What's Inside Your Furnace from John Finan on Vimeo.


Your furnace is one of the most important and complex systems in your home. Let’s have a look inside and see how it works.

When the thermostat signals the furnace to start, fuel is sent to the burners. Flames reaching temperatures of over 3000 degree heat up the heat exchanger. Next, the furnace blower motors send air past the heat exchanger where it’s heated and delivered throughout your home. Exhaust fumes that include deadly carbon monoxide gas are produced as the fuel is burned. A properly functioning system is designed to keep the fumes inside the heat exchanger and then send them safely out of the house.

During the winter, this constant heating, cooling and reheating of the heat exchanger can happen many times a day. Repeatedly going from thousands of degrees down to room temperature all day long can cause it to weaken over time. As a result, it may fail when the heating and cooling causes cracks to appear. Cracks in the heat exchanger allow carbon monoxide to escape into your home. A cracked heat exchanger is a serious and potentially deadly issue that needs immediate attention. That’s why carbon monoxide detectors and annual furnace checks are so important.

If you have questions or concerns about your furnace, including your heat exchanger, or you would like us to check your furnace, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you out.

This post was written by John Finan

October 2, 2017