A healthy furnace provides safe, reliable operation. In addition to keeping to regular maintenance routines, knowing about indicators such as flame color can help you anticipate potential problems and ensure continued operation. In today’s post, local furnace repair and installation company Econoair Heating & Cooling Inc. shares a quick guide on furnace flame colors and what they mean.
Furnace Flame Colors
Flame colors vary depending on how much oxygen is being burned. The higher the oxygen supply, the hotter the flame gets. This results in a blue-colored flame that combusts more completely and generates less waste material such as soot. When the flame doesn’t receive enough oxygen, the flame color ranges from red to yellow, as is typical of candle flame. A Bunsen burner can generate all the flame colors in this range because it has an air hole that controls the amount of oxygen that it burns.
A properly-working oil or gas furnace should have a blue flame; any other color indicates a problem with the furnace. In addition to the increased amount of soot, incomplete combustion releases more carbon monoxide (CO), which can lead to headaches and nausea, and may even be fatal if inhaled in large amounts.
What Can You Do to Ensure Proper Combustion?
Keeping in mind what the furnace flame color should be—and more importantly, what it shouldn’t be—pay attention to the flame colors when you turn on your furnace for the first time of the heating season. If the flame color is anything other than blue, stop using your furnace and make an appointment with a heating and AC repair technician. You can help prevent such emergencies by keeping to a regular maintenance routine. Winter maintenance should be performed well before the heating season begins.
To ensure your family’s safety, have CO detectors installed in your home. These inexpensive devices raise an alarm when they detect CO levels above a certain threshold, and are ideally installed in bedrooms. You should also keep an eye on your HVAC air filters, which capture indoor air pollutants such as soot, and make sure they’re replaced when clogged.
Econoair Heating & Cooling Inc. is your leading provider of furnace installation and repair services. Give us a call at 905-763-2400 You can also fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.