The heat exchanger in your furnace performs a vital function: It transmits heat from the gas burner into warm air, which then circulates through your home. Think of this exchanger as the tireless workhorse of your furnace.
As you know, your furnace kicks into action countless times a day, especially during the long Denver winter. Over the normal, day-to-day operation of your furnace, cracks can occur because of the constant contraction and expansion of metal as the heat exchanger draws heat and then cools down. If the cracks are caught early, they can be minor. Over time, however, they can become significant.
If a utility company technician has spotted these cracks in the heat exchanger, he or she may have red-tagged your furnace and disconnected it. This move may sound severe, but it’s really for your own good. While even highly-efficient furnaces emit a small amount of carbon monoxide (CO), a furnace with a cracked exchanger runs the risk of emitting dangerous amounts of CO into your home, thereby creating a substantial health risk.
If the cracks in your exchanger are minor, a repair might be an option. But remember that there’s a significant labor quotient involved in this job and that it may not be worthwhile to replace it. In other words, purchasing a new furnace might be the smarter option if your furnace is more than 10 years old or your warranty has expired.
Big-ticket decisions are never easy ones, but you can rest assured that the furnace experts at the Rheem Pro Partner will diagnose the health of your heat exchanger. We’re proud to serve homeowners in and around the Denver area.
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