What Happens when a Furnace Heat Exchanger Cracks in Summerlin West, NV? Do I Need to Replace Unit?

The function of the furnace heat exchanger is the component that is actually responsible for providing heat to your home. If you care for your furnace properly through professional maintenance and timely repairs, it can only do so effectively throughout its lifetime. This problem becomes more likely in an aging system that’s suffered from wear and tear and potentially corrosion throughout the years though the cracked heat exchanger is rare in a newer furnace. A furnace can last about 10-15 years when well maintained. Including the heat exchanger, routine maintenance allows us to comprehensively inspect your entire furnace. Today, we at Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning would like to discuss why a cracked heat exchanger is bad news.

How Does a Heat Exchanger Work

The heat exchanger is the part actually responsible for heating up the air that travels through the vents and into your living space, as we touched on above. They generate hot combustion gas when the burners of your gas-powered furnace ignite, which is collected inside the heat exchanger. There can be a series of them inside your heater and a heat exchanger looks like a small metal chamber. A clamshell is how most exchangers are shaped. The heat exchanger heats up the metal walls from the hot combustion gases. From there, the blower fan blows air over the heat exchangers and through the vents into your home. Without ever coming into contact with the air, the combustion gas is able to heat the air entering your home. The combustion byproducts in the heat exchanger get vented out of the system through a flue to release gas harmlessly into the air after the heating process is done.

What Causes Heat Exchanger to Crack?

It is still an important problem to be aware of even if you have a newer system as a cracked heat exchanger is a lot more common in an aging furnace. As it cools and heats back up, the metal of the heat exchanger contracts and expands. The cracks are eventually caused by the stress. Due to the reaction of the combustion gas and metal, the walls of the heat exchangers can also become corroded. Being why professional installation is so vital, this usually only happens if your furnace isn’t vented properly though. Practically microscopic, the cracks in a heat exchanger are tiny. When the furnace isn’t operating, you wouldn’t be able to spot it. These cracks open up with the heat, when the furnace is operating is the problem. Carbon monoxide is the worst of these gases. Among the leading cause of household tragedies is carbon monoxide poisoning. This point is stressed not to scare you, but to encourage the importance of both professional furnace installation and annual furnace maintenance services.

Forced Air Furnace Heating Diagnosis, Repair, Replacement & More in Summerlin, North LV, Henderson, Centennial, Enterprise, Lone Mountain Village, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Spring Valley, Aliante, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Peccole Ranch, Silverado Ranch, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada

Whether you need furnace maintenancerepairinstallation, or replacement services in the greater Las Vegas, NV Valley area, call in the professionals of Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning and let our qualified experts assist you. We have state-of-the-art equipment and premium products to ensure high-quality results.