Heat exchangers are pieces of equipment that are used for the transfer of heat from one fluid to another. When a heat exchanger goes bad, chances are, important things stop working. When your automobile engine is overheating, it's likely that the heat exchanger is the problem. You probably call it a radiator, but it's one type of heat exchanger. In your radiator, antifreeze cools air that flows past it. This air is then blown by a fan onto the engine to keep it cool. If the radiator doesn't work properly, you won't be driving very far until the situation is fixed.
Your home heating system also has a heat exchanger. In fact, nearly every piece of mechanical equipment that has a need to intentionally heat or cool part of a system does. Inside your furnace there is a combustion chamber. There is a metal wall that separates the internal combustion from the air that flows past the heat exchanger and on through the ductwork to heat your home. You need this separation because you don't want the toxic gases inside mixing with the air that is distributed throughout your home. In the previous example, a faulty heat exchanger could lead to a broken down automobile, but in your home you could be gambling with your life.
Carbon Monoxide can be present in the combustion gases. It's supposed to be contained inside, but as time goes on, it becomes possible for the heat exchanger in your furnace to crack or warp. Each time your furnace turns on, the metal wall heats up and expands. During the off cycles, the metal of the heat exchanger cools and contracts. Over time this repeated process of expansion and contraction of the metal takes it's toll. The metal can become fatigued, and eventually warp out of shape, or just plain break.
As I noted before, these metal walls were designed to keep the toxic combustion gases inside the heat exchanger chamber. Guess what happens if there is a crack? That's right, the toxic gases inside can mix with the forced air that is being blown through the ductwork and into your home. Having a reliable Carbon Monoxide detector is an inexpensive measure to protect yourself and your family from the danger of Carbon Monoxide poisoning, but you can also take some proactive measures to protect against any potential danger.
Give your furnace an annual checkup, just before the heating season, to check the condition of the burners, the heat exchanger, the furnace filter, and other components that can affect the performance of your furnace. I recommend have a certified HVAC specialist do this. Only a certified specialist will have the knowledge and experience needed to know exactly what to look for, and where to look for it, as well as knowing what the operating specifications for your unit should be.
If your furnace is over 10 years old, it is even more important to keep that annual checkup. This is the time period where the years of wear and tear on your heat exchanger make a failure of the heat exchanger wall significantly more likely. Keeping your furnace in good health can also help keep you and your family in good health.
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