Furnace Repair – How Safe?

How Safe is My Furnace?

Furnaces are comprised of many pieces. One of the most important pieces in your furnace is the heat exchanger. It’s responsible for supplying your home with warm air. Every time you turn your furnace on, the heat exchanger becomes red hot and expands. Over its lifetime, it expands and contracts thousands of times.

Heat exchangers expand and contract so many times that eventually they can crack. Also, condensation exhaust from the furnace may collect, causing severe rusting and holes in your heat exchanger over time. If these cracks or holes form, this means that carbon monoxide could potentially leak into your living areas. Carbon Monoxide is a poisonous gas often referred to as a silent killer, and for good reason. It’s odorless and tasteless. When it’s released into the air, homeowners often can’t tell. Thousands of people across the country become sick from carbon monoxide each year, and tragically, hundreds will die from it.

Did you know?

• That the initial symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning are similar to the flu (but without the fever)?
• When people in a Kentucky emergency room with flu-like symptoms received a blood-test as part of a random study, the test revealed that 23.6% of them were actually suffering from CO (Carbon Monoxide) poisoning
• Carbon Monoxide poisoning led to approximately 15,200 emergency room visits each year from 1999 – 2003. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Study August 2008
• 64 Georgia carbon monoxide poisoning deaths in 2005-2007 Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) publication
• Both the CDC study and the DHR publication cited the proper installation and maintenance of home heating systems as one of the ways to reduce safety risks associated with exposure to carbon monoxide
• Store-bought carbon monoxide alarms (all UL-Approved) will not protect you from low-level carbon monoxide poisoning because their sensors are not designed to alarm until you have been exposed to CO (Carbon Monoxide) at a level of 070 parts per million (ppm) or above for up to 3.5 hours.

The answer to “How Safe is Your Furnace?” starts with a Furnace Safety Check-Up.

Burning gas for heating poses several safety risks including exposure to Carbon Monoxide. Add the risk of fire or escaping gas, and it becomes absolutely vital that you have your furnace repaired or system checked for safety risks by an experienced and licensed heating professional.

A comprehensive Check-Up must include:

• Analysis for the presence of carbon monoxide and combustible gas
• Checking for sufficient combustion air
• Inspection of the heat exchanger for possible cracks or other defects
• Cleaning of the main burners, heat exchanger, blower and pilot assembly
• Verification all safety limit features are operable
• Inspection of flue piping
• Inspection of all electrical wiring and switches
• Inspection of cooling coil for proper drainage
• Verification of proper thermostat operation and temperature rise
• Written report detailing any safety or efficiency issues

If you aren’t sure if your gas or electric furnace is working properly for the coming Winter season, then let Ace Pro Heating and Air come and do an annual safety check of your existing system.  If it’s functioning the way that it was made to then great, there is nothing to worry about for the upcoming holiday season. If you don’t, you might be exposing yourself and loved ones to the “silent killer”.  So, please call and set up your appointment for furnace repair. As always, stay safe and warm!!