An HVAC tech was shocked after seeing a melted air intake on a furnace. He suspects that multiple stages of failed safety checks allowed the furnace to reach that point.

"My coworker went to heat call on a carrier furnace," the HVAC tech wrote in a post on Reddit.

The r/HVAC subreddit is for members of the HVAC trade to ask questions about their line of work.

"The air intake was literally on fire at one point. Literally collapsed a section of pipe all the way to where it enters the burner areas. It looks like a charred piece of wood," the OP continued in the post.

Along with the HVAC tech's words are three disturbing images that show a charred furnace pipe.

While the tech suspects that "the combustion area blew a hole and one of the burner ribbons was shooting flames out of the side of the box melting the pipe," they are not totally sure, which is why they turned to the subreddit for guidance.

One commenter aptly expressed how bad the damage was: "That is some impressive rollout damage," they said.

Traditional furnaces are usually a factor in most homes. However, many homeowners have been making the necessary switch to heat pumps that offer better safety, comfort, and affordability, according to HVAC technicians.

One Redditor explained just how dangerous this occurrence could be. A part of the pipe was clogged, which is "extremely common on those units" and "caused the flame to back up." 

Do you feel like your HVAC system works as well as it should? Definitely 😎 Most of the time 👍 Sometimes 😬 Not at all 🫠 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

"This coupled with a failed flame rollout results in running until it burns a wire or runs out of oxygen," the commenter continued — a matter that is "extremely dangerous."

Issues such as these have seen numerous HVAC technicians recommend heat pumps that are easier to heat and cool your home and can save you money on your energy bill.

EnergySage's Heat Pump Marketplace is a handy resource for those looking to make the switch to heat pumps, as it can help people make connections with local installers and explore the benefits more fully. 

The CEO of the electrification nonprofit Rewiring America, Ari Matusiak, expressed the benefits of heat pumps to NPR. "It's an enormous amount of savings. That's just a fact of the technology being superior," Matusiak said. 

Matusiak refers to the sheer amount of savings that come from energy-efficient heat pumps and the savings from the Inflation Reduction Act. While this is still in place, new U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in removing the act, so HVAC techs urge homeowners to act fast to receive these tax benefits, even though it would require an act of Congress to make any change effective. 

Another Redditor left a final note on the OP's specific HVAC system. "In all seriousness, that model furnace is notorious for failed heat exchangers," they explained.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.