How To Tell If Your Furnace Is Leaking Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide is incredibly dangerous and it can prove fatal if you don’t catch it soon enough. Your home is full of several appliances that can leak carbon monoxide, such as your furnace. Luckily, there are several ways to tell if your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide.

You can tell if your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide when you find black soot on the unit, wall, or ceiling. The smell of gas in the air near your furnace can also indicate that your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide. It is a sure sign that your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide if you become nauseous or dizzy.

You can prevent it if you regularly replace your furnace filters every 3-9 months. Clean the vents as well so that they don’t get clogged which can make it worse. Follow along as we highlight how to tell if your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide and how to prevent it.

Look for soot in and around your furnace or fireplace if you suspect your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide. Soot can indicate that there is carbon monoxide in the air and that your furnace is the source. That is why it is wise to inspect your furnace as often as possible since carbon monoxide is otherwise difficult to detect.

Soot from carbon monoxide can be brown, yellow, or black. You may also find soot on the ceiling or the wall behind your furnace. Turn off your furnace, leave the house, and contact an HVAC professional if you discover soot.

You can also tell that your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide if the pilot light won’t stay lit. A pilot light will struggle to stay lit if it’s located in a tight and confined location. This also creates the perfect conditions for carbon monoxide to accumulate and spread through the air.

Carbon monoxide isn’t always present when your pilot light won’t stay lit. However, carbon monoxide can thrive when there is limited combustible air which happens when a furnace doesn’t have adequate space.

One of the easiest ways to tell if your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide is to pay attention to physical symptoms. Carbon monoxide can kill you, but it will typically manifest as several physical symptoms before that. You may become dizzy, nauseous, or get a severe headache if there is carbon monoxide in the air.

Carbon monoxide can also cause respiratory problems such as heavy breathing and shortness of breath. In this case, you should turn off your furnace and leave the house immediately. You can die of carbon monoxide ingestion in less than an hour, so it’s not worth staying in your home.

The draft inverter on a furnace helps the unit receive and release air. A faulty draft inverter can trap hot air and create a clog that can let carbon monoxide accumulate. Inspect your draft inverter to make sure that it is properly installed.

Check it closely to make sure that it is fully sealed so that no carbon monoxide will leak. HVAC professionals are best equipped to install a draft inverter because it is a difficult process. You may have to replace your draft inverter itself, and that costs an average of $350.

Check near your furnace for black soot on the wall and ceiling. This can indicate that your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide. You can also tell that your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide if your pilot light keeps going out and you smell gas in the air.

Physical symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and dizziness can also indicate that your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide. Leave your home right away if you develop physical symptoms of carbon monoxide because they can prove fatal. It’s worthwhile to hire an HVAC professional to inspect or replace your draft inverter and clean the vents to prevent a carbon monoxide leak in the future.