If you’ve been given a dreaded red tagged furnace rating, you will need to keep your furnace turned off until you execute whatever repairs may be necessary to ensure its safe operation. There are numerous circumstances that can lead to a red tagged furnace, with cracked heat exchangers, high levels of carbon dioxide emission and/or faulty gas or electrical connections ranking as the most common.
It is illegal to operate a red tagged furnace, or to reconnect it to a fuel supply once it has been shut down. Repairing a furnace can be prohibitively expensive, particularly if a cracked heat exchanger is the problem. Repairing a broken heat exchanger can cost $1,500 or more, which will force you to reconsider whether repairing your furnace is even worth your while.
Here’s what to do if your furnace gets a red tag:
- Get an estimate for repair costs. Your first step should always be to find out how much it will cost you to fix your current furnace, including all parts and labor.
- Assess the overall condition of your current furnace. If your furnace is aging, it may be better to replace the system with a more efficient model that will come with warranty protection.
- Perform a cost analysis to compare repair versus replacement. When you do this, be sure to take operational costs into account. A new furnace with superior efficiency will cost you less to operate, which alone often makes replacing your furnace a better bet.
If you have a red tagged furnace, you are also free to get a second opinion from another HVAC professional. Sometimes, furnaces are red tagged when they shouldn’t be, and a fresh set of eyes might have a different view of the situation.
Whether you’re seeking another opinion, want to price repairs, or need advice on the repair-or-replace question, contact the pros at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We’ve been helping residents of the Fresno area stay comfortable since 1970, and we’ll be happy to lend you the same expert advice and friendly service on which we’ve built our strong reputation.
Our goal is to help educate our customers 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.
Donald P Dick Air Conditioning services the greater Fresno area in California. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!