People often question whether heating and AC units can catch fire. While many believe being an HVAC fire risk to be shocking, just imagine it being the middle of July with your unit operating and something goes wrong that causes an explosion or your furnace starts burning unexpectedly and startling the fire that starts spreading across your property – the scenario that plays out can seem impossible but they are indeed plausible!
Electrical Issues
One of the primary and most often occurring sources of HVAC fire hazards are electrical issues. Over time, connections may loosen causing more power to reach your gas heater which in turn increases risk of burned wires which in turn increases fire hazards to your furnace significantly. When this occurs a smell of burning should immediately be addressed and an HVAC professional should be called immediately – in such an instance an expert in AC and heating can repair both units quickly.
Appointing a professional for heating or AC repair maintenance can protect you, your HVAC system and save a considerable amount of money that would otherwise go towards costly remediation projects.
Damaged Heat Exchanger
One of the primary sources of fire hazards within an HVAC system is damaged or cracked heat exchangers. A cracked heat exchanger should never be taken lightly as its failure can result in carbon monoxide leakage that poses severe environmental and health hazards; not only is carbon monoxide toxic for humans to breathe in but its presence can ignite spontaneous fires – something any large amounts of carbon monoxide in your HVAC unit would present as a significant danger!
Warning: While HVAC issues can be dangerous, they’re easily remedied if caught early enough. Seeking help from a trained HVAC technician as early as possible to repair your heating or AC can save lives in the form of fire safety hazards as well. Bringing an experienced technician onboard early will protect not only yourself and your home but also keep family members safe.
Leakage Fuel Lines
A common and obvious contributor to HVAC fire risks is the existence of leaky fuel lines, but in order to detect their existence and detect possible risks it is necessary to conduct routine maintenance and check ups on them. People usually notice fuel leakage only after it has progressed over time. What this indicates is that any gas or fuel leaking through pipes (oil or natural gas) comes in contact with hot components within an HVAC system, potentially compromising it and leading to further issues. Fuel in contact with heat can create an explosive mix, and when combined, this combination can result in devastating fire accidents that no one can predict or avoid despite appearing calm and collected. The possibility of fire accidents lies with no one.
If you notice gas or oil smell near your furnace, don’t hesitate to consult an HVAC specialist immediately.
Furnace Crowding
One of the primary sources of fire risks and one that many homeowners try to avoid is overcrowded furnaces and ACs. If your furnace is full with items such as brooms, boxes and cleaning products stacked against it – please move these safely away – otherwise it could start burning or cause more serious consequences such as death for both family members and you! A minimum 3-foot gap should exist between your furnace and household items to reduce or minimize chances of fire-related destruction; any time they come close it could result in fire as well as fatal consequences!
If you are unfamiliar with HVAC fire risks, it would be prudent to consult an HVAC expert. They will offer insight and advice.
Low Gas Pressure
Lower gas pressure causes condensation within an exchanger while high gas pressure could result in overheated exchangers that heat too rapidly, risking unnecessary fires. Furthermore, their heat can harm HVAC systems when improper connections to gas lead to gas leakage; poor indoor air quality as a result and the risk of your HVAC unit catching fire increases correspondingly. To protect against fire-related damages caused by misplaced connections leaking gas leakage could result in low indoor air quality as well as burning. To safeguard against such damages it’s important that inspection by an HVAC technician is carried out regularly so repairs on all heating and AC units can be made necessary before damage can be assessed or repair serviced/maintained/serviced when necessary.
