While fall isn’t here quite yet, it’s important to prepare your heating system for safe operation. The National Fire Protection Association says between 2012-2016, there were approximately 52,050 house fires involving heating equipment. That makes up about 15% of all reported house fires during that time.
Space Heaters
Space heaters are affordable and convenient. It’s easy to see why so many people utilize them during the cold months. Unfortunately, they’re what makes up for a good bit of the report house fires.
There are ways to make sure you run them in a safe manner.
- Plug the heater directly into an outlet, not a power strip.
- Make sure your heater has a tip-over safety switch. This will automatically shut off the system in the event that it gets knocked over.
- Never place anything on the heater.
- Place the heater on a hard, level surface.
- Keep the heater at least 3 feet from anything upholsters, clothing, curtains or anything combustible.
- Never let the unit run unattended.
- Avoid using the heater in a moist space, such as a bathroom.
- Visually inspect your heater before each use. You never know when a cord could become disconnected from the unit or frayed.
Furnaces
Generally, you want to have your heating system inspected by a professional HVAC company before use every year. With the amount of moving parts and heat, you want to make sure your system is safe to operate before you turn it on. Another concern is carbon monoxide. Your furnace contains a heat exchanger. Occasionally, these get cracks in them. Those cracks allow a slow leak of carbon monoxide to enter the space that it’s in. Even if this is a crawl space, you don’t want carbon monoxide accumulation anywhere near you and your living space.
We offer AccuPlan’s which get you 2 visits per year, once in the spring and once in the fall, in addition to great discounts should you need a repair or replacement. We also offer 1 time tune-ups. We handle both visits the same; we’ll change your air filter, check your safety controls and make sure the system is running as efficiently as it possibly can.