A red-tagged furnace may occur if an inspector determines that your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger. While the inspector may not actually put a red tag on the furnace, if he tells you that you have a red-tagged furnace, there are some serious choices looming. And an expert HVAC technician who can properly advise you on what to do should guide these choices.
A red-tagged furnace may potentially emit carbon-monoxide fumes through a cracked heat exchanger. Other possible reasons for a red-tagged furnace include a cracked vent pipe or poor combustion. Essentially, any time a furnace presents an immediate threat of leaking gas, carbon monoxide, improper combustion, or electrical or fire hazard, the inspector has a responsibility to shut the furnace down and tag it.
And a Massachusetts winter can be quite cold, so a non-operational, red-tagged furnace is a serious issue. If you have a red-tagged furnace, call in the experts at Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning. A qualified expert will inspect your furnace and help you determine the best course of action, which may include one of two possibilities:
- Replace the heat exchanger -- Consider this option if your furnace is less than 10 years old and is still covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. Heat exchangers are typically expensive, but if you have a relatively new, energy-efficient furnace with warranty protection, this may make the expense less painful.
- Replace the furnace -- While few homeowners relish the idea of replacing their furnace, if your red-tagged furnace is more than 10 years old and is not an energy-efficient model, furnace replacement may very well be the smart choice. The initial cost of a new furnace might be relatively high, but energy-efficient furnaces often provide a fairly quick return on your investment through lower energy bills and higher efficiency than older furnace models. In addition, the cost of a heat exchanger on an older furnace can often be close to the cost of a new furnace.
Call Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning for help with your red-tagged furnace, or just to ask a question. Our HVAC experts are happy to help. Serving the Route 495/128 area of Massachusetts since 1928.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Solutions Guide.
Red tag image via Shutterstock