TL;DR
- The article warns that many furnaces are neglected to the point of poor efficiency, unsafe operation, or even life-threatening risks, so an annual inspection is important.
- It recommends visually checking the exhaust flue for rust, holes, weak spots, proper upward slope, and secure connections.
- It suggests removing the furnace door to look for rust in the burners and heat exchanger, plus any burned paint or hot spots that could signal serious issues.
- It advises observing burner ignition and flame color, looking for smooth lighting, mostly blue flames, and no abnormal movement or yellowing when the blower runs.
- It finishes with a practical reminder to change the furnace filter to maintain airflow and efficiency.
Is your furnace safe to operate?
I visit customers in their homes everyday of the week, and I constantly see furnaces that have been neglected to the point of being unsafe and unfit to heat their homes. I find everything from just poor performance and efficiency to furnaces that are extremely unsafe and life-threatening. It is of the utmost importance to make sure to have your furnace checked once a year for any issues. There are also some very simple and easy steps you can take to make sure your family is safe and warm this winter.
Inspect the Exhaust
The first thing you should do is visually inspect the flue system of your furnace and water heater. The flue is the round galvanized pipe that takes the unburned gas products and the carbon monoxide to the outside of the home. It is located on the top of your furnace and the water heater usually ties into the furnace flue. Carefully examine the pipe for holes or rust. Squeeze the round pipe and make sure you do not have rust outs working from the inside out. Make sure the flue is solid and strong. You should not be able to easily crush the pipe with you hand. The flue should be sloping upward at all times and should be attached to both the furnace and water heater.
Check For Rust
Secondly, you should remove the top door to your furnace and with a flashlight, carefully look for rust build-up inside the burners and the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is the compartment that contains the burning of gas and the burners protrude into the heat exchanger cells. Look for any rusty metal and flakes of rusted particles. Carefully examine the condition of the burners looking for damage. If there is any rust in the heat exchanger or on the burners, it has to be cleaned out. Check the front panel of the furnace for burned paint or hot spots. The front panel should never get hot enough to burn the paint or the finish off the front or the side of the furnace. The cause of this burned paint is a heat exchanger that is not containing the heat of combustion and can be a sign of a furnace that needs service or replacement.
Observe the Burners
Third, you can have someone turn the furnace on while you observe the burners lighting. They should all light smoothly and evenly without any whooshing sound or booming. Once the burners light, they should all burn blue with a slight yellow tip of the flame. Wait until the fan and the blower start up and watch for movement of the flame and watch for movement of the flame and watch for yellow in the flame. This can be a sign of a leaky heat exchanger or a rusted out exchanger. Turn the power switch off and the blower will stop and watch the flame. If it stops moving and dancing around, this is a problem you should have checked out. Also observe your pilot light for movement and yellow flame when the blower is running. Turn off your furnace power switch and see if the movement and the yellow flame changes.
Change Your Filter
Lastly, change your furnace filter! This is a good time of the year to remember to change your air filter as summer is over and the furnace has run many hours. A clean filter will allow proper airflow and efficiency on your system year around.
These are a few simple things you can do to make sure your family is warm, safe and comfortable this winter! Call Reliable Heating & Air and have an expert take care of these issues.