Eyman Plumbing, Heating, and Air is Omaha’s go-to company for furnace repair or replacement. Our highly trained team of HVAC experts can service any make or model, and we’re on call, 24/7.
How a Furnace Works
All furnaces consist of 4 main parts.
- Burners that deliver and burn fuel.
- Heat exchangers that keep your breathing air and the combustion process separate.
- A blower that circulates heat through the furnace and distributes it throughout the house.
- And a flue that releases gaseous byproducts to the outside.
Your home’s furnace uses combustible fuel to heat your home. The system must be regularly inspected by a licensed technician to check for cracks or leaks.
Exhaust from the combustion process is toxic, and when your system works properly, it is safely vented out of the home.
What Causes Cracks in a Furnace?
Furnaces do sometimes develop cracks in the heat exchanger. These can be caused by expansion and contraction as the furnace heats up and cools down, exposure to toxic fumes, or the age of the unit.
Heat exchangers most commonly overheat because the air filter is dirty enough to restrict air flow through the furnace.
Left unchecked, this can eventually cause stress cracks. A visual inspection is not enough. Many cracks are nearly invisible when the furnace is not actively heating or are hidden internally.
Unfortunately, this means home owners need to be careful of unethical HVAC companies who falsely tell their customers the unit is cracked to sell them new equipment they don’t really need.
How to Know If You Have a Crack in Your Furnace
The only true way to verify carbon monoxide emissions is with properly calibrated detection equipment like Eyman uses.
In the case of a true crack, home owners become aware something is wrong when the furnace stops working.
In most cases, air coming through the crack disrupts the burner flame which trips a safety switch and shuts down the furnace.
Other clues include:
- Odd Noises
- Soot Deposits
- Irregular Row of Flames on Your Burner
- Yellow Flames
- Short Cycling
- Rust on the Flue or Vent Pipes
- Sky-High Gas Bills
Also, if you have chronic headaches, allergy or flu-like symptoms that go away when you leave the house, call the trusted professionals at Eyman right away to get your furnace checked.
You can also call us for a free second opinion on another company’s diagnosis.
Your safety is our highest concern.
Learn More About Furnaces and HVAC Systems
Check out our entire series of videos about all the HVAC systems in your home.
Eyman’s team is here to keep your home comfortable and energy efficient, year round.
No matter what you need, our techs are always just a phone call away: (402) 731-2727.