A heat exchanger is necessary to provide either heating and cooling in any HVAC system. Operating a home comfort system with a cracked heat exchanger can lead to serious, and even fatal problems, such as carbon monoxide poisoning.
Signs You Have a Cracked Heat Exchanger:
- If you detect a strong, unusual smell coming from your heating system, it could be a sign of a cracked heat exchanger. The smell is usually caused by a mix of fuel gasses leaking out from the exchanger and being burnt in the furnace.
- If the flame in your furnace or boiler is yellow instead of blue, this could also be a sign. This is because the crack can cause fuel gasses to mix with the air and cause incomplete combustion, leading to the next indicator.
- Incomplete combustion is another symptom of a cracked exchanger, which typically causes the buildup of excess soot and may cause the heating unit to emit unusual popping or banging sounds.
- If your carbon monoxide detector goes off, this could mean there is an issue with the heat exchanger. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a dangerous gas that can have several different causes. Operating your heating system when the heat exchanger is cracked increases the presence of CO inside your home. CO can cause nausea, headaches, fatigue and ultimately, death.
If you suspect that your heat exchanger is cracked, it is important to turn off your heating system and call Fetch-a-Tech Plumbing, Heating & Air for a thorough inspection.
Our professionally trained technicians can identify the issue and provide you with the necessary repairs or replacement to ensure your safety and the proper functioning of your heating system.
For all your heating system repairs or a new furnace installation, contact Fetch-a-Tech today.
