Furnace Safety Tips for Winter
Winter has officially arrived in Calgary, forcing you to run the heater at its highest setting to keep your home comfortable. Are you confident your furnace, space heater, fireplace and other heating appliances are safe? While crucial for staying warm, heating equipment can be risky if not used and maintained properly. Explore some essential heating system safety guidelines to ensure a warm and safe winter.
Identifying the Risks
Because homes rely heavily on heating systems in the winter, home fires and heating-related accidents increase this time of year. A few frequent risks include:
Candles and holiday decorations: Winter festivities typically include decorative lights and candles. While these items make the long winter nights more cozy, they can become fire threats if left unattended or left near flammable materials.
Generators: Using a generator during a blackout is a good backup plan. But, improper usage can result in carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical shocks and fires. Confirm that these devices are located outside and far from windows or doors.
Heating appliances: Space heaters, furnaces and fireplaces contribute significantly to home fires during the winter. While engineered to run safely, these devices can become risky if they are outdated, malfunctioning or not operated safely.
Poor ventilation: Inadequate ventilation can lead to dangerous carbon monoxide buildup, especially from natural gas, propane or oil heaters.
Old wiring: Older homes with obsolete electrical systems may face challenges when trying to meet the demands of modern heating appliances. When overloaded, the wiring may overheat, increasing the likelihood of electrical fires.
Incorrect use of heating devices: Using equipment for unintended purposes, like firing up the oven to warm up your residence, or throwing wet socks over a space heater, can be risky.
General Precautions
Use these safety guidelines in the winter and throughout the year to keep your household and family safe:
Gas leaks: If you detect a strange rotten egg smell, it could be a gas leak. For your protection, act immediately—open windows and doors to air out the building, evacuate the area and call your local gas company and fire department.
Flammable items: Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating sources like furnaces, fireplaces and portable space heaters.
Children’s safety: Educate your kids about the risks of matches, candles and heating equipment. Next, establish a “kid-free zone” near open flames and heaters to prevent accidents.
Electrical safety: Avoid plugging heating appliances into extension cords or power strips. In addition, plug only one high-power-draw device into an electrical outlet at a time. These strategies help avoid electrical overloads, which can cause overheating and fires.
Candle safety: Thoroughly supervise lit candles and make sure they are extinguished before exiting the room or going to sleep.
Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms: Install these products inside your home, especially right outside sleeping areas and test them every 30 days.
Specific Heating Equipment Tips
Here are several heating system safety guidelines to remember this winter:
Professional installation: Because a bad setup can increase the risk of fire, carbon monoxide poisoning and electrical shock, you should always leave furnace installation to a trained service pro. You’ll appreciate peace of mind for many years, knowing your equipment is working the way it is supposed to.
Scheduled maintenance: Yearly inspections of your heating equipment and chimneys by trained professionals can uncover hidden concerns that might not be visible to the untrained eye. These visits can find worn-out parts, ventilation malfunctions and potential gas leaks. Scheduled maintenance also ensures maximum efficiency and helps lengthen your system’s life span.
Space heaters: Don’t allow space heaters to run unattended or while you’re asleep. Place these devices on a stable, non-flammable surface and keep anything that could catch fire away from the front, back and sides of the unit.
Fireplaces: Place a metal screen in front of the fireplace to prevent sparks from flying out and igniting nearby items. Extinguish the flames before leaving the residence or going to bed. Once it has completely cooled, put the ashes in a metal container and store them outside a safe distance from your house.
Choose Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning for Heating Service in Calgary
As the cold weather gets worse, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is ready to maintain your comfort and security. Our certified technicians supply fast, long-lasting remedies for all your heating needs, with services backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with our work, you can depend on us to make it right. Along with our technical expertise, Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning is significantly involved in the local communities we serve and remain dedicated to innovation and customer engagement. For assistance staying warm this winter, call 403-279-5760 today to arrange an appointment with Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning.