Can a Dirty Furnace Filter Start a Fire?

When your oven is working hard to extract air, the dirty air filter could be sucked back into the system. Oxygen is essential for the furnace to burn natural gas in hot air. A clogged air filter can prevent enough oxygen from passing through and that can cause “flame spread”, which is almost as scary as it sounds. The flames will “come out of the oven cabinet to suck in more oxygen”.

Operating the oven in this state can be dangerous, as it could catch fire from nearby objects. Oven filters are designed to protect the oven and air conditioner from dust. If the filter is not changed regularly, dust can accumulate to the point where the filter can collapse and be sucked into the oven cabinet, potentially causing a fire. Over time, the air cleaner can become blocked and clogged with debris. When the air filter is blocked, the airflow will be compromised and the oven will be forced to work hard to draw fresh air into the heating system. Eventually, the oven could work so hard that it could overheat and the fan motor could even catch fire.

These are sporadic cases, but they do occur. The filter can become so clogged that it could begin to block airflow. That's why it's important to call in experts for heating repair in Fresno. A clogged oven air filter will negatively affect airflow throughout the home and HVAC system. The lack of fresh air in the oven will cause the heat exchanger to heat up too much and turn off.

Dirty filters indirectly cause short cycling problems and will make it difficult to keep your home warm. We recommend replacing the clogged air filter before the summer season to avoid damage to the air conditioner compressor. Failure to change the oven filter can cause a house fire or a combination of deadly flue gases (carbon monoxide) with the air in your home. These types of furnace fires are very fierce and can quickly spread outside the furnace to other parts of the heating system. If there is not enough ventilation to provide adequate amounts of oxygen, the furnace will produce flames that can spread to draw oxygen from outside of the furnace. You should change your home filter once a month to ensure that it works at peak efficiency.

Whether you're using an oven or a heat pump, you can expect to find an air filter in any forced air heating system. A clean, clear air filter will ensure that the oven can get the right amount of air it needs. The oven's internal fan is designed to blow air through the HVAC air filter to provide air throughout your home. Second, by removing these materials, the air filter prevents them from causing damage to internal components of your oven. Whether you use an oven or a heat pump, another big threat from a dirty air filter is short cycling.

A clogged air filter may be enough to slow down, causing too much hot air to remain in your oven. There are two main indicators to look for; they are a discolored oven cover and singed oven exterior components. If your oven's air cleaner is dirty or clogged, its circulating fan will need to use more energy to distribute the air. Failure to replace dirty oven air filters regularly will shorten its life and result in moderate to severe problems.