If your furnace is making noises, producing smells, or doing anything else that concerns you, it’s important to get the system checked out sooner rather than later. When you ignore dangerous furnace issues, they only get worse as time goes on. Your furnace could break down or even pose serious health and safety risks to your family.
If you think you need furnace repair in Saint Augustine, FL, give our team a call. Anything that concerns you is a reason to reach out. We’d rather help troubleshoot and answer your questions and your concern turns out to be nothing than for you to ignore something that is potentially dangerous. Keep reading to learn about dangerous furnace issues that you don’t want to ignore.
Loud Boom
Your furnace should never be particularly noisy. This includes when your furnace is just starting up to heat your home. If you hear a loud boom when your furnace first turns on, that’s a big problem. It means that your furnace has delayed ignition. Gas is building up inside the combustion chamber, but it’s not igniting right away as it should.
Since there is more gas in the chamber than there should be, it creates a tiny explosion when the burners finally ignite. These explosions put a lot of strain on your heater and can lead to parts wearing down sooner than normal.
Plus, you risk a carbon monoxide leak because of the extra gas in the system. The good news is that fixing this problem is easy if you catch it early. If you ignore it, it could lead to a cracked heat exchanger and having to replace your entire heating unit, no matter how new it is.
Flame Sensor
After learning about delayed ignition, you may be wondering what causes gas to build up inside the combustion chamber. Isn’t there a failsafe for that? The answer is, yes. You have a flame sensor that should turn the gas off if your furnace doesn’t ignite. But, it’s possible to experience problems with this flame sensor.
If it doesn’t work correctly, the flame sensor may allow gas to continue building up inside the chamber, But it’s also possible that your flame sensor doesn’t allow enough gas, which can lead to your home not getting warm enough. That’s why it’s important to schedule regular maintenance for your heater. All of these components have to work together for your heater to work at its best.
Unusual Smells
Unusual smells usually mean something is wrong. If you have a gas furnace, this can be a carbon monoxide leak. If you have an electric heater, it’s possible that you have faulty wiring causing a burning smell.
Cracked Heat Exchanger
A cracked heat exchanger is bad news. Unfortunately, heat exchanger cracks cannot be repaired. The entire heat exchanger will need to be replaced. Your heat exchanger helps to manage the combustion process. If the heat exchanger is not completely airtight, carbon monoxide can leak into your home. This can lead to fire hazards and poses health risks to your family. If you notice any signs of damage to your heater like cracks or holes, give us a call.
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