Your Stafford, KY, furnace’s heat exchanger is the key to heating your home. However, a crack in the exchanger creates a dangerous situation for anyone around. Here are five signs that you may have a cracked heat exchanger (and should call a professional for help).

Rattling Sound When Your Furnace Starts

When your furnace first starts up, it’ll warm up the heat exchanger, causing the metal to expand. If there’s a crack in the exchanger, that expansion may cause a rattling sound. Once the exchanger is warm, the sound will stop, letting you know it’s not just a loose part somewhere.

Excessive Soot Around the Burners

Your furnace should burn its fuel at a specific air to ration it. When that ratio changes, it causes the fuel to burn inefficiently, which leaves more soot than normal. The best way to keep an eye on this is through furnace maintenance, where a technician will clean it out.

Strong Chemical Smell

A cracked heat exchanger allows some exhaust from your furnace to escape into your home. This will emit a strong chemical smell that some liken to the smell of formaldehyde.

Change to Burner Flame

Along with creating more soot in your burner compartment, the unbalanced fuel-to-air ratio also changes the burner flame. Your burner flame should be blue, not yellow or orange. Most furnaces have a window that allows you to see the burner and check on the flame without disassembling anything.

Your Carbon Monoxide Detector Is Going Off

Every home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector, including one near your furnace. If that detector goes off, there’s a good chance you have a cracked heat exchanger. Get everyone out of your home quickly and call for professional help to keep everyone safe while solving the issue.

If you suspect you have a cracked heat exchanger, turn your system off immediately. Then call to schedule your furnace repair appointment with an expert technician from Feistritzer Heating & Air Conditioning.

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