Heating Systems
What Is a Heat Exchanger?
The heat exchanger is the metal barrier inside a furnace that transfers combustion heat to indoor air while keeping exhaust gases separate from it. Its integrity is what keeps combustion products — including carbon monoxide — out of the air circulating through the house.
Also called: furnace heat exchanger
Why it matters to you
A cracked heat exchanger is the single most serious furnace fault, because it can let combustion gases into the supply air. It is also why a furnace inspection is a safety check rather than merely a performance one.
What to do about it
Have it inspected annually. A technician who condemns a heat exchanger should be able to show you the evidence. Carbon monoxide alarms are a necessary backstop, not a substitute for inspection.
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