Thursday, February 21, 2019

Don't Let Your Furnace Turn into a Safety Hazard

As the temperature outside drops, your furnace keeps your family happy and warm. However, without proper maintenance your furnace's health can drastically diminish, meaning your unit can become a serious safety hazard. Luckily, fending off a potential hazard simply requires you to carry out a few easy tasks, which, when done regularly, will ensure your furnace is operating safely.

Maintain the Area around Your Furnace

When most people think about maintaining their furnace they jump straight to changing the filter and cleaning their units’ internal parts. While both of those tasks are crucial, they aren't the only steps you should take. Removing clutter and cleaning the area around your furnace are also key components to protecting your home and family. Dust build-up and boxes stacked near your unit, especially if the boxes contain flammable materials, equal a serious fire hazard. Finding other areas in your home to store unused household items and vacuuming the space on a regular basis will minimize the fire risk your furnace poses.

Test and Replace Carbon Monoxide and Fire Detectors

If you didn't test the carbon monoxide and fire detectors in your home at the start of the heating season, don't put it off for another minute. Allowing one or more of the alarms to stop working is truly the difference between life and death. Changing the batteries in your detectors or replacing the alarms once their life expectancy of 5 to 7 years has passed is crucial to safeguarding your family against a possible life altering furnace malfunction.

Be Vigilant

Odd sounds, funny smells, and an overall drop in performance are all signs something is wrong with your furnace. Allowing the issue to carry on without getting it checked out by a HVAC specialist can quickly turn your unit into a serious safety hazard. Remember, staying vigilant and catching an issue early can stop a dangerous malfunction from occurring.

Schedule an Annual Inspection

The best way to ensure your furnace is operating safely is to schedule an annual inspection. During an inspection, a HVAC technician cleans your unit and examines it for potential malfunctions (such as a carbon monoxide leak or wiring issues that could cause a fire!). Having a professional inspect your heating system is crucial to the unit functioning safely throughout the winter.

If your furnace is malfunctioning or you would like to schedule an inspection, please contact us today and we'll be happy to help you! Our team here at Kent Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. cares about your safety and comfort.