Furnace Safety Tips: What to Do to Avoid Problems With My Equipment?
If you have a furnace at home, you will probably identify with this description: the equipment is usually in a forgotten and less used room (like a basement), away from sunlight and with poor ventilation… Also, many people use this room to store items that are rarely used throughout the year or even cleaning products and other things that have been left without a designated place in the noblest part of the residence.
Did you identify with the paragraph above? Well, it turns out that furnaces are important equipment for the well-being of the family – and leaving them neglected for months can lead to a malfunction of the device and a lot of headache to do maintenance or exchange. With that in mind, we created this article with simple safety tips that not only prevent accidents but also keep your device working well (and your family in good health).
Furnace Safety Tips
Do you already have a furnace at home or did you just have one installed? So keep an eye on the list below to ensure the proper functioning of your device.
- Make Space
Furnaces are typically powered by electricity or fuels such as oil, propane, or natural gas. Because of this, it is important that there is space for the room to be ventilated and to have a little free area around it – this goes both for it to work well and to facilitate maintenance when necessary. In other words, avoid storing objects and boxes both close to the device and directly touching any part of them (especially the air vents and outlets). The same goes for clotheslines – avoid hanging clothes near the furnace as this increases the risk of fire there.
- Be Careful With Storage
We know well that, in smaller homes, any space needs to be put to good use, including the one where the furnace is. Therefore, many people use the place as a storage for cleaning products and also as cat litter. If you meet this criteria, try to keep cleaning products in airtight containers at all times. Cat litter is best left somewhere else – as urine contains ammonia, this element can damage the furnace’s heat exchanger, which will cause odors to spread throughout the house.
Another type of substance that should not be left in the furnace room are fuels of any kind, such as gasoline, thinners and even paint. As these substances have low combustion temperatures – and if they are close to appliances that emit heat, they can catch fire and cause accidents.
- Daily Cleaning and Care
If a clean house is important for the health of its residents, the same goes for the furnace room. That is, do an occasional cleaning to remove dust and dirt that accumulates both on the floor and on the device itself, after all, this accumulation of dust can also impair its functioning. Also check that the lamps in the room are not broken out and change them when necessary – have you ever thought about hearing a strange noise coming from the furnace in the middle of the night and not being able to see anything because the lamps were not changed?
And since we’re talking about noise, it’s worth remembering that you always have to be aware of it – note if your device is making unusual noises, if there’s a water leak or even some kind of corrosion. If yes, call a specialized technician as soon as possible.
- Annual Preventive Maintenance
Did you know that there is a difference between traditional maintenance (when a professional is called in to see what is wrong with a piece of equipment and eventually change parts or even replace the furnace) and preventive maintenance? This type of maintenance is always the most recommended one – in which a professional is called annually just to check that everything is working well. In this case, if something is wrong, the professional will be able to notice it early on, which can save you money and time – as well as keeping your family safe.
Furnace Safety Tips: Have a Professional You Can Trust
If you’ve read this article and are looking for trusted furnace professionals in the Vancouver area, please contact us at Nation. We can help you with all types of furnace maintenance and HVAC appliances, as well as being able to replace and install new ones. That is, we can assist you in the entire process that involves keeping a furnace working well. To contact us and request a free quote, please click here.
