A furnace is usually a background player for your home, ensuring you're warm across the cold winter months. It often doesn’t get noticed until something goes wrong.
One root cause could be that your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger. It’s a potentially dangerous issue, so it’s critical to know the evidence of a cracked heat exchanger and what you should do if you believe that may be the problem.
What Is a Heat Exchanger in a Furnace?
A heat exchanger helps move heat from the combustion chamber inside your furnace to the air that circulates inside the air ducts. It typically accomplishes this via coils or tubes that heat the air while serving as a barrier to keep gas formed in the combustion chamber, called flue gasses, from escaping out into your home.
Is a Cracked Heat Exchanger Dangerous?
Given its central role, it’s no surprise that a damaged heat exchanger can be very dangerous. A damaged heat exchanger can allow dangerous gasses – like carbon monoxide, which can be lethal – to be distributed across your home.
For this reason, don't ever use your heater if you suspect there's a crack in the heat exchanger, as doing so could make your entire family ill. Reach out to an HVAC professional right away if you think your heating has a cracked heat exchanger that should be repaired.
Four Signs of a Cracked Heat Exchanger:
- Furnace switches off: A crack in your heat exchanger could cause your furnace to turn off.
- Strange Smells: If the air escaping your furnace has a strong chemical scent, it may be a sign gasses are seeping through cracks in your heat exchanger. These gasses, which can smell like formaldehyde, are a major warning sign.
- Carbon monoxide alarm initiates or you recognize health problems: If a cracked heat exchanger is relieving carbon monoxide into your home, your carbon monoxide alarm could go off or household members could start experiencing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Complications include headaches, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting or feeling drowsy. If the alarm goes off or you feel sick, leave the home as soon as you can and then call for help.
- Soot: If you spot black sooty collecting near the exterior of your furnace, it’s another sign something may be seriously wrong.
What You Should Do if Your Furnace Heat Exchanger is Cracked
If you worry your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, hire a professional experienced in furnace installation Tuscaloosa right away so they can take a look at your system and, if needed, start a furnace heat exchanger replacement. Costs will fluctuate depending on the situation, but estimates can roughly suggest $1,000 to $3,000.
Estimates aside, the good news is that heat exchangers are generally included in the warranty. It's a good idea to confirm the warranty paperwork on your furnace, since while the warranty may not cover the entire cost of repairs, it still may significantly lower your bill.
How to Prevent a Cracked Heat Exchanger in Your Home
One of the best ways to prevent a problem in your furnace overall is with routine furnace maintenance. Furnaces provide the best possible return on investment when they operate efficiently. Contacting a trained professional to check your furnace for old parts, clogs in the air filters and other common problems can help you avoid getting a big bill later on.
It’s also helpful to review your furnace filters every few months – it’s ideal some filters be replaced every 90 days or sooner if they are dirty or grimy. While the filters aren't connected to the heat exchanger itself, the strain of pulling air through a clogged filter makes the entire furnace work more vigorously to accomplish its job. And the harder your furnace needs to run, the more deterioration parts like the heat exchanger will endure.