Sources said that heating appliances are the dominating cause of house fire casualty. Half of the home heating equipment blazes are recorded during December, January, and February.
Before purchasing any type of furnace, you have to consider the size, where it will be placed, future repair costs, and how the climate outside is. etc. This why you need the trusted expert of Furnace Installations & Service | Top HVAC Long Island to give you maximum satisfaction when choosing a HVAC system for your home or office.
Read the following tips, to help you keep your furnace from overheating, leaking out water, turning off and on, making noises and not turning on automatically.
10 Furnace Safety Tips
Clean
Use a household vacuum that has a hand-held narrow rod/upholstery fixture or a shop vacuum, to clear the furnace surface and the blower. Cleaning the blower has to be done with much caution to avoid disturbing the wire works and counterweight on fan knives.
Do yearly clean up
Lease experts in the field to perform a yearly check-up before the start of the winter. Ensure they do a thorough inspection for any sign of cracks in the explosion basin.
Keep an open space around the furnace
Keeping an open space reduces the risk of fire outbreaks. Put away other heating items a few feet away from the furnace. Also, do not store materials like blankets, plastics, cartons, wardrobe, and curtains close to the furnace.
Childproof your furnace
Children tend to play with everything they put their hands on, without being aware of the harm it poses to them. As a homeowner with little kids try the following strategy to keep the children safe from furnace injury;
- Pull taut the vent lid
- Add a lock feature to your thermostat
- Use plug covers for the outlet
- Set a boundary around the radiator
- Install a mesh grille guard, etc.
Set up carbon monoxide sensor in the house
In the case of gas furnaces, they have a higher risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the home, if not properly cared for. Having this detector helps you notice them on time and seek immediate remedy.
Grease the furnace motor
Lubrication should be done on the furnace motor annually, if the motor has oil ports. It does not need much oil, just two or three drops of non-detergent motor oil will be enough. Again, do not use all-purpose oil when greasing your furnace motor.
Constantly change the air filter
It is advisable to frequently change the air filter to deter it from malfunctioning. However, this depends on the inch of the filters. For instance, five to six inches are to be displaced every nine to twelve months, three to four inches, are to be changed every six to nine months, while one to two inches is to be replaced every one to three months.
The furnace limit/safety switch should remain in the on position
This switch is found underneath the supply plenum, which activate and turns off the furnace blower assembly. Also, it conveys warm air throughout the air tube in your home and shuts down the furnace to prevent it from overheating.
Tidy up the hot surface igniter/pilot
Remove the dust on the surface igniter with your breath using a drinking straw. In some cases, a dirty pilot can result in false reading.
Make sure to use the right size for the furnace exhaust stack
The furnace exhaust pipe must be two or three in diameter for it to properly vent the noxious combustion gases from the heater exchanger, outside. The furnace can shut off completely if the exhaust system is blocked.