Your furnace is a pretty amazing piece of equipment. It keeps your home comfortably warm during the coldest winter Michigan can throw at you. Sometimes it works so well people tend to forget it’s a fuel-burning device and without regular seasonal maintenance it can become a dangerous fuel-burning device. With that in mind here are some of the top furnace safety tips from Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing.
Professional maintenance
This is always at the top of the list and it should be done before you turn the furnace on for the first time in your Waterford, MI home. Only professional HVAC technicians have the training to do proper seasonal maintenance and fix any problems they find. They can also spot potential problems before they cause a furnace breakdown on the coldest day of the year.
Gas shutoff valve
Make sure you know where the main gas shutoff valve is located. If you don’t know, ask the technician to show you while he or she is at your home. The risk of an emergency is very low, but you should always know how to shut off the gas in case of a leak or a problem with your furnace.
Check those detectors
This is Fire Prevention Week, so make sure you do your part. Now is the time to check those smoke detectors AND carbon monoxide detectors. They are the early warning system if something does go wrong with your furnace. Don’t have detectors or don’t know if they’re working? Then get professional help now.
Fire extinguishers
You should have one on each floor of the house and make sure to keep one in or close to the furnace room. Extinguishers can be helpful in certain fires. Just remember, your first priority is to get everyone out of the house safely and call the fire department.
Keep it clean
Many furnace fires are caused by flammable materials or debris too close to the furnace. No matter how convenient it may seem, furnace rooms are not storage rooms. That’s especially true for things like paints and solvents.
Don’t ignore filters
Yes, this is one more reason to change your furnace filter religiously. A dirty filter can be a fire hazard. Our technician will change it during the seasonal maintenance, but depending on the filter type, it should be changed every one to three months.
Early bird special
Kotz Heating, Cooling & Plumbing is making it even easier to get that furnace tune-up. During the month of October, we will give you $50 off the normal price for seasonal maintenance. Call and schedule your appointment now. Like and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more great information like this.
