Since the pandemic a few years ago, people have been more health-conscious than ever. It became clear that there are some airborne illnesses and contaminants that, even though we can’t see them, they can be life-threatening if not addressed by some kind of protection.
But we also learned that nobody should be forced to pay exorbitant amounts of money to stay healthy, especially if the result is being uncomfortable due to a furnace that’s shut off.
We’d like to start this blog post by saying, no, a furnace is not bad for your health. But it can be if it’s unmaintained. This is an important qualifier, and we’d like to get into the details down below. Just make sure you schedule furnace repair in Nashville with our team.
Inspections Go a Long Way
First, if you’re just looking for some peace of mind and you’re not quite interested in how your furnace works, then we’d advise scheduling maintenance.
A maintenance appointment includes a full system inspection, which could be perfect for customers who just want a professional to take a look at their system and tell them that it’s safe. Maintenance also includes adjustments, tune-ups, and other valuable things that a homeowner can take advantage of. Basically, the first and most reliable thing you can do if you’re worried about the safety of your furnace is to invest in maintenance with a seasoned professional. We promise you’ll feel better after that.
The Inherent Safety of a Furnace
Let’s talk about the inherent safety of a furnace system. These units are designed to work for over a decade, so they can’t just be boxes of burning fuel, right?
That’s exactly right! Furnaces have a lot of safety mechanisms included inside of them, like a flame sensor that shuts the unit off when it doesn’t detect a flame, and a heat exchanger that keeps the contaminants created via combustion separate from your breathable air.
These safety components go a long way toward keeping you safe and healthy—but they’re not invincible.
When Things Do Get Unsafe
Unfortunately, the components of your furnace can become unsafe over time if they’re not repaired or maintained on a regular basis. The flame sensor, for instance, can get dirty and unable to detect a flame. This means that your system could be cycling and leaking gas without any way of stopping it, which is definitely an unsafe situation to be in.
But perhaps the most unsafe situation is when your heat exchanger cracks or breaks. This component lies in the middle of your furnace and allows the breathable, safe air of your home to get heated up without being infiltrated by carbon monoxide and smoke. A rumbling, shaking, or booming furnace can cause a lot of friction and sometimes will cause this component to crack, allowing for carbon monoxide to enter your breathable air.
In this case, you’ll want to call for repairs before any catastrophes happen. Our team can help you quickly and effectively.