Puff Back Alert

It's getting close to the heating season and that means puff backs will be on the minds of homeowners and property managers.

Many people are not aware of what a puff back is and the damage it can do to a building and contents.

"Puff back" is caused when the combustion chamber of an oil burner experiences an explosion caused by the speedy ignition of oil vapors and built-up gas inside. The resulting fumes "puff back" on to the heating ducts of the building. What spews out is not just dust: it is part-petroleum based particle or oil-based particle. Puff back can be a gradual release or a sudden blast.

To help prevent puff back, we recommend the following steps:

• Regular and Routine maintenance on your furnace, oil burner and firebox
• Before the heating season starts, have your maintenance staff check the furnace, oil burner and fire box. If the fire box is disintegrating, there is a good chance you'll experience puff back. If you see that there is damage, have a professional look at it.
• Make sure that your oil burner doesn't have any debris
• Remove all the debris, animal hair and other particles that can cause the oil burner to malfunction.
• Install Carbon Dioxide monitors

What to do if you have puff back

• Do not attempt to clean your damaged furniture and other damaged items. Using the wrong techniques or chemicals may make it impossible to remove the stain.
• The first thing to do is call an oil-burning expert or technician to repair the furnace.
• The next step is to call Begal Enterprises, a specialty restoration service that can clean the impacted areas. Usually, they employ the same treatment that they use in fire and smoke restoration. Cleaning should be done within 48 hours of the occurrence of puff backs to prevent permanent damage.

Begal Enterprises only uses state of the art machinery and techniques to restore walls and fabrics damaged by puff backs. We use air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums to control and capture the particulate on furniture, clothing, horizontal and vertical surfaces. This along with meticulous hand cleaning is the only way to remove it all.

We hope these tips are helpful for you. Please feel free to call us at 1-888-BEGAL-44 with any questions.