A heat exchanger allows the circulating air to absorb heat from the hot exhaust your furnace generates. When a heat exchanger cracks, it allows that exhaust to leak into your home, an exceptionally dangerous situation. Here are five signs that you may have a cracked heat exchanger in your Clinton, TN, furnace:
Rattling During System Warm-Up
The heat exchanger is a series of metal tubes, so when it cracks, it causes the metal to rub, creating noise. You’ll hear what sounds like a rattling as the metal warms up at the beginning of the heating cycle.
Chemical Smell Like Formaldehyde
If the heat exchanger is leaking exhaust into your home, you may smell a strong chemical odor. Many people associate this particular scent with the smell of formaldehyde. If you smell it, the exchanger should be your first point of inspection.
Carbon Monoxide Alarm
Cabron monoxide is one of the byproducts of burning natural gas. Under normal circumstances, this will escape with the exhaust through the furnace flue.
If your carbon monoxide alarm starts going off, there’s a strong chance you have a cracked exchanger. Checking for carbon monoxide around the furnace is just one test a technician performs during routine furnace maintenance.
Yellow Colored Burner Flame
Under optimal conditions, your burner flame is a translucent blue. This indicates the system is efficiently and fully burning the fuel.
However, a flickering or yellow flame indicates the flame is getting too much air from an unintended source. A cracked heat exchanger is one of multiple culprits a service technician will check while troubleshooting.
Water Around Your Furnace
A cracked heat exchanger may also cause what looks like leaking around your furnace. This happens because moisture in the exhaust condenses as it hits the cool air around the furnace. The result is excessive condensate that may spill out of the drip pan and around your furnace.
A cracked exchanger is one of the most serious issues a furnace can have and is dangerous for your home. Schedule a furnace repair with our trusted service technicians at Melton Heating and Air Conditioning if you suspect this problem.
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