If you have a furnace in your home that's more than a few years old, you need to have a trained and certified professional inspect it and provide you with an overall assessment of your heat exchanger and burners. You and your family's lives may depend on it! If a crack or pinhole in the heat exchanger is found by a technician, they will then inform you of this find and advise you on how to proceed.
Cracked heat exchangers produce the odorless gas Carbon Monoxide, the silent killer. Carbon Monoxide has no smell, color, or taste and can only be detected by CO detectors and specialized equipment. There is only really two possible options after a crack is found, 1) replace the heat exchanger, or 2) replace the entire furnace. Depending on how old the furnace is will determine the wisest path to take. Most major brands of furnaces now offer 10 - 20 year heat exchanger warranties, in which case you should only be charged labor by the company you use to replace it. At Environmental, we always work with the customer to figure out the most sensible option based on the age of the unit and your financial situation.
Remember, a cracked heat exchanger and/or deteriorating burners are a recipe for disaster! Carbon Monoxide is very dangerous and at the very least you should have one CO detector present for every floor of your home. Signing up for a Preventative Maintenance Plan will catch these dangers early and can also prevent them from happening in the first place, thus extending the life of your system. Just give us a call and we would be glad to answer your questions and get you signed up today!
-Nickadeemus
www.enviro-nc.com
919-535-8422
