Let’s say that you’re the lead runner in a two-person relay race.

Your sole purpose is to run as fast and smartly as you can and, just as importantly, to smoothly pass the baton to your teammate. Without belaboring the analogy, a heat exchanger functions in similar fashion.

A heat exchanger allows heat from a fluid (liquid or a gas) to transfer to a second fluid (again, liquid or gas) without the two fluids coming in direct contact. If they do, the gas flames inside your furnace could be extinguished by water, thus resulting in a sudden loss of heat.

Let’s say, for example, you have a gas furnace. In that instance, gas is the heated substance that transfers heat to cool water in another set of pipes. There, water is heated to supply your home with the desired level of indoor comfort.

The more efficient the exchange of heat, the more comfortable you’ll feel, and the lower your heating bills.  Which is precisely why the heat exchanger, along with the rest of the furnace, should be thoroughly inspected once a year.

In addition to gradually losing energy efficiency, heat exchangers can crack and leak, and that can pose serious health and safety problems when you heat your home with gas. Cracks in the exchanger, for example, can allow carbon monoxide emissions to be released into the air.

Other than the wear and tear a heat exchanger incurs on its own, its performance and stability also can be negatively impacted by dirty air filters, airflow problems within your ducts, and rust caused by condensation building up over time on the pipes’ outside walls.

So, if it’s been a year or more since your heating system was last tuned-up and inspected, contact C&D Cooling & Heating today for extra indoor comfort, safety, and peace of mind.