Why Does a Heat Exchanger Crack?
Generally, heat exchanger cracks because of its age. However, there could be other reasons behind this problem. One of them is “bad furnace management”. In an average winter, a furnace is turned on and turned off about 3000-4000 times. From this, we can estimate the usage of heat furnace in winter, and if the heat furnace is not taken care of well, the furnace will crack. You’ll need to clean and check your heat furnace’s health regularly, and you shouldn’t neglect this.
Why You Should Bother about the Crack in the Heat Exchanger?
A crack in the heat furnace will prevent the heat furnace from working and produce heat. Again, when your heat furnace is cracked, you’ll never want to run it because of the production of CO (Carbon Monoxide) and other toxic gases like Nitrous Oxide. There is also a chance that your home will be in a vulnerable state because of the presence of hazardous elements, and that will lead your house to fire. So, here is how you can know if your heat exchanger is cracked or not.
How to Know Whether Your Heat Exchanger is Cracked or Not
1. Cracks on Components of the Furnace
If you have noticed wear and tears in the external part of the heat furnace, chances are internal parts of the furnace are also stated to tear. In a heat furnace, stress cracks are very common, and it happens because of the contraction of components of the furnace during heat production. Besides, furnace components can be corroded because of the exposure to fumes, which emits chloride and moisture.
2. Bad Smell
When a heat exchanger is cracked, it creates a bad odor, and that is similar to formaldehyde. The strong smell will give you headaches and other unpleasant symptoms. So, if you smell anything similar to formaldehyde, you should assume that your heat exchanger is cracked, and you should call an HVAC professional.
3. Water on the Floor
One day while walking at your house, if you notice that there is water on the floor. You should not make the mistake of thinking that there is an issue with the condenser of your heat exchanger. There is a high possibility that there is an issue in the heat exchanger itself. When you are in this dilemma, you should call an HVAC professional to check whether there is a problem in the condenser or heat exchanger.
4. Physical Symptoms
If any of your family member is having headaches and flu-like symptoms, there’s a chance your heat exchanger is cracked. You may also face sleepiness, nose and ear irritations, nausea, disorientation, etc. You’ll have to ensure that your CO or Carbon Monoxide sensor is working perfectly. Make sure to call an HVAC professional to check the problem you are facing because exposure to these kinds of gases and toxic elements can cause you harm. So, here are the things you can do when your heat exchanger is cracked.
Things to Do When Your Heat Exchanger is Cracked
Once you have noticed the symptoms of a cracked heat exchanger, it’s time for action. You can do two things; one is to entirely change the heat furnace system or change few parts of the furnace. Replacing the parts of the heat exchanger sometimes are very costly, depending on the system. So, it is better to replace the entire furnace, and it is the better and economical option between these two. But if your furnace is over 5 years, you should replace your furnace or heat exchanger anyway. Remember, there are many advantages of replacing an old furnace – like cost-efficiency, energy efficiency, etc.
See the summary of this article here in this infographic – How to Know If Your Heat Exchanger Is Cracked Or Not [Infographic]
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