Global HV/AC 
Today we had pleasure to service incredible nice older client in Roscoe Village, Chicago. In the middle of the night her furnace want out. We dispatched one of our team leaders for a service call. After short diagnostics our technician found cracked heat exchanger. First thing that we train our technicians on is to make sure there is no fumes escaping the system. Cracked heat exchanger- You shouldn’t ignore the instinct. Damaged heat exchanger will expose you to toxic gases like carbon monoxide. Our team is always on top when it comes to safety of our clients.
Potential dangers of a cracked heat exchanger
Operating a furnace with a cracked heat exchanger can be very dangerous. It will not only pose significant risks to your health but also cause more damages to the system.
In a nutshell, here are some of the dangers of a cracked heat exchanger.
- Heating your home with natural gas, propane gas, or fuel oil can result in the leakage of harmful gases when the heat exchanger cracks. Fossil fuel gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide can cause several health issues.
- If carbon monoxide gas produced in the heat exchanger leaks out, it can result in headaches, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Besides, prolonged exposure to high levels of carbon monoxide can cause heart diseases.
- A cracked heat exchanger will also reduce the efficiency of the furnace. As warm air in the chamber escapes, the furnace will strain to heat your entire home. Consequently, it will increase your heating costs significantly.
- Besides carbon monoxide, a cracked heat exchanger can also cause the leakage of gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. Notably, the gases can lead to disorientation, eye and nose irritation, sleepiness, and flu-like symptoms.
What to do if Your Furnace’s Heat Exchanger Cracks
If you believe that your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, you shouldn’t rush to fix it yourself. Once you’ve verified the furnace heat exchanger crack symptoms, you need to contact a professional HVAC contractor to inspect the furnace.
If you continue operating the furnace despite showing the cracked heat exchanger symptoms, you’ll be exposing yourself to more harm. Toxic gases will continue to leak into your home. The best way to stop that is to shut down the furnaces for repairs.
You’ll need to purchase a replacement for your cracked heat exchanger as you cannot repair it. However, you also have to consider the age of the system. For instance, you can replace the entire furnace if it has lasted for about 15-20 years.
