Your furnace is critical to keeping your family warm through the winter, but it may run into problems at some point. Your heat exchanger is a vital component of your furnace, though it can turn into a nightmare if it cracks and you don’t realize it.
Getting furnace repair in Hamilton helps you protect your family from carbon monoxide and other gasses that can leak out of your furnace. Let’s talk about how to spot a cracked heat exchanger and how you can proceed from there.
Strange Odors Coming From Your Furnace
A cracked heat exchanger can cause strange odors in your home. When you turn on your furnace, you may notice a strong smell of burning or a musty odor. These odors could be due to the accumulation of dust or other debris on the heat exchanger. However, they could also indicate that your heat exchanger has developed cracks.
Your Carbon Monoxide Detector Is Going Nuts
A carbon monoxide detector is an essential safety device that alerts you when there is a dangerous level of carbon monoxide in your home. If your carbon monoxide detector goes off, it could be a sign that your heat exchanger has developed cracks. You should evacuate your home immediately and call a professional to inspect your heating system.
Yellow Flame Instead of Blue
When your furnace is functioning correctly, the flame should be blue. A yellow flame is a sign that your furnace is not burning fuel correctly, and it could be due to a cracked heat exchanger. A yellow flame indicates that there is an excess of carbon monoxide in the combustion process.
Soot Around Your Furnace
This one is the most visual indicator you’ll have, because it stands out enough that you should notice it even in passing. Soot shouldn’t be around the furnace inside of your home. It’s a sign that the entire combustion process has something wrong with it. Don’t attempt to clean it up or anything along those lines—your HVAC technician will need to see this, too.
What Do You Do Now?
If you suspect that your heat exchanger has cracks or you notice any of these problems, contact an HVAC technician as soon as possible. This isn’t something to delay in any way, shape, or form. A professional will be able to inspect your furnace and see what the problem is.
Cracked heat exchangers can be repaired, though replacement is a likely outcome. You don’t have to replace the entire furnace, but you definitely don’t want to mess around with a cracked heat exchanger.
Cracked Heat Exchangers Are a Big Deal
There are still hundreds of annual fatalities reported as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning. Your family’s safety is important to you, and it’s important to us–contact us today to have us deal with your cracked heat exchanger as soon as possible to remove safety concerns from your home and keep your furnace running.
Contact Bartels Heating & Cooling today to schedule your furnace repair as soon as possible.