Does Your Family Know These Furnace Safety Tips?

Your furnace keeps you warm. Your furnace keeps you comfortable too.

But how many times do you think about how dangerous a furnace can be if not well cared for? 

With these simple furnace safety tips, you can keep your family safe all winter long. 

Remove the clutter

In many cases, your furnace is located in a space behind closed doors. Maybe it’s in a closet. Or in the corner of a basement. It’s a perfect storage place … think again. 

As the furnace operates, it grows hot throughout the cycle. That hot surface can be dangerous for pets or kids, and turn flammable with the right materials nearby. Before the first coldspell of the season, double-check the area around your furnace to ensure nothing has been stacked close enough to present a problem. 

Once your furnace is in good shape, check to ensure all vents and registers are clear too. Be sure furniture hasn’t been moved in front of it, or drapery covers it and prevents it from warming the room. You can take a vacuum and dust in and around the register to ensure a clean airflow into your room. 

Regular cleaning

How often do you dust your furniture, vacuum your floors, and clean the windows? Your furnace needs a little TLC occasionally too. Use a vacuum to clean the area around your furnace. Use a damp cloth to remove dust from around it. This also gives you a chance to look for anything out of the ordinary. If you suspect a potential problem, call in a technician to avoid bigger problems down the road. 

Change the furnace filter

While you’re cleaning around the furnace, it’s time to change out the furnace filter too. The filter helps filter the air flow between the furnace and your registers. It ensures better air flow to keep your furnace operating efficiently, and prevents dust, pollen, and other contaminants from making it into your air supply. Change it seasonally, or for a busy household, you may consider changing it monthly for maximum benefit.

Watch for potential problems

Your furnace is one of the biggest appliances in your home. It will start signaling when something is wrong as it comes to the end of its useful life. You’ll notice:

• A burning smell when the furnace is operating
• Rooms that no longer properly heat
• A furnace that cycles too often
• A fan that sounds like it’s always on
• A thermostat that doesn’t seem to control the temperature
• The smell of gas
  

All signs are a reason to contact an HVAC technician quickly. With a gas smell, immediate action is necessary. Get your family outside safely, then call in a technician immediately to find where the problem lies. 

With a natural gas furnace in place, ensure you have a working carbon monoxide detector to alert you in case of a potential problem. Change the batteries out every six months to ensure the safety of everyone in your family.