Puffback Season

10/7/2019 (Permalink)

If you are a homeowner, you are probably familiar with puffbacks. A puffback occurs when a furnace or boiler does not ignite properly and allows oil or gas vapors to build up in the ignition chamber. When it finally ignites, this creates a puffback and can blow smoke throughout your home. There are a variety of different things that can cause a puffback:

• A leak at or near the combustion chamber
• A clogged exhaust or chimney
• A cracked heat exchanger
• Manually resetting the system too often when it fails to ignite
• A damaged oil fuel nozzle
• A clogged burner

The messiest form of puffbacks tend to be forced air, oil-fired heating systems. Oil creates more soot than gas, and the ductwork for the forced air system can spread that soot to every room in the home. If you experience a puffback, do not attempt to clean it yourself. Our technicians have the equipment and experience necessary to successfully clean your home without doing further damage.