If there is one system that should never develop rust, it’s your furnace. Unlike a boiler that uses hot water to heat, your furnace doesn’t use, or come near, any type of water. The presence of rust indicates the presence of unwanted moisture, and once you spot the rust, it’s very important to have an expert come and check the problem. Once corrosion takes a hold of the metal cabinet, it can spread very quickly, putting you in a position of possibly needing to replace your entire furnace unit. How did the rust get there? Here are some of the common ways:
- Improper ventilation – the combustion byproducts your furnace creates as it generates heat need to be properly vented for safety and the health of your heating system. Some of these byproducts are hot gases that, when cooled, turn into water vapor. If the ventilation isn’t properly installed, these water vapors will cling to the metal of the flue, eventually creating rust.
- Dripping condensation from a whole home air conditioner – a number of homeowners have a whole home air conditioner that sits on top of the furnace. Sometimes the condensation from the evaporator coils drips through the coils and onto the top of the furnace cabinet, where the water can corrode the metal.
- Faulty ductwork – faulty ductwork can lead to the development of rust on your furnace by allowing too much moisture, sometimes in the form of entering rain, to enter your ductwork. This moisture can leak backward to the furnace cabinet where it helps to start corrosion.
Corrosion can lead to the breakdown of your furnace and its components, which is a dangerous situation. The best solution is to call a DB Heating & Cooling, Inc., right away for furnace repair in Mahwah, NJ.