heat exchanger will begin to leak combustion gas into the furnace cabinet. Although these cracks may appear tiny, they will start to gape wide as the exchanger expands during the intense heat of the heating cycle.
Leaking carbon monoxide is a serious danger, both from the explosive hazard and from its high toxicity. If you hear a clicking sound from your furnace right after the blower fan turns off, you may have a cracked heat exchanger. If your carbon monoxide detector goes off, exit the house and call for help, as the source could also be a cracked heat exchanger. Any signs of corrosion on the furnace should also prompt a call to heating professionals. The professional technicians will replace the heat exchanger if they discover it is cracked.
Bell Plumbing and Heating has your family’s protection and comfort as our number one priority. We have helped heat homes safely since 1926, and we offer 24-hour emergency service.
We’re ready to answer your questions or schedule your appointment, call now or book online!
