Suppose the heater overheats but doesn’t crack the exchanger.
I am surprised that a ton of people have gas furnaces and fireplaces. They are not the safest or most efficient heater out there. Yes, running a gas heater is much cheaper than an electric option. You also don’t have to worry about power outages and having no heating. However, the gas is not as efficient as electric. Gas gets burned and churned. Not 100% of the gas you purchase is used for heating like with electric. Also, the installation of the gas heater is way more than an electric model. Gas hookups and a flue system is installed. This makes for a higher expense and more time invested. The worst with gas heating is the safety hazards though. If you are not on it with cleaning the heater, it could really hurt your family. The first is with carbon monoxide. If you don’t change your furnace filter monthly, the dirt gets into the furnace. Once a furnace runs dirty, it starts internally heating. The heater then can overheat itself to where the heat exchanger inside the system cracks. A microscopic crack unseen by the eye, can cause major problems. The odorless, tasteless and colorless gas known as carbon monoxide can seep out into the home without a person knowing. Prolonged exposure leads to hospitalization and can even kill a person. Suppose the heater overheats but doesn’t crack the exchanger. It could actually catch on fire. That might even be worse. Now you need a new heater, home and your family could be killed by that too. Electric heating is just so much safer.