Spill Switch: What Happens If Your Gas Furnace Doesn't Have One?
Posted on: 5 January 2016
Gas furnace's come equipped with many parts designed to keep your home safe during operation. If someone removes the parts from the furnace, your home is no longer safe. One of the parts you should check your furnace for is the spill switch, which is a safety device placed on the furnace to regulate and monitor how much gas flows through the appliance when on. If the furnace releases too much gas, or if the furnace develops a leak, the spill switch shuts down the appliance. Here's how you check to see if your furnace has a spill switch and tips to make your home safe if it doesn't.
Where Do You Find the Spill Switch?
Most spill switches fit directly beneath the draft hood of gas furnaces. The draft hood is the part of the appliance that helps control gases as they leave the furnace and home. Sometimes, homeowners accidentally knock off or remove the spill switch when they clean out their appliances.
Examine the hood for a piece that resembles light switch with a small colored button on its surface. If you don't see any device on or beneath the hood, contact a heating and cooling contractor for help. Although you can install the part yourself, it's safer that you let a professional do it for you. The fumes traveling through the draft hood can poison you if you inhale them.
But if you do see a spill switch on your furnace, you need to make that it works properly to avoid health and fire concerns in the winter.
Is There a Safe Way to Test the Spill Switch?
There's no safe way to test the spill switch without exposing you or your family to carbon monoxide fumes. But you can ensure that the switch detects when gases increase in the furnace and home by having the vent flues on your roof cleaned or repaired. Vent flues can build up with soot and block the exit of harmful odors and gases during the winter. If your vents lead to a chimney, the blocked gas and odors can use it to travel throughout the home.
If you haven't scheduled an appointment with a heating and air conditioning contractor to clean out your vent system, do so now. The contractor may also suggest that you clean out the furnace and repair any parts that are too old or broken before you operate it this season. The cleaner your furnace and vent system are, the safer your family may be.
For more details about the spill switch or vent cleaning services, contact an HVAC contractor today (discover more on this site).
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