Heat furnaces rely on a heat exchanger that works as a core part in the process of keeping your living spaces warm and cozy during chilly winters. But there is a dark underbelly to this process, we often forget to remember that heat exchangers require timely inspection and maintenance for their prompt working, and underestimating the need for timely inspection can be dangerous for your loved ones.

Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning.

Here’s how your furnace works, it combusts the gas (natural or propane) in a vacuum chamber to produce heat, common byproducts of this combustion process are carbon dioxide (CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) both of which are routed through the heat exchanger. In the following process, the heat exchanger prevents “flue gasses” from entering the blower, which circulates warm air through the vents and ducts of your home. To avoid these poisonous gasses from entering vents and ducts, the heat exchanger should be in good condition. if there’s any cracks in the heat exchanger it will have the Carbon Monoxide Detectors Keep Going Off. Though most of the time CO is an odorless gas, you may also Smell an Unpleasant Odor if it gets mixed with any unspent gas during the combustion cycle. The study shows that more than 8 million people around the globe die each year as a result of breathing in air containing particles from burning fuels like coal, petrol and diesel, which aggravate respiratory conditions like asthma and can lead to lung cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes and early death.

Now that we have discussed the importance of heat exchangers in your furnace, it’s time to learn about seven signs of inspection that will evaluate the condition of the heat exchanger. Keep scrolling to learn about seven signs your furnace heat exchanger went terrible.

Why do Heat Exchangers fail? 

Heat exchangers are a critical component of a furnace responsible for keeping your house warm and cozy when the temperature drops during winter months. But we need to understand that the heat exchangers are incapable of self-healing and require timely inspection and maintenance. Heat exchangers are not immune to failure, and a lot can go wrong for various reasons. In this section, we have listed some of the common reasons why heat exchangers fail.

Corrosion 

Corrosion is one primary driver contributing to unwanted holes and cracks in heat exchangers. Corrosion is a natural phenomenon that occurs due to exposure to a corrosive environment and material that slowly degrades metal surfaces. Hence, cracks and holes in the heat exchanger’s metal surfaces are expected.

Tube Erosion 

Experiencing erosion in the heat exchanger tube can mainly occur due to the physical wearing of the metal, either by the layering of abrasive particles in the fluid or because of high-velocity flows.

Excessive vibrations

Experiencing excessive vibration can also disrupt the working of heat exchangers. The vibrations mainly occur from mechanical sources or because of uneven fluid distribution. Excessive vibration can often result in plate or tube movement, eventually compromising performance and leading to unnoticed leaks.

Age factor 

Every mechanical equipment has an expiry date, and heat exchangers have a limited lifespan. As heat exchangers age, they become vulnerable to several problems. Hence, timely inspection and repair are necessary with heat exchangers.

Seven Signs Showing Your Furnace Heat Exchanger Needs An Overhaul

This section is the main highlight of today’s blog because heat exchanger inspection is a tricky job, basically an uphill battle for many. If you want a second opinion on how your heat exchanger  replacement call VA 703-457-9028 or MD 301-686-7129 .  AVS Heating and Air Conditioning Co. Serving Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria and surrounding areas in Northern Va. and Bethesda, Rockville and Fort Washington and surrounding areas in Maryland area offers free second opinion on cracked heat exchangers. Also, we’ll help you and walk through some of the common signs showing that your furnace heat exchanger needs serious attention. AVS Service techs are highly experienced and carry sophisticated Carbon Monoxide detectors and electronic meters to check air quality in the service trucks-

• Thick Black Carbon Build-Up: The dense black layering in or around the burners shows a problem with fuel distribution or combustion.

• Strong Bad Odor Resembling Formaldehyde- A malfunctioned heat exchanger emits a strong and unpleasant smell that can resemble Formaldehyde. If you’re continuously having this odor around the burner, then there’s a possibility that your heat exchanger is not working correctly.

• Corrosion & Cracks: If you find cracks or corrosion spots in the surface of your furnace then it’s a clear indication that your heat exchanger is malfunctioning.

• Change in the flame appearance: In most furnaces, you can see flames coming out that warms air and circulate in the ducts or vents of your house. Always remember Blue flame is a safe sign while yellow or orange is not.

• Audible Noises- You will hear a rattling noise if you have a cracked heat exchanger. This mainly occurs when the metallic heat exchanger having a crack is heated. The heated cracks then contract/ expand, causing rattling, banging or popping noises.

• Leakage Of Carbon Monoxide Gas: This one is fatal and responsible for causing many deaths which can be prevented if you do a yearly inspection of your furnace and heating system. Carbon Monoxide is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless poisonous gas. It can only be detected with a CO alarm or detector, also it’s a suicide move to rely on a CO alarm entirely. We recommend you to get your furnace timely inspected and serviced.

• Reduced Heat Efficiency- A malfunctioned heat exchanger will not work at its full strength. You may experience less warm air, and higher energy bills.

How To Know Your Heat Exchanger Needs To Be Replaced?

A malfunctioned heat exchanger will have visible cracks on metal coils. If an inspection expert comes to your home and confirms that you need to replace your heat exchanger, ask them to point out the crack physically.

Cracks and holes are not hard to find, they can be spotted with the naked eye. But it’s important to remember that even a micro crack or hole can disrupt the performance of your furnace, and it can even cause many lives at stake because of CO gas leakage.

You need to subscribe to one reliable and professional team of second-opinion providers because some dishonest technicians use deceiving methods like smoke testing to confirm that you have a crack or hole in your heat exchanger. This method is not always accurate and often causes false alarms for homeowners. Eventually, they buy new furnaces when they don’t need one.

Free Second Opinion 

AVS is a repair-first company and we pride ourselves in this skill. We give free second opinions for heat exchanger repair/replacement. AVS services Northern VA, Montgomery County MD, Prince Georges county MD and Washington DC. 

Contact us today at ​to schedule service! We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please get in touch with us and we will be glad to help.