The return of low temperatures increases your reliance on home heating equipment each fall. If your furnace isn’t working properly, it could grow to be a fire hazard and threaten your family’s safety.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), heating systems like furnaces are a major source of home fires, causing almost 50,000 blazes, 500 civilian deaths and more than $1 billion in significant property damage every year. Space heaters and fireplaces start most of the fires involving heating equipment, but central heaters, like furnaces, are liable for around 12% of these blazes. Find out more about the leading causes of furnace fires and how to avoid them.
Causes of Furnace Fires
Old furnaces are more vulnerable to safety problems because they might be designed differently and settle into disrepair through the years. Nevertheless, whether your furnace is more than a decade old or brand new, you should know about these causes of furnace fires.
An Overheated Motor
A furnace motor can overheat in various ways. Here are the biggest risks:
- A clogged filter can impede airflow and cause the motor to work harder. At some point, the motor may overheat, raising the risk of fire.
- Dirt can gather around and insulate the motor, forcing it to hold heat, which can trigger a fire.
- Exposed or corroded wiring can cause the voltage to elevate, increasing the risk of an electrical fire.
- Excessively tight or damaged motor bearings can heat up whenever the furnace runs. Without adequate lubrication, the bearings can eventually catch fire.
Blocked Furnace Flue
Yard waste, animal nests and other obstructions can obstruct the furnace flue, lowering oxygen. This results in soot building up and bad ventilation, limiting efficiency and raising the risk of flame rollout. Flame rollout is when fire gets out of the heat exchanger and burns the parts within your furnace. If this problem remains, your heating equipment may be badly damaged, and the fire could spread to areas outside the furnace.
Obstructed Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger is a restricted combustion chamber where the heat generated by your furnace transfers to the air circulating through your home. A heat exchanger blocked with soot or corrosion has the same result as a blocked furnace flue—reduced performance and a bigger risk of flame rollout.
Cracked Heat Exchanger
Various problems can happen if corrosion breaks the heat exchanger. First, it affects suction inside this chamber, leading to less airflow and increased flame rollout. Second, it produces fumes, such as carbon monoxide, into your home. Breathing in CO gas can be deadly, so never dismiss your carbon monoxide alarms. CO gas can also return to the source of the leak and ignite if a flame is found.
Improper Gas Pressure
Furnaces require a precise mixture of natural gas and air to create safe and efficient combustion. Too little pressure is often the result of clogged burner orifices. This problem makes the burner flames more likely to roll out. It also leads to unwanted condensation within the heat exchanger, accelerating the rate of corrosion.
On the other hand, high gas pressure can create excessive heat in the furnace, which can cause the soot inside the heat exchanger to ignite. Such fires can quickly spread to other areas.
How to Prevent Furnace Fires
Based on the various ways a furnace can light on fire, here are the steps you can take to prevent furnace fires:
- Replace the air filter on a regular basis: Check the filter once a month and change it when it looks dirty or every three months, whichever comes first.
- Check the furnace flue: Examine the exterior vent for obstructions and take care of any you find.
- Don’t store combustible items near the furnace: Things like cardboard boxes, paper, clothing and other combustibles should be kept at least 3 feet away from the furnace and any other heating equipment.
- Put in a flame rollout switch: This safety device detects if a fire or hot exhaust gases are inside your furnace’s burner compartment. If the rollout switch trips, have your furnace inspected promptly to diagnose and repair the problem before it produces a furnace fire.
- Request annual furnace maintenance: It isn’t always easy to recognize if your furnace is working unsafely. Whether you notice warning signs or not, don't forget furnace maintenance every fall.
Schedule Furnace Services Today
Is it time for your annual tune-up? Do you need help taking care of a problem with your furnace? Whatever the case, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is here for you. Our HVAC professionals can inspect, clean and test the system to provide safe operation. If anything seems off, we’ll suggest a repair or a modification, offering you peace of mind that your furnace is unlikely to catch fire. For more information or to schedule furnace maintenance,
please contact your local Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning office today.