It is a bone chilling 23 degrees in North Texas at this minute. Furnaces all over DFW are working to keep our homes at a comfortable temperature.  Here is a reminder that all of us, including you and your family, are at risk from Carbon Monoxide poisoning if your home is heated with a furnace.

Recently, a good customer asked PMI to verify a home inspector’s conclusion that the HVAC unit was in good working condition in a home they were buying. We were happy to help; however we were very suprised by what we found.  We  identified  two sources of Carbon Monoxide leaks in the unit and a serious corrosion problem: the combustion chamber needed replacing. Carbon Monoixide is deadly! Needless to say, or client was very pleased that we found these problems!

When furnaces are working properly, Carbon Monoxide is not a problem because it is exhausted through the attic and out of the house. Problems arise when combustion chambers crack allowing the Carbon Monoxide to leak and mix into the air circulation system of your home.

Carbon Monoxide is heavier than oxygen and displaces life sustaining oxygen. Carbon Monoxide is odorless, tasteless and not detectable by the human body. It simply enters the lungs, absorbs into the bloodstream and destroys the ability of red blood cells to absorb oxygen.  The Center for Disease Control has great info on Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

The risk of Carbon Monoxide from your furnace is preventable with a regular maintenance plan for your HVAC system.  A spring maintenance inspection helps make sure the summer cooling will be done efficiently without undue wear and tear on the system and a Fall maintenance inspection will make sure the furnace is operating correctly and not leaking carbon monoxide.  This twice-a-year plan is called the Pearson Maintenance Agreement.

We must understand the details of the Carbon Monoxide threat or we might underestimate the potential risk.

We also recommend Carbon Monoxide Detectors. Of course, carbon monoxide detectors are not infallible. Please keep the batteries replaced! The Center for Disease Prevention suggests changing the batteries when Daylight time changes in the Spring and Fall.

Did we leave you with questions about your particular situation? Please contact us.  We would be glad to answer your questions. You can leave a question in the comments below if you like.

Be safe and get your HVAC unit inspected at least every Fall.  Share this post with your friends so we can watch out and protect each other.

Dripping AC Drain Stains Wall

Would you notice this stain on the front of a house in your neighborhood?  This stain started as a simple drip and accumulated as the drip was ignored.

This stain is a warning sign! We can help prevent this kind of problem happening to you or your neighbor’s house.

Let me tell you what is happening here.

Air Conditioning systems condense water on an evaporator coil similar to how a glass of ice tea does at dinner. I am sure you have seen a puddle of water around your ice tea glass in the summer… well, your evaporator coil has to deal with a much bigger puddle of water as it cools your home in the summer.

Condensation collects into a drain pan with 2 drains. First is a primary drain which dumps the water into an existing plumbing drain within your house.  Then a secondary overflow drain takes over if the primary drain stops up. This secondary drain is run to an exterior wall and, often, right over a window. The intent is to give you a visual warning that your primary drain is clogged and needs cleaning.  If you see water dripping from your secondary drain, you should call an air conditioning service company immediately!

Unfortunately, most are not informed about the reason for condensate dripping down an outside wall.  Also, most homeowners don’t know where their secondary overflow drain is located.  This homeowner used PVC pipe to route the leak around the window which didn’t help much. The drip continued and the wall is stained while the primary drain is still clogged.

A clogged primary drain is also a risk for water damage to your house.  If the secondary overflow drain stopped up it could overflow the drain pan and create ceiling damage or cause a mold infestation.  We don’t want that!

So walk outside for some exercise and see if you spot any drips.  If your reading this blog outside the cooling season, make a mental note to check next summer. Dripping water is not good for your exterior no matter whether the cause is a dripping AC drain or leaking  gutters or leaking roof drip edge.

Feel free to pass this info to a friend or neighbor, especially if you see a drip. If we all watch out for each other, we will all experience less aggravation.

-Stacey Pearson sales/estimating