How Does a Furnace Puff Back Occur?

9/8/2017 (Permalink)

A misfiring furnace can cause a puff back that can send soot throughout your home.

A misfiring in the furnace causes a puff back that can send soot throughout your home. When an oil burner doesn't immediately ignite, and oil fumes are allowed to build up before ignition, a small explosion can occur – similar to a backfiring of a car. Furnace puff backs can also result from a buildup of debris in your furnace that create an excessive explosion when the furnace is ignited. In both scenarios, the explosion shoots debris through the furnace's exhaust system and into your home. For homes with a forced hot air system, the damage can be much more extensive since the ducts will help spread the soot as easily as they spread heat throughout your home. In addition to the damage caused to your home by a puff back, it's also a sign of a problem in your heating system which will need to be repaired to prevent any further misfirings.

Contact SERVPRO of Milton/Braintree at 781-341-7007 to help you restore your property in the event of a furnace puff back. Our smoke and fire damage specialists have the equipment and training to quickly return your home to a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for you and your family. We're faster to any disaster and are dedicated to responding immediately so that you can recover quickly, with less disruption to your life.