In the winter months, home heating is essential for your comfort and the safety of your home. Excessive temperature changes can damage everything from pipes and appliances to the frames around doors and windows. But in addition to the need for warmth, it is essential to maintain safety in your home. The following five tips will help you keep warm and safe this winter.
- Consistent Maintenance Checks – There are many moving parts, components, and potentially dangerous aspects to your home’s heating system. And it is critical that you have the system inspected each year before the cold season arrives. This is the time to find any tiny issue that can be repaired to prevent a dangerous problem in your future.
- Furnace Inspection – Your furnace can overheat and cause a fire as a result of:
Corroded Flame Sensors
Foreign Objects Lodged in the Air Vents
Blocked Air Vents
A simple maintenance check can prevent all of these potentially life-threatening catastrophes and ensure that your furnace functions perfectly all winter.
- Boiler Inspection – Common problems that can arise in your boiler system include:
A Plugged Heat Exchanger
A Cracked Heat Exchanger
Worn Out Zone Valve Motors
A Worn Out Thermostat
A Dirty/Damaged/Worn Out Ignition Module
A Worn Out Thermocouple
During a boiler inspection, your HVAC pro will check the system’s entire function to ensure that you have no unwanted surprises over the cold winter months.
- Turn Off Space Heater And Portable Heaters – While these small heaters can be perfect for heating a small space or a single room, they also pose a certain danger level. These powerful heaters get very hot and can overheat if left running for an extended period of time. Never leave a space heater on when you leave the house. Always turn it off, unplug it, and leave it safely away from flammable items to completely cool.
- Test Your Smoke Alarm Monthly – This should be a general habit throughout the year for the safety of your loved ones and your home. But be especially careful about maintaining these safety checks in the winter months when there is more potential for a fire in your home. Also, test your home’s carbon monoxide alarm. Carbon monoxide has no smell to warn you of a life-threatening level of gas. This gas is produced by flames from heating fuel, a furnace, fireplace, or a gas stove. If you are unable to check your alarms, many local civic organizations offer a free inspection service.
- Unplug Appliances And Electronics – The leading cause of house fires is an overheated appliance or electronic device. Things like the toaster, coffee maker, or curling iron can quickly overheat and start a fire if not unplugged after use. And this safety warning should also apply to both desk and table lamps, which build up a great deal of heat when left on for an extended period of time. When unplugged, none of these items will hold any residual power that could ignite a house fire.
- Professional Stove Cleaning And Repair – Grease and grime buildup on your stove and inside your oven can significantly increase the potential for a fire in your home. Thoroughly clean the inside of your oven and the top of your stove monthly. And invest in a professional cleaning and inspection annually to avoid a potential gas leak or fire.
At Parobek Plumbing & Air Conditioning, we understand that heating your home over the wintertime can be very costly. And our goal is to help you create a warm and safe home as cost-effectively as possible. If you discover any issues related to your home’s heating system, call (512) 910-8123 for fast service at a very affordable rate. And before the weather turns cold, please consider scheduling a complete inspection for your heating system. Our pros will complete the maintenance and service procedures to ensure that you have no unwanted surprises from your (512) 910-8123home’s heating system.
In addition, if you think that you might have a gas leak or carbon monoxide issue in your home, please evacuate immediately, leaving the door open and call 911. Do not reenter your home for any reason until it is deemed safe by trained first responders.
