A homeowner facing some troubling furnace issues asked r/hvacadvice for help.
"How do I fix this? I tried relighting the pilot light and turning on the heat, but it did this and turned off," wrote the original poster alongside a video showing a furnace grille spitting blue flames.
Redditors were unanimous in identifying this situation as wildly dangerous. Luckily, the OP decided to keep the furnace off and look into a replacement.
Safety issues with gas furnaces occur often enough. We've seen considerable damage caused by furnace malfunctions, but the issues don't stop there. Gas appliances reduce home air quality, which can have a direct health impact on residents. Home energy use also emits a lot of pollution. That's bad news for the environment.
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Switching to electric alternatives can get around all of that. Heat pumps are the perfect solution for home heating and cooling. They're way more efficient than gas heating and work just as well for cooling. That efficiency helps you save money on monthly utility bills, and incentives are available to help with the upfront cost. Keep in mind that those incentives can be clawed back with an act of Congress, so it's best to take advantage of them while you can. Check out the EnergySage heat pump marketplace to see what options are available.
Redditors were quick to suggest that the OP seek professional help.
"You turn it off immediately and don't ever turn it back on," said the top commenter.
"That's a flame rollout issue," said one commenter. "Many furnaces have safeties to shutoff gas when that occurs. If the flame is at the grill, it can go anywhere and everywhere. Sometimes mild flame rollout issues are fixable, but yours is so far gone I can't imagine anyone successfully fixing it."
"Call an exorcist," joked another. "Have one on speed dial," replied the OP.
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