A heat exchanger crack is one of the biggest safety issues that your furnace can develop. The longer your system operates with a cracked heat exchanger, the worse the cracks will get. In order to help you avoid these safety issues, today we’re going to talk about how a heat exchanger develops cracks and what you can do to prevent or identify the problem before it’s too late!
How does a heat exchanger crack?
Your heat exchanger heats up and cools down every time that your furnace goes through a heating cycle. As this happens, the metal walls of the heat exchanger expand and contract. Although heat exchangers are designed to withstand this constant expanding and contracting, the metal walls can eventually start to develop cracks from repeated wear-and-tear (especially if your furnace is operating inefficiently).
Not only do heat exchanger cracks cause your furnace to run less efficiently, they also allow dangerous carbon monoxide gases to get into your home’s air supply.
How to prevent a heat exchanger crack
- Have your furnace tuned up every year. After a furnace tune-up from Hydes, your system will be clean and ready to run at its maximum performance and efficiency levels. This will reduce the risk of your furnace running inefficiently and overheating throughout the heating season, which will help prevent a heat exchanger crack. In addition, we’ll inspect your heat exchanger for cracks during your tune-ups so that you can be confident that your furnace isn’t posing a safety threat to your home.
- Keep your air filter clean. When your air filter is dirty, it restricts your heating system’s airflow. This reduces the amount of air that your heat exchanger is able to transfer heat to, which causes your heat exchanger to overheat and increases the likelihood of cracking. Check your air filter every month during this heating season to ensure that your air filter is clean and not hindering your system’s airflow.
- Work with a high-quality contractor for your furnace installation. If your furnace was not sized or installed correctly in the first place, the chances of your heat exchanger cracking prematurely will significantly increase. That’s why it’s always important to work with a high-quality contractor like Hydes who you can trust to correctly service and install your heating system.
If you have any questions about how to prevent a heat exchanger crack, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Coachella Valley heating and cooling contractor.
