While the general consensus is that April showers bring May flowers, showers – at any time of the year – can bring thousands of flooded basements as well. Nestled in that heart-stopping sea of water, silt and mud is your furnace, and it’s going to take professional, special care and advice to get your home comfortable again.
When a furnace is touched by flood waters, whether by just a few inches or by a foot or more, its safety and operation has been compromised. Your gas valves, ignition system, heat exchanger, safety controls and electrical system are all risk – along with the safety of your home and family.
Turn off the power to your furnace and turn the furnace itself off. As a safety measure, turn off or unplug all appliances in the flooded area, such as water heaters, space heaters, clothes washers, clothes dryers and any other gas or electrical equipment. Pump out or remove all the water.
Don’t turn your furnace on until we’ve inspected your furnace and cleared it for operation. Turning on your furnace when the electrical system and wiring have been exposed to water can cause electrical shorts which could result in a fire or explosion, especially if gas lines have been exposed or damaged too.
Your furnace will need to be thoroughly dried, cleaned, disinfected and sanitized. The filter must be changed. Even if the water was not sewage, it will still be contaminated with silt, bacteria, heavy metals, chemicals and more. There are many places within your furnace where mold can grow, impairing your entire home’s air quality and possibly causing an outbreak of dangerous mold even in rooms untouched by flooding.
When your furnace’s components were soaked through, when controls, valves, burners or wiring took in water, we will most likely advise you to replace the entire unit. Taking each component apart to clean and dry them will not be cost efficient, won’t remove all the contaminates and won’t stop the eventual rust, corrosion and failure. Safety components will never be truly reliable again, and valves will stick, freeze or leak, rendering your furnace dangerous to operate. Many delicate electrical parts can’t be repaired and will require replacement anyway.
Manufacturers will likely void your warranty when your furnace has been damaged by water. The Gas Appliance Manufacturer’s Association states that flooded furnaces should be replaced. The risk you take operating a furnace that has been damaged by water is far too great.
We know that hearing your furnace is a total loss truly stinks; there is never a good time to incur that cost. With Maertin, you’ll know that the cost for your new furnace and its professional installation is fair and reasonable. We’ll provide a high-quality American-made furnace, backed by a comprehensive warranty and our personal promise of outstanding customer service. To make the cost easier to budget, we also offer 6-month interest-free financing to those who qualify.
Make sure your family’s health and safety is professionally safe guarded after you’ve experienced a flooded basement. Call Maertin Heating and Cooling immediately if you suspect the water has touched your furnace unit. A Maertin trained, knowledgeable and friendly technician will come to your home or business as soon as possible to assess the damage and give you solid, experienced advice to get you back to normal quickly.
Questions about a flooded furnace or about anything HVAC? Call 708-479-9350. We’re here to help.
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