There are situations when, as a homeowner, you’ll need to act fast to make sure that a problem you’ve discovered doesn’t get any worse. If your furnace gets a cracked heat exchanger, for example, you might end up having a red-tagged furnace on your hands. What does this mean for your home? Read on to find out…
What does having a red-tagged furnace really mean?
The “red tag” in this term refers to the traditional course of action when an HVAC service person or utility representative determined that a malfunctioning furnace had become a safety hazard. He would tie a red tag on the furnace and disable it, so the homeowner couldn’t operate it until a repair had been made. While an official-looking document might be used instead of a red tag these days, the expression, “red-tagged furnace” persists, and it’s something you don’t want to happen to your furnace. Most of the time, the red tag denotes a cracked heat exchanger, the metal part that absorbs heat from the burner flames and transfers that heat to your air before it gets circulated in your home. Over time, as this part is repeatedly exposed to intense heat, hairline fractures or even holes can develop.
Can a red-tagged furnace be harmful?
If the fractures are large enough, they can release carbon monoxide and other noxious gases into your home’s indoor air. Carbon monoxide in sufficient quantities can lead to serious illness, convulsions or event death.
How do you fix the problem?
Whether or not the problem can be fixed depends on its severity. This is where you’ll want to get the advice of an HVAC professional. After careful testing, he should be able to advise you on whether a repair is a practical option. Replacing a heat exchanger is expensive and if your furnace is old or balky, you may be advised that the better course is upgrading to a high-efficiency furnace. While this will be costly at first, you’ll eventually reap savings on your monthly energy bills.
For more expert advice about a red-tagged furnace, or for other questions relating to home comfort, please contact us at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning. We serve the HVAC needs of Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about red-tagged furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area