When my gas furnace overheated and quit, I assumed the repair would be fairly minor.
The heating system was only a few years old.
Although I hadn’t bought a name brand or a top-of-the-line model, I expected the gas furnace to last at least ten to fifteen years. I also thought that the system was still under the warranty protection. I was wrong about everything. I hired a local heating and a/c professional for gas furnace repair and got some really terrible news. After inspecting the equipment, he told me that there was a hairline crack in the heat exchanger. This sounded like something that could be patched or replaced. Instead I learned it can’t be fixed and a new heat exchanger costs more than a new gas furnace. The heat exchanger is super crucial. It’s the component that prevents carbon monoxide in addition to other harmful combustion byproducts from entering the breathing air. The reason it cracked was because the gas furnace overheated. The gas furnace overheated because I failed to schedule annual service for it. A buildup of dust and other pollutants restricted necessary airflow and caused the heating plan to run longer and work harder. I then found out that my failure to take care of professional upkeep voided the manufacturer’s warranty coverage. I had no choice but to spend money for a whole new gas furnace. This time, I spent more money to get a better gas furnace with superior safety features. This new gas furnace won’t allow itself to overheat and crack the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger in this model is constructed of stainless steel. I also enrolled in a service program with the heating and a/c business that includes proactive cleaning, troubleshooting and adjustment of the gas furnace every fall.