We’d like to start off this blog by reassuring homeowners everywhere that furnaces aren’t inherently dangerous. What this means is that a furnace is designed with various different safety systems to ensure that it doesn’t endanger you or your family. Regardless of the type of furnace you have, it’s designed to be safe.
However, like all dangerous things in this world, a furnace can become unsafe if it’s mistreated or neglected in a certain way. The machine that provides your heating in Covington, LA could be a gas furnace, which means it’s burning gas in order to produce heat for your home. This combustion can be dangerous if there’s a problem occurring that isn’t fixed by professionals.
Let’s cover some of the common problems that can crop up with a gas furnace, and highlight the importance of fast repairs. Neglect can quickly allow a problem to fester and compound into additional problems, which will ultimately make your furnace unsafe.
Burner Issues Can Make Things Unsafe
First, let’s talk about issues that can affect a furnace’s burner. After all, your furnace is going to require the burner to ignite the gas inside of it and provide heat to your home. Burner issues can crop up after missed maintenance appointments or through wear and tear.
One of the most common burner issues we see is a dirty burner. Sometimes the burners can get caked with dirt, grime, and soot to the point where they have trouble igniting the gas quickly. Homeowners can be alerted to this problem when the furnace starts to make a booming or rumbling noise as it turns on. This is the sound of gas pooling up inside the system to be ignited all at once.
If you suspect this problem is occurring in your system, call us for repairs. This can quickly lead to a safety hazard or a heat exchanger crack which we talk about down below.
A Furnace Problem Can Lead to Inefficiency
Have you noticed that every time your furnace makes a noise or starts acting up, you see a spike in your heating bill? This isn’t some kind of strange coincidence. A malfunctioning furnace is also an inefficient furnace. Your system is likely using more fuel or energy to run at the same level it used to since the problem is inhibiting it from functioning at peak performance.
Call our team to have your system repaired if you notice a problem with higher heating bills.
Don’t Let Your Heat Exchanger Crack
Last but definitely not least, your heat exchanger needs to be in good shape. Some problems like booming, rumbling, or the rattling of a misaligned component can cause your heat exchanger to crack. This is a huge problem.
The heat exchanger is the component that’s responsible for keeping the fumes and gas of combustion separate from the breathable, fresh air of your home. If your heat exchanger cracks, it could lead to the leaking of carbon monoxide and fumes into your home. This is a safety hazard and we urge you to call our team for repairs if you hear any noises or experience any difficulty with your furnace.