If a heat exchanger starts to corrode, it can develop cracks that will allow carbon monoxide exhaust gases to escape into the cabinet and possibly into your living spaces. You may think that your oven is rusty because it is old or no longer in use. However, rust can be a sign of other problems with the furnace, such as corrosion and leaks. These problems could cause serious problems, such as fires and even explosions, if the root cause is not determined and cared for.
To find out if there are other underlying causes for your rust problem, keep reading below. Rust and other types of corrosion are almost always bad news for any metal appliance because they weaken the metal. Rust is often an indicator of the advanced age of the system or of a failure of another part of the appliance designed to prevent corrosion. All of this is true for a natural gas oven.
Let's dive deeper into what this means next. Just don't allow rust to stay in your oven without taking steps to see what's wrong and what's the next step. Corrosion in other parts of the furnace will also affect important components, but the heat exchanger is the biggest concern. A sign of wear that can be found in a furnace is rust, which can become a serious problem, especially if rust occurs in the heat exchanger or in ventilation areas, where corrosion could release hazardous exhaust gases (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrous dioxide) into the area of housing.
When the hot flue gases in the heat exchanger are cooled after the heating process, what remains is an exhaust vapor that is sent from an exhaust duct in a standard furnace or sent to a second heat exchanger in an evaporation furnace. In high-efficiency condensing furnaces, this steam moves to a second heat exchanger, where it condenses, releasing more heat. Water leaks near the oven, pipes, or outside rain and weather can cause unwanted moisture to build up around the oven. Water leaks or high humidity: Water from pipes or rainwater leaks can cause moisture to build up near the furnace, and a house that is too humid can cause moisture to build up in the return ducts of your heating system.
The average life of a gas oven is more than a decade (assuming you receive professional heating service every year). Leaky Air Conditioner: Many homeowners have a combi oven and air conditioner, and in some cases, condensation created on evaporator coils doesn't drain properly and drips into the oven, causing rust. When the heat exchanger in your furnace converts the heat energy of the gas, liquid vapor is created. If your oven has poor ventilation, the rate of oxidation will increase and you should ask a repair specialist to investigate ventilation problems.
If the furnace is properly ventilated, the steam will not have much chance of affecting the metal in the exchanger. Air conditioner leaks: In some HVAC systems, the oven and air conditioning units are installed very close to each other, in some cases directly above each other. When rust appears in a furnace, it usually occurs when the oven has been in use for a long time, more than 15 or 20 years. When rust builds up, it can corrode the metal furnace and cause serious problems, especially when it comes to safe ventilation.
