The first thing you should know about a cracked heat exchanger in a gas furnace is that you don’t want one!
Gas furnaces are not inherently dangerous devices—something we should clear up right away. However, if you don’t take proper care of your gas furnace, it can become dangerous. Just like any other powerful appliance or appliance that creates combustion gasses, a furnace can potentially create health hazards if it is not properly maintained on a consistent basis.
What we want to caution you about today is one of the most common causes for a gas furnace becoming unsafe. Cracked heat exchangers are more likely to occur in older furnace systems (10-15 years old), so we recommend looking into a replacement sooner than later if you have an aging system. Routine maintenance does help catch problems like this before they start! Be sure to call for maintenance if you skipped it in the fall.
In the meantime, read on to learn more about heat exchangers in gas furnaces.