Your Furnace has Been Red-Tagged — Possible Solutions

When your furnace has been red-tagged, it can feel like a death sentence to more than just your furnace. After all, if a utility company technician or an HVAC professional has tagged your furnace, you probably have some expensive choices to make and some cold nights ahead. This is especially true in northeast Ohio during the winter.

The most likely cause of a red-tagged furnace is a cracked heat exchanger, which could allow carbon monoxide to enter the home — posing a serious health risk. Other possible sources of a red-tagged furnace include a cracked vent pipe or improper furnace installation. Essentially, a technician will attach a red tag to a furnace if it is unsafe to operate and poses an immediate safety or health risk to the inhabitants of the home.

Before you panic if your furnace has been red-tagged, remember that you have a few possible solutions. First, contact an HVAC professional for a second opinion about the furnace. Getting as much information as possible about the condition of your furnace will only help you determine your course of action.

Once your furnace has been red-tagged and verified by more than one professional to be inoperable, contact the furnace manufacturer to determine whether the furnace warranty will cover the replacement costs. In addition, inquire as to the cost of labor and any other applicable fees.

Without warranty coverage, however, you may be looking at some steep prices for replacement parts and labor. If your furnace is not a newer, energy-efficient model, these costs may not be worthwhile if you can spend a similar amount of money and get a whole new furnace. After all, a new energy-efficient furnace will end up lowering your overall heating costs, so the initial cost may be worth it.

For more information about what to do if your furnace has been red tagged, call Stack Heating & Cooling. We proudly serve northeast Ohio.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about red tagged furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Stack Heating services Cleveland, Ohio and the surrounding areas. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!