How To Deal With Furnaces Suffering Puffback

11/8/2020 (Permalink)

Puffback damage is a stinky, unsavory situation that must be addressed

When excess fuel accumulates inside your furnace’s burn chamber, vapor explosions trigger what is known as puffback damage. Read on to learn what causes heaters to suffer from this condition and what to do if this becomes your reality.

Why Puffback Disasters Occur

There are a few reasons for this particular malfunction:

• Leaks in or surrounding the combustion chamber
  
• Accumulation of unspent fuel within the burners
  
• Clogs inside the chimney or exhaust flue
  
• Overall lack of proactive maintenance
  
  

Gas furnaces are just as susceptible to furnace puffback as those that burn oil. Never clean either type yourself as doing so may cause more harm than good.

How To Handle Puffback Disasters
Furnace soot is a sticky mixture that is difficult to remove, smells awful and gets everywhere. Before a mess caused by puffback damage begins bothering your staff, contact a commercial soot cleanup professional to treat your building in Greene County, TN.
Because soot from a broken oil furnace can float into adjacent air ducts, your entire building can be affected. Compromised furniture and filing cabinets need to be sanitized. Electronic equipment, such as copiers and computers, requires special care, as prolonged exposure to pollutants may trigger malfunctions. Complete decontamination and deodorization of rugs, walls and ceilings may be necessary.
Contact your insurance provider after completing an assessment. These scenarios are covered under most policies. Thoroughly document every observable piece of destruction with photographic and video evidence, since doing so reduces the chances of your claim getting rejected.
After sanitizing your space and reporting the incident, contact an HVAC technician to repair your heater. Consider the time of year, as it may make sense to rush your order so that the job is complete before winter’s arrival.
Puffback damage is a stinky, unsavory situation that must be addressed. When your company’s furnace starts acting up, employ professionals to set the matter right.