When properly maintained, the furnace in your home should last more than a decade, possibly two. But with time and use eventually, the equipment will start to wear out. Signs will start to crop up that you need to replace your furnace. One of those signs is rust. Rust forms through a process called oxidation and appears as yellow or orange flakes on a metal surface. It is most common in places of high humidity or moisture. And furnace repair in Los Gatos, CA can only get you so far when you are dealing with rust. Here is what you need to know
3 Causes of Rust on the Heating Unit and How to Resolve Them
Here are the three main causes of rust on your furnace and some of the things you can do to correct the problem before it becomes a larger issue:
1. Water Leaks or Humidity
Lingering water is the leading cause of rust and corrosion on any metal. It could be coming from leaky pipes or an overly humid home, or it can simply be moisture building up around the furnace. For any solutions, you will want to find the source of the leak and seal it off. You may need to invest in better drains, downspouts, weather stripping, or caulking. If the leak is coming from the plumbing you will want to have that addressed by a professional right away. If you have too much humidity in the home you can try a whole home dehumidifier for better moisture control.
2. Air Conditioning Leaks
In your home, are the air conditioning unit and the furnace installed in close proximity? This is the case for a lot of homeowners. And sometimes they are even installed one directly on top of the other. And if the air conditioning unit begins to leak from a cracked drip pan or clogged line, it will drip down on the furnace. Eventually, it will cause rust. To solve these issues you should check the drain pain for damage or clogging. If you can’t see an obvious problem, you will need to call an expert for HVAC repair.
3. Furnace Exhaust Issues
Rapidly cooling air can condense and form water vapor. Thus, as hot gasses and vapors move away from the burner to the flue and can pool, condense, and cause water to pool. Again, the moisture will start to corrode the metal. Look for these types of issues specifically around the heat exchanger and the flue. You might need to contact a heating and cooling technician for a solution. They might be able to examine the ventilation and improve the heating system to solve the issues. Or if the equipment is getting old they might suggest you get a new furnace instead of dumping money into a system that might not last much longer.
Rust on the furnace is a bad sign. If you can’t find an obvious solution you will want to call Pelle Heating & Air Conditioning for furnace repair in Los Gatos, CA.
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