{"id":2411,"date":"2024-12-23T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-23T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/?p=2411"},"modified":"2024-12-20T14:09:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T19:09:08","slug":"all-about-your-furnaces-heat-exchanger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/all-about-your-furnaces-heat-exchanger\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Your Furnace\u2019s Heat Exchanger"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"person-installing-a-carbon-monoxide-detector\"<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

It\u2019s possible to have a gas furnace for most or all of your life without thinking too much about how it works. The gas is burned, right? And of course that makes heat. Simple. But there\u2019s actually more to it than that, especially when it comes to the safety mechanisms. You can\u2019t simply breathe the exhaust fumes from combusted gas!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some components of your furnace<\/a> make the heating possible, like the gas valve and the pilot light or electronic ignition system. Some components are only there for safety reasons, like the limit switch. Your furnace\u2019s heat exchanger is critical for both providing heat and keeping you safe. Take good care of it, and it will take good care of you! Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Combustion Gasses<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When natural gas is combusted in your furnace, it creates combustion gasses. While these are largely composed of water vapor and carbon dioxide, there are other components as well. This includes nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and\u2014most worryingly\u2014carbon monoxide. These gases need to be kept entirely separate from the air in your home, so that you won\u2019t be at risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Heat Exchanger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In order to keep you safe, the gasses must be safely vented as exhaust. But before that, you need to get as much heat from them as possible. The heat exchanger does both of these essential jobs. The combustion gasses enter the heat exchanger. Its odd, wavy shape allows a lot of air to be in close contact with the heat without being contaminated by the exhaust. That air, now quite toasty, heats your home, and the exhaust goes out the furnace\u2019s vent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Risk of Heat Exchanger Cracks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To do this important work, your heat exchanger must be made of metal, and it must be heated and then allowed to cool off, over and over again for years. Constant temperature changes mean that the metal will expand and contract. Over the years, this will make the heat exchanger more and more brittle. It is possible for this component to crack from all this strain. If it does, the crack can allow carbon monoxide through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Signs of a Cracked Heat Exchanger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A heat exchanger that has cracked may make clicking sounds during the cool-down phases of the furnace\u2019s heating cycle. It may cause condensation and soot to accumulate within the furnace cabinet. It may make an unpleasant chemical odor. The flame might burn some color other than blue, or flicker and dance. If the leak is bad, it can lead to flu-like symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying Safe with Your Heat Exchanger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are three basic things you can do that will keep you and your loved ones safe. First, make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors. Second, get routine maintenance done on your furnace every single year. Your technician will keep an eye on your heat exchanger and let you know if it\u2019s starting to look like it should be replaced soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, if you do spot any of those warning signs, or have any other reasons to be concerned about your furnace, get furnace repair in Buford, GA<\/a> as soon as possible. Your family\u2019s health and safety is worth it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reach out to Wall Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.<\/strong><\/a> with any inquiries or to make an appointment.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your furnace\u2019s heat exchanger is critical for both providing heat and keeping you safe. Take good care of it, and it will take good care of you! Here\u2019s how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[162,134],"class_list":["post-2411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-heating","tag-buford","tag-furnace-repair"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2411"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2415,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2411\/revisions\/2415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wallheatingandair.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}