Most homes in the area rely on forced-air furnaces for heat. They’re inexpensive and effective, which makes them an excellent fit for our short winters and comparatively mild heating needs. But they run into problems just like any other appliance, especially now, at the end of winter, when they’ve been running on a regular basis and are likely subjected to the pressures of wear and tear. Older furnaces, in particular, need to be watched carefully because fundamental components may begin to break down.
In particular, a cracked heat exchanger is a serious problem that may require a replacement furnace before you can safely heat your home again. It may also help explain why your system suddenly shuts off and can’t be turned on again. Here’s a quick breakdown of what it means when this problem appears.
We live in a part of the country with long, hot summers and very short winters. Household comfort is a vital part of life here, especially as winter turns to spring and the temperatures begin rising again. Most homes in the area rely on traditional heating and air conditioning systems: usually centralized systems that heat or cool the air in a single location, then blow it through the home with a series of ducts.
Most heating systems in the area are gas furnaces, which are inexpensive and easy to keep running. They make a good fit for our warm weather and can provide reliable heat this time of year, when nighttime temperatures take a dip. Unfortunately, because our weather is so hot most of the year, homeowners tend to focus on their air conditioning systems, leaving their gas furnaces to suffer from slow neglect. Repair issues have a way of cropping up without warning in such scenarios, leaving you scrambling to get the system fixed just when you need it the most.
The weather has been growing steadily cooler for many weeks now, and as fall turns to winter, prudent homeowners are using their heating system more and more often. If you have an older heating system that may be on its last legs, now is the time to determine that. When a problem crops up with such a system, is it worthwhile to repair it? Or would that money be better spent on a replacement heater? 
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