Puffback damage is one of those types of insurance claims you probably never think of, but it is sometimes even worse than a fire when it comes to cleanup. It really can happen to anyone, but we see it most frequently in homes with Oil furnaces. Usually this happens the first time you kick on your furnace when the weather starts getting colder.For us in Western PA and Eastern OH that is usually around Late September or early October. We will now get into how to properly clean puffback damage.

Define a puffback: Well, the easiest way is to say that a puffback is brought on by a faulty oil burner in your heating system. The oil burner doesn’t ignite correctly and gas builds up in the ignition chamber.In short, your furance malfunctions and you get black soot all over the inside of your home.

When the burner finally kicks into gear there is a small explosion/fire inside the chamber. This small explosion puffs back a black and dirty layer of thick grime all over your home. This gooey substance is very sticky and it comes from the fumes and oil that started the explosion. If you haven’t had your ducts cleaned in a long time, the dust and debris inside there will just add to your puffback damage. The force of the explosion blows all the dust into your house and the oil fumes that caused the explosion causes all this dust to stick to everything.

What gets damaged during a puffback? Everything in your house! If it is not in a drawer, airtight closest, or some sort of protective package, expect there to be soot all over it. Simple cleaning will not fix your puffback problem.In many instances, it will end up worse.You really need to hire a puffback restoration company to do the cleanup.

Before you call your restoration company to clean the oil puffback, you’ll need to get your furnace fixed.We wouldn’t want all of our hard work to clean your place be done for nothing!The reason you should call a restoration contractor for the Cleanup is that many cleaning services don't have the proper cleaning solutions, training, certifications, or work experience to clean your items properly. Your insurance company will only pay you once for your claim, you want to make sure it’s done right THE FIRST TIME, or you’ll be stuck with a dirty home and a bill for work that was subpar.Don't forget to call your insurance company.Puffbacks are almost generally covered by homeowner's insurance, but call your agent to make sure before you sign any contracts.

Does a puffback happen all in one shot or over time?We get that question all the time.Answer: Both. Sometimes a house will be totally smoked out.Other jobs we go to the furnace is churning out the soot over a period time. You usually notice black streaks by your registers and a film of soot on some of your household items.

If you’re located in Western PA or Youngstown Ohio Area and you have a puffback, check out First General Services of Western PA on the web.We’ve been doing this for 27 years and always provide a free estimate for you.