Bartlett Heating and Air Talks About Cracked Heat Exchangers

Your heat exchanger is an important part of your furnace. The heat exchanger allows heat from a fluid to pass to another liquid without the two fluids ever touching or mixing. It is a metal chamber with a passageway that heats the air as it is blown over the heat exchanger. There are burning gasses inside the heat exchanger that heat the metal that in turn heats the air as it blows over. These gasses are harmful to us if they are breathed in. The heat exchanger is sealed air and gas tight. One of the gasses produced by the heat exchanger is carbon monoxide which is called the silent killer. You can’t see, taste, or smell this gas so you will have to have it detected by a carbon monoxide detector or test from an HVAC technician. Heat exchangers fail eventually because they are made of metal which expands when hot and contracts when it is cooled. This puts strain on the metal causing it to eventually crack. Overheating due to lack of air flow also causes the strain needed to crack the heat exchangers. Dirty filters are one of the prime causes of restricted air flow so make sure you change yours every month! You can also get a furnace to overheat by having one that is too big for the home you live in. When Bartlett Heating and Air comes out for your annual furnace inspection, the first thing we do is inspect the heat exchanger for cracks and leaks on top of testing for carbon monoxide too. Cracks and holes are seen visibly to the naked eye. Cracked heat exchangers need to be dealt with right away. They cannot be repaired, only replaced. The cost to replace a heat exchanger is typically high and you are better off replacing the whole furnace which ends up being the cheaper option most of the time. Bartlett Heating and Air recommends getting your furnace tuned up each fall to check for issues. We also give free installation quotes so call us today for all your heating needs!