Any unusual sounds coming from your furnace should be concerning to you. But a booming sound is especially dangerous when you have a gas furnace. It can point to issues with ignition that are adding a lot of strain to your system.
If you do hear booming, call us right away for furnace repair in Hanford, CA. You can keep reading to learn more about what booming means and exactly why it’s so concerning for your furnace and your family.
Understand Gas Furnace Operation
Before you understand gas furnace problems, it’s important to understand the basics of how a gas furnace operates. At the beginning of a heating cycle, gas gets released into the chamber where the pilot light is located.
The pilot light has to ignite at a precise time for the combustion process to happen safely and produce heat for your home. When the flame ignites the gas, the heat gets transferred into the clean air blowing out into your home, while the heat exchanger moves the carbon monoxide away from your home and transfers it outside.
Potential Problems
Unfortunately, it is possible for too much gas to enter the chamber or for the pilot light to ignite even just a few seconds too late. When either of these things happens, it can create a small “explosion” inside the heat exchanger. This explosion happens because there’s too much gas in the chamber and results in a booming sound.
Hearing this happen even once is concerning. But if you hear it happening consistently with each heating cycle, then you need to call for service and get it checked out right away. Our team needs to check both the gas source and the pilot light to ensure that both are functioning properly. If the booming continues, the strain can put enough pressure on the heat exchanger that it cracks.
Risks of a Cracked Heat Exchanger
A cracked heat exchanger is a problem because the cracks can allow carbon monoxide to leak out into your home instead of channeling away from your home. This puts your family at risk for carbon monoxide poisoning and can make you very ill. Unfortunately, not all gas has an odor, making leaks difficult to detect.
If you have a gas furnace or gas service of any kind at your home, it is important to invest in carbon monoxide detectors for a case such as this. Once a month when you complete maintenance for your furnace, be sure to do a quick inspection of the heat exchanger, and note any areas of concern. If you notice any exterior damage, there may also be damage on the inside of the system that needs to be addressed.
Contact Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning to schedule furnace repair in Hanford, CA, or sign up for Mr. Cool’s Super Saver Program.