My Heating Repair Contractor Told Me I Have a Failed Heat Exchanger in my Home Furnace. What Does That Mean?

Heating repair and maintenance is a part of home ownership. The smart homeowner has a professional heating and air conditioning contractor do a full yearly maintenance on their heating and air conditioning equipment. The reasons you want to do this are many but early detection of a failed heat exchanger in your home furnace might just be the #1 reason.

A failed heat exchanger, sometimes referred to as a cracked heat exchanger, is a very dangerous situation for you and your family. Let me explain what this means exactly and why you want to catch it early.

The most common furnace is a forced-air central heating system that uses a natural gas burner to heat air. Cool air is drawn into the system, moved into a heat exchanger where it is warmed by the gas burner and then circulated by a blower or fan through the home's ductwork.

The combustion of natural gas produces byproducts of water vapor and carbon dioxide, which are the same elements exhaled when people breathe. Carbon monoxide, a known killer if levels get to high, can result from a malfunctioning home furnace. Normally all these "flue gases" are kept separate from the air that is circulated in your home by the heat exchanger and these gases must be vented to the outdoors.

Now picture a failed heat exchanger such as one with a crack in it which allows these flue gases to seep into the air being circulated in your home.

This is a very dangerous situation and all Certified Technicians are required to Red Tag any furnace that has a proven failed heat exchanger and disable the furnace until repaired or replaced.

Today, Certified Technicians use hi-tech equipment to protect you from a failed heat exchanger and NOT a flashlight and a mirror. Your home heating Technician should be using an infrared camera to check your heat exchanger. An infrared camera will detect any cracks and potential weak spots for your protection. Beware if your HVAC contractor is still using a flashlight and a mirror for these checks.

My wife and I live in Boulder, Colorado and this area is known for its cold and snowy winters and we always do a full inspection each year before the winter arrives to make sure our furnace is working safely.

You can obtain your Free Furnace Buyers Guide by visiting www.Boulder-Heating-and-Air.com. This free Guide will answer the top 10 Frequently Asked Questions concerning repair and replacement of your home heating furnace and the top 10 question your SHOULD ask because you want to be fully informed before making this buying decision. Stay safe this winter by reading our Furnace Buyers Guide now.