{"id":671,"date":"2021-02-01T11:00:56","date_gmt":"2021-02-01T16:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.awheatingandcooling.com\/blog\/?p=671"},"modified":"2021-01-29T14:32:05","modified_gmt":"2021-01-29T19:32:05","slug":"the-danger-of-a-cracked-furnace-heat-exchanger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.awheatingandcooling.com\/blog\/heating-service\/the-danger-of-a-cracked-furnace-heat-exchanger\/","title":{"rendered":"The Danger of a Cracked Furnace Heat Exchanger"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"furnace-jets\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It likely goes\nwithout saying for residents here in Maumee or one of the surrounding\ncommunities that it gets pretty dang cold in the winter! As such, you use your\nheater on a regular basis, counting on it to keep you comfortable as well as\nsafe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you have it professionally tuned-up before the winter season started? The good news is, that even if you answered \u201cno\u201d to this question the only time it\u2019s too late is if your heater completely broke down and is beyond repair. Skipping maintenance even one year can leave you with surprise repair needs that will cost a lot and could even be dangerous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One repair need to be especially aware of, if you have a gas-powered heater, is replacing a damaged heat exchanger (or replacing the whole system if the problem is severe enough). Look, gas-powered heaters on not inherently dangerous. But yours can absolutely become so if you neglect this vital component. Keep reading to learn more! <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Job of the Heat Exchanger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is the device that makes it possible for your furnace to actually provide heat to your home. The air traveling through your ventilation system via the blower fan travels over the heat exchangers first to pick up heat. The heat exchangers are filled with hot combustion gas once the burners come on, and their metal walls get very hot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Heat exchangers are essentially protecting your household\nfrom combustion gasses, as their metal walls are the only thing standing between <\/em>those combustion gasses and the\nair coming into your home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When everything is functioning as it should, once the\nheating cycle ends, the combustion byproducts inside the heat exchanger get\nvented out of the furnace through a flue that releases the gas harmlessly\noutside. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Heat Exchanger Gets Damaged<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your furnace heat exchangers expand and contract as they\nheat up and then cool down. This type of stress will cause strain on the heat\nexchangers until they eventually start to crack or corrode. Corrosion happens\ndue to the reaction between the combustion gas and the metal. This is typically\nonly a problem if the furnace system is not properly vented, but is not outside\nof the realm of possibility otherwise, especially with an aging system (10-15\nyears old). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These cracks we\u2019re talking about are barely noticeable to\nthe average human eye, because they are microscopic. However, when the heat\nexchangers are hot, they expand enough that these cracks will open and can let\nout combustion gas that could then enter your living space. The most harmful of\nthese gasses is carbon monoxide (CO). CO makes hundreds of Americans ill every\nyear, and even leads to fatalities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signs of a Cracked Heat Exchanger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So now you know why a cracked heat exchanger is bad, but do\nyou know how to tell if you have this problem? After all, we just said these\ncracks are microscopic. Here are some signs to watch out\/listen for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n