What Is A Puff Back?

10/12/2017 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of Upper Darby, PA to take care of the cleaning of the soot and chemicals.

How Can SERVPRO of Upper Darby Help You After A Puff Back In Your Havertown, PA Home?

Is Your Furnace Ready for Winter? 

It doesn't get much worse than finally giving into turning on your furnace for the next few months and having it blow a whole bunch of soot back out through your entire home. 

What is a Puff Back? 

The term "Puff Back" refers to the sudden explosion of soot into your home or business caused by a malfunction in the heating system. This soot is usually a sticky, greasy, grimy mess that can present a sever health hazard. All of those minuscule, oil based particles embed themselves in your curtains, carpets, and clothing while contaminating the air with known carcinogens. 

How Can I Know if I had a Puff Back?

Puff Backs are characterized by the oily black soot left behind, often appearing like spider webs. The soot and other debris from the explosion can easily be carried throughout your home by the exhaust and heating systems meaning that every room in your home has the potential to be damaged.   

You might be tempted to try and clean up this mess by yourself, but running a vacuum over the soot only grinds it deeper and creates stains that will never come out. Wiping the soot from walls and ceilings creates a place where paint will no longer stick, and unless the soot is quickly and professionally removed, it can cause corrosion of metal on doorknobs, faucets, and even electronic equipment in the home. Because every inch of the home is affected, a puff back is an overwhelming job to clean properly. 

Here are some helpful tips on what you should do, should a puff back occur in your Havertown, PA home:

1. Assess the situation and the amount of damage that was done.
2. Wash all affected clothing and fabrics in the house - some may require professional cleaning.
3. Throw away all exposed foods.
4. Call a repairman to fix the malfunctioning furnace.
5. Call SERVPRO of Upper Darby, PA to take care of the cleaning of the soot and chemicals.

As a trusted leader in the restoration industry, SERVPRO of Upper Darby, PA has highly trained technicians that are dedicated to responding to any size disaster with 24-hour emergency response.

Contact us today, at 610-352-0700, to see what SERVPRO of Upper Darby, PA can do to help you!