Best Tips for Dealing With Puffback Damage

4/13/2022 (Permalink)

Repairing Puffback Damage needs Experienced Hands. For more questions, contact us.

A puffback takes place when your oil-burning furnace fails to ignite properly due to clogs, leaks, and other issues. It’s also a sign that your heating system demands the attention of a serviceperson.

Because your system is connected to multiple rooms, this blowing back of soot and smoke not only contaminates the air, but it also leaves a sticky residue on various surfaces that requires the equipment and cleaning techniques offered by a professional restoration services provider. If you experience puffback damage in your property in Park City, UT, here’s what you should know about dealing with the aftermath.

Important Steps After Furnace Puffback

If you detect evidence of puffback or experience it when operating your oil furnace, take the following steps first:

Call 911: Because a puffback happens due to an explosion, you’ll need the fire department to either extinguish any fires or confirm that there are none.

Shut down: Turn off the power to your furnace and heating system.

Evacuate: A furnace puffback increases the level of carbon monoxide in your facility, so exit the premises as quickly as possible.

Open up: Open windows and doors if possible on your way out.

Unplug: If safe, unplug electric and electronic devices as you exit the building

Discard: After returning to the building, throw away food and other perishables with soot and smoke damage.

Call: Schedule a certified technician to repair your furnace and hire professionals to clean affected rooms and belongings.

The Need for the Professional Touch

Cleanup of puffback damage requires a professional approach for multiple reasons:

DIY cleaning methods aren’t effective for removing smoke and soot from surfaces. In fact, often these approaches can exacerbate the situation. For example, vacuuming will push soot particles deeper into carpets, rugs, clothing, and upholstery, leading to permanent stains.

Special cleaning techniques prevent soot and odors from being embedded in walls, floors, and ceilings. It’s impossible to cover the oily residue with primer and paint.

Glass, metal, and other surfaces are susceptible to corrosion and other damage if left exposed to smoke and soot.

Furnace puffback will not only cover every surface, but particles may end up in cracks and openings below floors, behind walls, above ceilings, and other difficult places to reach.

Your damage restoration services provider has the experience, equipment, and expertise to restore your property to pre-damage conditions, including cleanup of damage due to fire and water if needed. The experts will prioritize cleanup and repair over replacement to help control costs. If your building requires reconstruction, the pros can take care of that also. While you hope to never experience puffback damage in your building, it’s important to be aware of the gravity of the situation.

Assessing the immediate damage, fixing your heating system, and cleanup should only be handled by the pros, namely the fire department, a certified technician, and a restoration services provider respectively.

This is your charge as a responsible property owner, committed to proper maintenance and upkeep for the benefit of your building occupants. Keep in mind that insurance companies prefer to work with professional restoration companies