In St Louis, we tend to run our heating systems throughout winter, and the high usage can mean a shorter lifespan for the furnace. Older furnaces can develop a variety of issues from heavy use, including a “cracked heat exchanger.” Routine maintenance from a AAA furnace repair specialist will help prolong the life of your heating system, as well as guarantee safe operation all winter long.
What Is A Heat Exchanger?
Your furnace’s heat exchanger is responsible for maintaining the furnace fire and eliminating the harmful side-effects of combustion. These side effects include carbon monoxide, water vapor, and acidic buildup. These byproducts escape out of the furnace through the venting framework and vent outside. The heat exchanger disseminates the heat into your home by means of the airstream when the furnace fan engine kicks on.
Most furnaces have more than one heat exchanger ‘cell’. The more cells, the stronger the furnace’s heating ability is. We like to consider the heat exchanger the core of the furnace heating framework. It is a crucial part ensuring safe usage throughout the entire winter.
Many newer homes in the St Louis area have higher efficiency furnaces. Higher efficiency furnaces have 2 heat exchangers: a primary and a secondary. The secondary heat exchanger typically contains significantly more buildup than the primary, and is generally where a break or crack will occur. While it may be harder to investigate and troubleshoot, we can help. It is important that the AAA furnace repair service team take a look at this piece of the furnace for any breaks in the heat exchanger.
The heat exchanger acts as the core of the furnace. It is one of the main parts to furnace activity. If you’ve got a cracked heat exchanger, you could be unwittingly facing a cold winter. Give us a call today, or book an appointment online, to schedule your routine furnace check before the cold weather arrives.
What Causes A Cracked Heat Exchanger?
Since heat exchangers hold a particularly large amount of heat from the fire and ignition, significant stress can quickly wear out the fragile spots throughout the chamber. Bends, welds, and bolts are all considered spots where overabundant heat pressure can cause quicker and more serious deterioration.
Virtually all untimely heat exchanger breaks are caused by overheating. At the point when a furnace can’t get sufficient airflow, the heat exchanger overheats and experiences abundant stress from expansion and contraction. After some time, the heat pressure causes breaks close to weak spots like curves or welds. The most well-known reason for an overheated heat exchanger is simply a dirty or clogged air filter. An obstructed airflow to the furnace, caused by a dirty filter, overheats the heat exchanger and causes stress cracks.
How Do Your Vents Affect Your Heat Exchanger?
An oversized furnace with too little ventilation can likewise cause overheating and heat exchanger breaks. In fact, too modest ventilation work is the main source of a broken heat exchanger.
One of the side-effects of ignition is water. At the point when a furnace first lights, the fire encroaches on the heat exchanger and water fumes from the fire gather within the heat exchanger. After only a couple of minutes of run time, the heat exchanger is warmed and the buildup disperses out through the venting.
An oversized furnace will heat the home so rapidly that the furnace turns off after only a couple of moments. This causes the heat exchanger to stay wet and then rust from the back to front. The regular cycling of a large furnace likewise builds rapid expansion and contraction of the heat weight on the heat exchanger. A ton of heat exchangers initially foster this “fire impingement” before really fostering a break in the heat exchanger itself. This is an early indicator of breakage.
Lack of routine upkeep shortens the lifespan of the heat exchanger and can cause unexpected disappointment from a broken heat exchanger. Our furnace maintenance service checks look for issues such as cracked heat exchangers and frayed electrical wires that could lead to safety issues in your home.
If a heat exchanger has broken and your furnace is under 10 years of age, it’s worth determining why your heat exchanger broke. Whether or not you decide to replace the furnace or simply the part, it’s best to know the cause of your issues.
How To Properly Diagnose A Cracked Heat Exchanger
Due to the sheer size and complex series of parts that a heat exchanger contains, it can be difficult to appropriately diagnose a broken heat exchanger. Tracking down a noticeable break or crack is significant to the diagnosis. Our furnace maintenance team knows how to find the break and afterward confirm with the homeowner what the issues are and provide answers for fixes.
We utilize an assortment of testing strategies, from mirrors to examining the ignition from the heat exchanger. Down flow furnaces contrasted with up flow models influence the techniques for how we test. There are numerous apparent signs, or “warnings” that our authorized heating & cooling specialists can discover inside the furnace before assessing the heat exchanger. During our investigation, we may find a break or crack that needs confirmation from a second, third, and even fourth vantage point. Tracking down a break in the heat exchanger greatly affects the safety and comfort of your home, so our team is very thorough.
Why Call AAA About Cracked Heat Exchangers?
There are many untrustworthy home service businesses that use scare tactics to frighten homeowners into purchasing a new furnace instead of the less expensive options of having it fixed. It can be difficult to make the right choice when your house is freezing! Our team at AAA will always break down the options for you so that you can make the best decision for your family.
Every winter we work with homeowners across the city and county to fix their furnaces. When you need a second opinion on a home service, give us a call. We take your safety and comfort seriously, and know that you rely on us for peace of mind. Our licensed furnace experts can inspect your system top to bottom to ensure that your furnace is working safely and efficiently.
Call us today to inspect, repair, or replace your furnace and heat exchanger. Setting your furnace up for a good winter beforehand is better than addressing any aftermath later! Give us a call at 314-514-4039 and 636-492-5113 for a repair or quote request.
