Hazards From Your HVAC System

As with everything in life, there are risks when you own a heating or air conditioning system. The odds of any of these problems occurring are small, but you can take steps to minimize that risk as much as possible. Taking these small steps can help you have peace of mind and can potentially save you thousands of dollars and hours of time. We at Modern Energy have seen many of these problems over the years, so let us share our experience.

Mold and Structural Damage

• Mold likes damp environments and can be very harmful to humans. Mold can cause problems breathing and can even make you sick. Mold spores can also be spread around a house if the HVAC system is contaminated.
• As HVAC systems get older, water leaks and condensation become more common, and this can increase the chances for mold to develop. This extra water can also cause structural damage to walls and the foundation of a house.
• Luckily, this is easy to avoid: keep up with your regular maintenance and check the system after very cold or very warm days. These problems are likely to show themselves when the system is working harder than normal and if you can catch them early, they are unlikely to cause problems with your health or the integrity of your home.

Fire Safety

• Common causes of fire in relation to HVAC are water leaks, age, and overheating. Water leaks can fry wiring and create sparks. As a system ages, problems are more likely to develop and the safety precautions for those problems degrade, especially after 15 years.
• This creates opportunities for system failure during high-stress periods when overheating can cause electrical problems and sparks. The more of those factors you have at once, the more likely your system is to have these problems.
• Additionally, gas furnaces have the highest odds because fire is how the heat is generated.
• The best way to avoid this is, again, to keep up with yearly maintenance. However, you should keep valuables and flammable objects several feet away from your heating system and test your home's smoke detectors just in case.
• For newer systems, this is a problem that goes down every year as heating systems are made safer and safer. Investing in a fire extinguisher is also a good idea.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a gas molecule made up of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom. Carbon Monoxide is an odorless and tasteless gas that is harmful to humans in high concentrations.
• When a person is exposed to high concentrations, it is called Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Anything where carbon burns but does not completely oxidize into carbon dioxide can create Carbon Monoxide.

Early symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning include:

1. Dizziness
2. Flushing of the face and neck
3. Headaches
4. Nausea
5. Muscle pain

• The severe symptoms are confusion, vomiting, movement problems, and breathing problems. Symptoms will show up quicker and more severely in children and the elderly.
• Natural gas heating is one of the most common causes of Carbon Monoxide poisoning because the heat is generated by burning, but it can also be produced by any heater. Certain space heaters and car exhaust also are common causes, this is why you should never run a car in a closed garage.

• The easiest way to avoid Carbon Monoxide poisoning and the best way is to buy a Carbon Monoxide detector. They are fairly cheap at $30-50 and should last over a decade. Many fire alarms now are also equipped with them.
• In regard to HVAC, the best way is to keep up with your yearly checks, regardless of the system, but especially for Natural Gas heating.
• The odds of a problem also increase with age, with 15 years being the industry standard for a system getting replaced. Continued use after that 15 years drastically increases the odds of a problem.

If you believe that you or a family member has carbon monoxide poisoning, go outside and seek medical assistance. Going outside is important because it is essentially impossible to get Carbon Monoxide poisoning when not in an enclosed space.

Refrigerant Leaks and Other Pollutants

• This is the oddest hazard as it is the least likely to affect you but can cause serious harm to the environment. Refrigerants are very dangerous to both plant life and the atmosphere.
• Refrigerants released into the atmosphere are a leading cause of ozone layer depletion and a significant contributor to climate change.

The best way to prevent this is to watch for leaks and get regular maintenance. Additionally, having your system replaced by a trusted organization decreases the odds of accidents happening during removal or installation.

What Now?

Well, I would say you should go schedule an appointment for your HVAC system if you haven't done that yet for 2025. For more information on other topics around HVAC, check out our blog where we have many more posts. If you are interested in replacing your system, call Modern Energy at 508-449-0449. Now is an excellent time to replace because there are rebates up to $16,000 currently available.