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Do You Have a Cracked Heat Exchanger?

Technician inspecting and working on a furnace.

There’s a big difference between your heat exchanger cracking and having it completely fail. You may still have heat, but a cracked heat exchanger points to problems that require repair and can’t be left waiting.

Your family’s safety could be compromised depending on whether or not your heat exchanger is cracked. Here’s where you find out if you need the furnace service in Ashland, KY residents turn to time and time again to keep their heaters in great condition.

Is Your Carbon Monoxide Detector Beeping?

The most obvious sign of a cracked heat exchanger is if your carbon monoxide detector is going off. These detectors can become a nuisance for many homeowners, and some even ignore these alarms altogether. If it’s beeping and you know the batteries are still good, it may mean that you need to have a technician inspect your heat exchanger and see if there’s a crack.

If there isn’t, double-check your carbon monoxide detector to see if it just needs the battery swapped out. If it goes off again and neither of these explanations fit the cause, you may even need a new detector.

Wondering If There is a Crack In Your Heat Exchanger?

Cracked heat exchangers aren’t that simple to diagnose just by looking at them. Cracks can be in places that aren’t immediately visible, or they can be so small that you don’t notice them in the first place. One of your first signs of a cracked heat exchanger is hearing a low-level hissing sound or smelling rotten eggs near your furnace.

If there are visible splits or gashes in the metal, your heater is leaking carbon monoxide into your home. Contact a professional who can get the issue fixed after the heater is shut down. Do not inspect it further and put yourself at risk; professionals have the necessary gear and know-how to keep themselves and you safe.

Heat exchangers can’t simply be patched over. A technician will have to shut down your heater, disassemble it, and replace the exchanger entirely. Any cracks spotted are the result of corrosion over time. Even if a patch were possible, there’s no telling when another issue would present itself.

The Dangers of a Cracked Heat Exchanger

Your heater burns natural gas as a fuel which creates combustion gasses, including carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide, which heat up the heat exchanger and are then expelled outside of your home. A severely cracked exchanger can allow these to leak into your home, resulting in flu-like symptoms, sickness, and even death. You do not want to waste time when it comes to dealing with a cracked heat exchanger.

If you notice smells such as sulfur or rotten eggs, hissing noises, or those symptoms we mentioned like nausea, fatigue, or dizziness, it may mean that there is gas leaking into your home.

Turn Off Your Furnace and Call a Professional

If your heat exchanger is cracked, it’s imperative that you turn off your furnace to mitigate any potential hazards to yourself and your family. Carbon monoxide is a silent killer. Once your furnace is off, and you follow any necessary emergency procedures, you need to contact a professional for repair. You should also schedule annual maintenance in the future to ensure your heat exchanger doesn’t face the same fate twice.

Contact Air Supreme Heating and Air Conditioning today for service to fix your heat exchanger now. Don’t run the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in your home.

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