Winter is in full swing, and everyone is relying on their furnace more than ever right now. Furnaces are an essential part of your home and work hard to keep your family warm all winter long. But did you know heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fires according to the National Fire Prevention Association? It’s important to think about the safety of your furnace to not only keep it working efficiently but to keep your family safe.
Here are 10 furnace safety tips that you can follow today:
Remove Combustibles from Your Furnace Area
There shouldn’t be any flammable or combustible chemicals or objects in the same area as your furnace. Combustible chemicals can include things like gasoline, engine oil, paint thinner, lighter fluid, and matches among others. Flammable objects are things like paper products, furniture, clothing, carpets, etc. Removing these objects from your furnace area reduces the chance that a fire would spread throughout your home.
Ensure Proper Ventilation
Ventilation is important to make sure your furnace is working properly and safely. Make sure you’re not using your furnace room as storage. This means removing any furniture, boxes or other clutter away from your furnace so that it can have some room to breathe and properly ventilate.
Stay on Top of Maintenance
Checking your furnace regularly to see if there are any visible signs of maintenance needed is a great way to keep your furnace safe. For example, if you see visible rust that’s a good sign that maintenance is needed and it’s time to call a professional. Other signs include rattling, popping, or banging noises.
Have Your Furnace Installed by a Professional
Many homeowners wonder if it’s a good idea to install their furnaces themselves. It’s important that you always have a professional properly install your furnace to ensure the safety of your unit. Professionals are trained to install furnace units properly and safely, to prevent future problems like malfunction or house fires.
Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can be lifesaving in case of an emergency. Installing these near your furnace area can help alert you if there is a fire or a gas leak. Just make sure you keep up with changing the batteries and check that they are functioning properly.
Examine Flue Openings
Objects like bird’s nests and mouse nests and leaves can become lodged in your furnace’s flue openings. It’s important to make sure these flue openings are clear so that your furnace can safely emit natural gases away from your home.
Keep Kids and Pets Away from Furnace
Kids and pets can become harmed if they are playing around your furnace. It’s important to keep them away from this area of your home to prevent injuries and to prevent damage to your unit.
Change the Filters
Replacing your furnace’s air filters at least once a month is a great way to not only keep your unit running efficiently but prevent fires and malfunction from dirt and debris accumulation.
Look and Sniff Regularly
You should be examining the area around your furnace every few weeks so you can become familiar with how your unit works and be able to easily notice if something is amiss. If you suspect something is wrong, you can contact a professional to do an inspection.
Schedule a Tune-Up
Getting regular tune-ups on your system is a great way to control and monitor your system. If you are someone who forgets to schedule a tune-up, it’s a good idea to schedule regular tune-ups ahead of time so you never have to worry about the performance or safety of your furnace.
Call an Air Expert HVAC tech at (732) 759-0934 to schedule a service today.