There are many kinds of heat exchangers, but for this article, we will be referring to the heat exchanger in your furnace.

The part of your furnace that heats up is the heat exchanger. As the air or water that carries heat through your home passes the heat exchanger, it heats up. The forced air, or water carries itself throughout your home and keeps it warm. On the inside of the heat exchanger, the combustion process occurs. To the outside of the heat exchanger wall, water or air passes by and get warmed as it then distributes to the rest of your home.

Since the combustion process happens inside the heat exchanger, there are many toxic gases contained inside the walls. Carbon Monoxide is one of these deadly gases. If the heat exchanger becomes cracked or warped, these gases can escape from the inside, and get into the ventilation system, or simply permeate throughout your home. Carbon Monoxide is both deadly and odorless, so you won’t be aware of carbon monoxide poisoning from noticing a funny smell. You will notice the effects, however. Some of the symptoms are nausea, dizzyness, and other flu like symptoms. You need to catch carbon monoxide poisoning early, or you will die, so a good carbon monoxide detector is inexpensive and well worth the cost.

Many modern furnaces have a lifespan of about 15 years, however, poor maintenance is sure to shorten this time frame. Rust can form in the heat exchanger if condensate from the evaporator seeps in. Dust and dirt can form on the high limit switch. This will cause the furnace to switch off and on more frequently. Dirty furnace filters can reduce air flow, and cause your heat exchanger to run too hot. This will also cause the furnace to switch off and on more often. Dirty burners will decrease the flame efficiency, and lead to a build up of soot on the heat exchanger. Any of these conditions will reduce the lifespan of your heat exchanger, and make it more prone to cracking or warping.

Yearly servicing of your furnace is the best defense against these conditions that reduce the lifespan of your furnace. Have a certified Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) technician check your unit prior to the heating season each year. A certified HVAC technician will know what to look for in inspecting your furnace, and can tell if there will soon be a problem with your heat exchanger.

If your furnace is over 10 years old, it is especially important to have annual checks of the health and safety of your unit. The heat exchanger is made of metal, and it expands as it heats up. When the furnace shuts off, the metal cools and contracts. This happens each and every time the furnace turns on, and back off. Over the course of years, this amounts to thousands of times that your heat exchanger is expanding and contracting. At some point, the metal can no longer take the stress of continued expanding and contracting, and the heat exchanger walls crack, or warp. If this happens, there is the danger of Carbon Monoxide poisoning mentioned earlier. This is most certainly no laughing matter. Keeping your furnace properly maintained can be the best plan for a long life, for both you and your furnace.

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