When the cold moves into Portage, you’re going to rely on your furnace to keep you warm and keep your home protected from the freezing temperatures. Because of this, you want to make sure your heater is ready before the cold fronts come into town.
The best way to keep your furnace running through the winter is by setting it up for success before you even turn it on this season. You’ll need to ensure your furnace has adequate filters, ventilation, and space. In addition, you’ll need to make sure everything is in working order before switching your thermostat to heating.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the 5 most important furnace safety tips so that you’re ready to go when the temperatures start to drop. Let’s get started.
Your Furnace Does More Than Keep You Warm
Most homeowners know that their furnace is essential for keeping the house warm and comfortable. But, did you know that your furnace also plays a vital role in protecting your home itself?
Your furnace keeps your home at a safe temperature so that your water pipes don’t freeze. If your heater isn’t working, your home can get too cold and cause your pipes to burst. This can lead to massive water damage and expensive emergency repair bills.
By keeping your furnace protected, you can both keep your home warm and avoid the burdensome complications that come with frozen pipes. Keep reading to learn the best ways to keep your furnace running and safe for your household.
5 Tips for Furnace Safety Throughout the Winter in Portage, Indiana
You need your furnace to keep you safe and protect your home this winter. But, it’s important that you know how to properly operate your furnace so that it remains safe and keeps your home heated throughout even the coldest days of the year. Below, we outlined 5 furnace safety tips so that you’re prepared as the temperatures fall in Portage, Indiana.
1. Change Your Furnace Filter
Furnace filters should be changed monthly. These filters keep debris out of your furnace and out of your ventilation system. It’s essential that you change these filters regularly to protect your furnace and extend its lifespan.
Many homeowners don’t realize this – but furnace filters also need to be changed during the summer months. You may not be running your furnace in the summer, but the air from your central air conditioning unit moves through the same filter. This means that the filter can get clogged all year-round. By changing your furnace filter through every month of the year, you are safeguarding your furnace and ventilation system, while also improving your indoor air quality.
2. Move Flammable Objects Away
In general, you should not store anything around your furnace. You should especially keep flammable products away from your furnace, including paper products, cloth, flammable liquids (gasoline, paint, oils, acetone, hairspray, etc.), furniture, etc.
Removing flammable objects from around your furnace provides significant protection for you and your home. These objects could catch fire, which would then quickly spread through your home. Prevent unnecessary fire hazards by removing any flammable objects near your furnace.
3. Check for Adequate Ventilation
In addition to flammable objects, it’s best practice to not store anything around your furnace. Your furnace requires adequate ventilation to operate effectively, so you should not use your furnace closet as a storage solution.
Ventilation is vital so that your furnace can receive adequate air flow and also remove any harmful gases that are produced in the heating process. Without proper venting, your furnace may not run or may not work efficiently.
4. Install CO Detectors & Smoke Detectors
Ideally, your furnace should not release any harmful gases or smoke into your home. However, if something goes awry with your furnace, you may be dealing with a serious safety hazard. To detect any problems, it’s important that you install both carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke detectors in your house.
Smoke detectors should be installed throughout the home, including the kitchen, any bedrooms, living areas, laundry rooms, and more. It’s recommended that smoke detectors be placed inside of each bedroom, as well as outside of the sleeping areas (such as in a hallway). There are a few different types of detectors that can sense smoke, heat, and other fire-related hazards. This can be important if something goes wrong with your furnace and causes a fire.
Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas that can cause serious health problems. CO is produced in the combustion process when your furnace heats the air. However, your furnace should be removing the CO from the warmed air before it moves into your vents. If something goes wrong in the process, it’s important that you know right away. CO detectors should be placed at a minimum on every floor of the house, especially near the sleeping areas. If possible, these can also be installed in every bedroom, living area, kitchen, etc. CO detectors should be installed according to manufacturer instructions, but typically are recommended to be placed 5 feet from the floor.
Both CO detectors and smoke detectors are vital for furnace safety this winter. These alarms keep you and your family protected throughout the season.
5. Book a Furnace Tune-Up & Inspection in the Fall
Your furnace has a lot of working parts that function together to keep your home warm, comfortable, and safe throughout the winter. It’s important that you have each element of your furnace inspected in the fall as you move into the colder seasons. This way, you can be confident that your furnace is in working order.
With your furnace tune-up in Portage, your HVAC technician can locate any safety concerns, pinpoint any minor issues before they escalate, and make sure your heater is clean and ready for the winter. Tune-ups generally include a visual inspection of each part, cleaning of motors and fan blades, testing air flow and combustion, calibrating the thermostat, replacing filters, and more. Your technician will make sure everything from the heat exchanger to the flue is working correctly so that your furnace is winter-ready.
In Review: Keep Warm With Our Furnace Safety Tips This Winter
You need your furnace to keep you warm and comfortable, while also protecting your home from issues like bursting pipes. To have the best protection for your home, you need to keep your furnace up and running safely. That’s where our furnace safety tips come in.
Help your furnace run efficiently and safely by changing your furnace filter, clearing space for adequate ventilation, keeping flammable items away, and scheduling a routine furnace tune-up. In addition, make sure you install quality smoke detectors and CO detectors so that you know if something is going wrong with your furnace.
With these simple furnace safety tips, you can stay safe and warm throughout the coldest days of the year in Portage, Indiana.
Is Your Furnace Winter-Ready? Call NWI Heating & Air for a Tune-Up in Portage, Indiana!
As we move into the winter months, turn to the professionals at NWI Heating & Air for all of your furnace and heating services. Our team offers the most dependable furnace maintenance at the best price. From a routine furnace tune-up in the fall to emergency repairs on the coldest days of winter, we’ll be there to help at every step of the way. Contact us today for all of your furnace safety needs.
