6 Heating System Safety Tips to Keep in Mind this Winter
Today’s furnaces do an amazing job at simultaneously keeping our homes safe and warm. But just like any fuel-burning appliance, your furnace can develop problems that can lead to safety hazards in your home. In order to keep your home protected all season long, today we’re providing you with six furnace safety tips to keep in mind this winter!
6 furnace safety tips to keep in mind this winter
- Schedule your annual tune-up. One of the most important aspects of an annual furnace tune-up is that we check to make sure that your system is running safely. During your tune-up, we’ll look for any problems like a cracked heat exchanger or frayed electrical wires that could lead to safety hazards in your home. That’s why a tune-up is essential if you want to have the peace-of-mind that your furnace will run safely all winter long!
- Test your carbon monoxide detectors. A carbon monoxide leak is one of the biggest safety threats that a malfunctioning furnace can pose to your home. That’s why it’s important to check that all of your home’s carbon monoxide detectors are working properly. Be sure to test all of the detectors in your home and install a fresh pair of batteries in each unit.
- Test your smoke alarms. Certain severe furnace problems can lead to fire hazards, which is why this is the time of year that you should also be checking your home’s smoke alarms. Just like with your CO detectors, test all of the smoke alarms in your home and install a fresh pair of batteries in each unit.
- Keep the area around your furnace clear. You can help minimize the chance of fire hazards from your furnace by keeping the area around your system clear. Although you should avoid storing anything near your furnace, this is especially true for any flammable products or materials.
- Change your air filter when it’s dirty. A dirty air filter will restrict airflow to your furnace, which will overwork your system and can potentially increase the risk of a carbon monoxide leak. In addition, a dirty filter will allow dirt to build up on your furnace’s components, which can cause a number of efficiency, performance and safety issues. That’s why it’s important to check and/or change your filter once a month this winter.
Call Hydes if you suspect any problems.
You don’t want to take any chances with a fuel-burning appliance like your furnace. That’s why it’s always best to be on the safe side and contact Hydes if you suspect that anything’s wrong with your system.
If you have any questions about these furnace safety tips, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Hydes, your Coachella Valley heating and cooling contractor.