A furnace is a reliable way of keeping a home warm in chilly months. It is an appliance that burns fuel or uses electricity, so it can be dangerous if the people around it are not careful. Understanding what could go wrong and threaten your safety and that of your loved one or your home is critical. Fortunately, ensuring you and your family are safe if you use one is straightforward if you keep these safety tips in mind.
Keep Objects Away from It
Any flammable item is a fire hazard if it is too close to your furnace. You should, therefore, ensure objects like cardboard, paper, cleaning products, and anything else that could catch fire are as far away as possible.
Keeping the surrounding area clean is also recommended to ensure you and a technician can access it if you ever need to inspect or repair it. It also makes it much easier to notice issues like spilled oil, which can be another fire hazard.
Ensure Proper Installation
Your furnace has vent pipes and flues that help direct hot gases to the outside. As it burns fuel to produce heat, it also produces harmful gases like carbon monoxide. This gas is so dangerous because it is colorless and odorless, so most people do not know they have been poisoned until it is too late.
To avoid this issue, ensure the furnaces and related systems are installed correctly. It is best to call furnace installation experts to do the job so they can do it properly and complete tests to ensure harmful gases and combustion products do not end up in the house.
Check Your Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Sensors
As mentioned, identifying carbon monoxide poisoning often happens too late. To avoid potential danger, install carbon monoxide sensors and have a professional check them once or twice a year. Since you will use your furnace more in the winter, schedule these checks at the start of this season.
Install two sensors in the same space as the furnace and one on each house level. Do not forget to do the same with your smoke detectors because those can alert you in case of a fire, giving you enough time to get your family and yourself to safety.
Change the Filters Often
Furnaces require oxygen to work efficiently. If they do not, incomplete combustion can cause carbon monoxide production and soot build-up on the banners and components that can cause serious issues.
Blocked filters also cause uneven heating in a home, leading to the furnace working much harder, which results in higher energy bills.
With all this in mind, you should check and change the filter once a month. Call a professional if you do not know how so they can do it right.
Keeping your family safe should be a priority regardless of the appliances you use. If you own a furnace, use the tips above to ensure its safe operation and keep everyone safe. Doing so will give you peace of mind, especially if you use it heavily.