Although gas furnaces do a tremendous job of keeping your house warm and comfortable but there is a negative side to it as well. Gas furnaces also produce carbon monoxide, which is an extremely harmful gas. If it manages to sneak inside your house and the family members are exposed to it for hours, it can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, to avoid such scenarios we are going to discuss the dangers of carbon monoxide and how to avoid it leaking from your gas furnace by following the best practices laid out by HVAC companies. Let’s begin!
Install Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Carbon monoxide or CO happens to be an odorless gas that is produced whenever you burn fuel. On a daily basis, we tend to inhale a small quantity of CO while passing by a vehicle or smoke nearby. However, it is not that deadly due to the fact we are not being exposed to it constantly. Furthermore, CO is not a big deal if it is outside because it scatters. However, it becomes a serious problem if it were to become concentrated in an enclosed space. If your house has CO trapped inside, it will not be long until the family members start feeling dizziness, chest pain, and weakness.
It is estimated that each year around 400 people die due to constant exposure to CO. However, that does not necessarily have to happen to you though. There is a tried and tested way to ensure that you are not inhaling CO inside your house. Install carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your house.
Nowadays, you can also opt for smoke alarms that feature carbon monoxide detection as well. In addition to that, if you have a lot of appliances in your home that require fuel to run, installing CO detectors will become a necessity. Opt for the ones that detect carbon monoxide even at their lowest.
Have Your Furnace Inspected Every Year
Doing furnace inspection each year is a great way to ensure that CO does not make it inside your house. It is also a great time for the professional to open it up and replace or service any components. However, when it comes to your furnace leaking Carbon Monoxide, there are two popular reasons. One is your furnace having dirty equipment or components. Components such as dirty filters and clogged vents cause the CO to leak inside your home. These are minor problems that can be fixed easily by a professional.
Another reason might be a cracked heat exchanger, which happens to be a common scenario. While a furnace is running to keep the house warm, noxious gases like CO stay inside the heat exchanger until they are exhausted to the outdoors. However, with time heat exchangers crack due to age, tear, and wear. Once it cracks, the CO will make it inside your house.
Venting CO Into Your Chimney
Although venting CO into your chimney is a difficult task to pull but a professional can do it easily. In some homes water heaters, gas furnaces, and clothes dryers exhaust CO into the chimney. From a logical perspective, it makes sense. Since the appliance is located closer to the chimney than the exterior wall, why not vent the CO there? It seems to be a great idea to the ears but isn’t in reality. The problem with venting CO into your chimney is that the chimney liner does not last long. It can crack just like the heat exchanger. As the chimney liner fails, chances are that you might be bringing CO exhaust into your living space.
Unfortunately, inspecting and monitoring the integrity of your chimney liner is not that easy. It needs special equipment to make it happen. Therefore, you will be needing a professional who can come over and check for CO leaks.
Final Word
Carbon monoxide is perhaps one of the deadliest and the most harmful gases out there. If it is leaking inside your house from your gas furnace, you should deal with it immediately by calling in a furnace repair service ronkonkoma. Consider the above-mentioned tips to make sure that your family and the entire house altogether have a good night’s sleep each day.
