Furnace Puffback Cleanup

Is your Virginia home heated by an oil furnace or burner? If so, it could be vulnerable to a puffback. A puffback occurs when an oil burner backfires, sending soot and debris through the furnace or boiler's exhaust system, and throughout your home. It can happen all at once, like a balloon popping, or more gradually, as if someone was holding the end of a balloon and letting the air seep out slowly. If you have a forced air system, the problem can worsen as your heating ducts can spread the soot into every corner of your Virginia home, with the same efficiency that they spread heat.

Although there is no guaranteed way to prevent a puffback, annual inspection and maintenance of your oil burner or furnace can greatly reduce your risk.

If a puffback occurs at your Virginia home, soot and debris can cover every surface and may range from light to very heavy. Sometimes the disbursement of soot is so light and fine it appears to be ordinary dust. However, this "dust" can accumulate on heating vents, ceilings, carpets, walls, or baseboards, and can reappear hours after being cleaned. There is often a strong odor of oil accompanying a puff back.

For furnace puffback cleanup, call ServiceMaster of Charlottesville at 434-293-3366 or 540-948-2291.