Recommendations for Residential Furnace Safety

If you’ve recently purchased a home with a furnace in it or you’ve upgraded your own heating system to include one, it’s likely that you’re looking to learn more about furnaces. One extremely important aspect that you need to learn is furnace safety. We’re going to share with you some great information about how to stay safe while having a furnace in your home.

Give It Space

Just because your furnace may take up a small portion of a room, that doesn’t mean that you can use the space around it for storage. Your furnace should have a good open area around it so that air can flow freely through the furnace. If you stack up containers around your furnace, it can restrict its airflow. This can lead to furnace damage and potentially start a fire.

Keep a Fire Extinguisher Near By

While it’s not overly likely that your furnace is going to start a fire, it could happen. Being able to respond quickly to contain and put out the flames is a must. A fire extinguisher is the key to that control. You’ll want to mount one somewhere within walking distance of your furnace. Be sure not to put it right next to your furnace as it will be useless if you can’t get to it because of the flames.

Use Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Because your furnace is burning fuel, it’s completely possible for it to accidentally emit carbon monoxide into the air. When this happens over a period of time, it can fill up your home with this deadly gas. Having working carbon monoxide detectors can be a great alert system to protect your family. In addition, smoke alarms can quickly alert your family if there is a fire due to your furnace.

While having smoke and carbon monoxide detectors is a start, keeping them in good working condition is a must. You should be replacing their batteries every six months. You’ll also want to test each detector at least once per month to ensure that it’s working correctly.

Keep It Clean

We all know that pet hair, lint, dust and other debris can float throughout our homes. While you’ve likely made it a habit to vacuum up the main floors of your home, you may be skipping over where your furnace is at. This is a mistake because you’ll want to keep these flammable substances away from your operating furnace. A good rule of thumb is to sweep up the space around your furnace once a month.

Have Adequate Lighting

Many newly built basements are supplied with inadequate lighting. You don’t want to have trouble seeing your furnace. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to work on it or clean up the space around it. You need to have sufficient light so that you can be completely safe. This will also ensure that you can see any small leaks whenever they occur.

Leave Your Vents Open

It can be awfully tempting to want to close off the vents to rooms of your home that you don’t spend a lot of time in. While it may seem harmless to do, it’s really not. When you close off some of the vents throughout your home, it can actually cause your furnace to overheat. This can lead to unwanted damage to your system’s components. It’s best to leave all of the vents for your heating system open throughout the wintertime.

Replace Your Air Filter Routinely

Your heating system’s air filter is an essential component that helps to keep your indoor air quality high. When your filter becomes clogged with airborne debris, it’s time to replace it. For most homeowners, you’ll need to replace your air filter every three months. However, it’s a good idea to check it every single month. You may discover that in some months of the year it can get dirty much faster than in others.

Schedule Annual Maintenance

Your furnace is not a system that can run without having maintenance performed on it. It’s best to schedule professional system maintenance once a year. This will keep your parts lubricated and ensure that your system lasts for its intended lifespan.

Trustworthy Heating Professionals

Premier Indoor Comfort Systems has a team of furnace experts renowned in the Whittier area. We provide outstanding installation, repair and maintenance of heating, cooling and indoor air quality equipment as well as humidifiers, dehumidifiers and wine coolers. Call us today to get the help that you need!