Have you ever heard the phrase “where there’s smoke, there’s fire?” Well, this phrase is almost always going to be true, since smoke is a direct product of fire. Our homes aren’t really heated by “fire” anymore, so we don’t deal with smoke problems indoors like we used to. Fires, especially residential fires, are a lot less common than they were in the old days.
However, we’re not out of the woods yet. The most common type of heating in Plymouth, IN is the gas furnace. They’re affordable, reliable, and they’re incredibly efficient. They heat your home using the heat that’s brought from the combustion of natural gas. Today, we’d like to talk about a situation that we hope you never encounter.
If there’s smoke coming from your furnace, then there’s likely something very serious going wrong. Let’s talk about why there might be smoke and what you can do about it.
Smoke and Fumes Should Be Vented Through the Exhaust
First of all, smoke is a natural byproduct of combustion. This is something that technicians understand clearly when they install a gas furnace into your home. For smoke and carbon monoxide fumes, that’s what the exhaust port of your furnace is for. It safely vents those materials out into the atmosphere so you can continue to breathe easily and not have to worry about any carbon monoxide poisoning or coughing from the smoke.
It’s a good idea when you encounter smoke to check your exhaust port. If it seems blocked up or if a critter has started nesting in it, then that could be the cause of your indoor smoke problems. When in doubt, call our team for support.
Natural Gas Doesn’t Burn Like a Campfire
Let’s get one thing straight: Natural gas does not burn like wood. When you’re sitting around a campfire and smoke starts billowing out, this is a different type of reaction than when you’re seeing natural gas burn. They’re both technically combustion, but you’re burning different materials.
Wood has a lot of water and fibers in it that cause smoke and water vapors to billow out when it’s burnt. This is what causes all the colors, popping sounds, and smoke to come from a campfire. Natural gas burns cleanly, which means that there’s not much smoke created and you’re just left with more carbon monoxide and a bit of water vapor.
Therefore, if you smell or detect even the slightest bit of smoke, there could be a huge problem going on in your home.
Stay Vigilant
As we mentioned above, smoke can be a sign that something is seriously wrong. There could be a crack in your furnace’s heat exchanger, it could be overheating, or the system could just be breaking down. Either way, you should never stop being vigilant and protective of your home. If you detect a problem in your house that has to do with smoke or carbon monoxide, call our team for help. You can even set up carbon monoxide and smoke detectors to help you stay safe and secure!
