The return of聽cold聽temperatures聽boosts聽your聽dependency聽on home heating equipment聽every聽fall. If your furnace isn’t聽working聽properly, it聽may聽develop into聽a fire hazard and聽endanger聽your family’s safety.
As reported by聽the聽,聽heating systems like furnaces are聽a聽major聽factor聽of home fires,聽leading to聽almost聽50,000 blazes, 500 civilian deaths and more than $1 billion in聽significant聽property damage聽each year. Space heaters and fireplaces聽generate聽the majority of聽fires聽concerning聽heating equipment, but central heaters,聽such as聽furnaces, are聽accountable聽for聽about聽12% of these blazes.聽Learn聽the聽leading聽causes of furnace fires and how to聽prevent聽them.
Causes of Furnace Fires
Older聽furnaces are more聽exposed聽to safety聽hazards聽since聽they聽might聽be聽manufactured聽differently and聽slide聽into disrepair聽over聽the years.聽Nevertheless, whether your furnace is more than a decade old or brand new, you should聽know about聽these causes of furnace fires.
An Overheated聽Motor
A furnace motor can overheat in聽various聽ways. Here are the聽biggest聽risks:
- A clogged filter聽can聽restrict聽airflow and聽cause聽the motor to work聽more.聽Eventually, the motor聽can聽overheat,聽increasing聽the risk of fire.
- 顿颈谤迟听can聽accumulate聽around and聽insulate聽the motor, forcing it to聽retain聽heat, which can聽lead to聽a fire.
- Exposed or聽corroded聽wiring聽can cause the voltage to聽get too high, increasing the聽risk聽of an electrical fire.
- Overly聽tight or聽damaged聽motor bearings聽can heat up聽as聽the furnace聽runs. Without聽the proper聽lubrication, the bearings聽could聽eventually聽light on fire.
Clogged聽Furnace Flue
Yard聽debris, animal nests and other聽materials聽can聽block聽the furnace flue,聽restricting聽oxygen. This聽causes聽soot聽buildup聽and聽weaker聽ventilation,聽lowering聽efficiency and聽increasing聽the risk of flame rollout. Flame rollout is when fire聽reaches past聽the heat exchanger and burns the parts聽inside聽your furnace. If this problem聽remains, your heating equipment聽can聽be聽seriously聽damaged, and the fire聽could聽spread to areas outside the furnace.
Obstructed聽Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger is a聽restricted聽combustion chamber where the heat聽created聽by your furnace聽is moved聽to the air circulating聽within聽your home. A heat exchanger聽blocked聽with soot or corrosion has the same聽impact聽as a blocked furnace flue—reduced performance and聽a bigger聽risk of flame rollout.
Cracked Heat Exchanger
Numerous聽problems聽can take place聽if corrosion聽cracks聽the heat exchanger. First, it聽affects聽suction聽inside聽this chamber,聽leading to聽less airflow and increased flame rollout. Second, it聽emits聽fumes,聽such as聽carbon monoxide, into your home.聽Inhaling聽CO gas can be聽fatal, so never聽ignore聽your carbon monoxide alarms. CO gas can also聽return聽to the source of the leak and ignite if a flame is聽present.
Improper聽Gas Pressure
Furnaces聽need聽a precise聽mixture聽of natural gas and air to聽ensure聽safe and efficient combustion. Too little pressure is often聽because聽of clogged burner orifices. This problem makes the burner flames more likely to roll out. It also聽produces聽unwanted condensation聽inside聽the heat exchanger,聽increasing聽the rate of corrosion.
On the other hand, high gas pressure can聽lead to聽excessive heat聽inside聽the furnace, which can cause the soot inside the heat exchanger to聽burn. Such fires can聽quickly聽spread to other areas.
How to Prevent Furnace Fires
Based on the聽different聽ways a furnace can聽light on fire, here are the steps you can take to聽prevent聽furnace fires:
- Replace聽the air filter聽regularly: Check the filter聽each month聽and change it when it聽appears聽dirty or every three months, whichever comes first.
- Keep an eye on聽the furnace flue:聽Examine聽the exterior vent for obstructions and聽clear out聽any you find.
- Don’t聽place聽combustible items聽close to聽the furnace: Things聽such as聽cardboard boxes, paper, clothing and other combustibles should be kept聽at a minimum聽3 feet away from the furnace and聽any聽other heating equipment.
- Add聽a flame rollout switch: This safety聽system聽recognizes聽if a fire or hot exhaust gases are inside your furnace’s burner compartment. If the rollout switch聽triggers, have your furnace inspected聽as soon as possible聽to diagnose and repair the problem before it聽causes聽a furnace fire.
- Schedule聽yearly聽furnace maintenance: It isn’t always easy to聽notice聽if your furnace is聽operating聽unsafely. Whether you notice warning signs or not,聽prioritize聽furnace maintenance聽every fall.
Schedule Furnace 黑料社区 Today
Is it time for your聽yearly聽tune-up? Do you need help聽taking care of聽a problem with your furnace? Whatever聽the reason, 黑料社区 is here for you. Our HVAC聽pros聽can inspect, clean and test the system to聽guarantee聽safe operation. If anything聽doesn't seem right, we’ll聽perform聽a repair or a modification,聽giving聽you peace of mind that your furnace is unlikely to catch fire. For more聽details聽or to schedule furnace maintenance,聽please contact your local 黑料社区 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office听迟辞诲补测.
