As a homeowner, you want to make sure your property is kept up well and is safe for you, your family, your guests, and your neighbors. Timely maintenance and repairs keep your house in order, giving you peace of mind.
Inspections and safety checks throughout your home are necessary, and your furnace is an important piece of equipment you can’t neglect. Conducting a yearly furnace safety check is necessary. We’ll explain why.
When a Furnace Malfunctions
When your furnace works properly and does its job right, you hardly notice it. Regardless of which model or brand you have, your furnace is designed to create heat and circulate hot air throughout your home to maintain indoor comfort regardless of how cold it gets outside. Primary components of furnaces typically include a thermostat, electromechanical parts, gas valves, burners, motors, fans, filters, and more.
Any of these parts can break, wear out, or malfunction. When your furnace breaks down, the result can be a dangerous situation, including a fire risk. These are just some of the possible scenarios you may encounter:
- Lack of heat: If temperatures drop to subfreezing, a lack of heat in your home can lead to serious consequences, including hypothermia.
- Gas leak: This is a dangerous problem that requires immediate action. If you smell gas in your home, there may be a gas leak related to your furnace or another gas appliance. Evacuate your home and call for help.
- Indoor air pollution: You may not realize it immediately, but if your filters are clogged or your furnace isn’t working properly, your indoor air may be polluted, which can lead to temporary or even chronic health issues.
- Carbon monoxide: Especially alarming is the presence of carbon monoxide, which is poisonous to people and pets but can’t be detected via the sense of smell. If your furnace has a cracked heat exchanger, corroded flue pipe, or other defects, carbon monoxide can end up flowing through your house. You do not want this to happen.
- Water leaks: A leak is problematic not only because it can damage any nearby belongings or even the foundation, but because the presence of water can, in some cases, present an electrocution risk. What’s more, water puddles that don’t drain can lead to the growth of mold, which is harmful to the lungs, skin, and eyes and can lead to developing allergies.
What a Furnace Safety Check Involves
Needless to say, you’d prefer not to have to deal with a furnace malfunction. A furnace safety check is designed to prevent malfunctions from happening, keep your furnace operating correctly, and everyone in and around your property safe.
What does a furnace safety check involve? Typically, it includes the following:
- Checking the ignition system to make sure it’s firing properly so your furnace works for you when you need it the most
- Making sure there are no gas leaks or carbon monoxide leaks
- Inspecting the exhaust to ensure it is venting properly
- Testing the entire system to make sure it’s operating safely, and the control circuits are functioning as they should
- Searching for cracks or other imperfections in the heat exchanger
The goal of a annual furnace safety check is to take a close look at all the individual components that make up your heating system to ensure that everything is intact and working correctly.
If a problem is detected, it’s much easier and less expensive to replace a broken or corroded part than to have to replace the entire furnace. What’s more, timely furnace safety checks can prevent furnace-related gas or carbon monoxide leaks from happening. They can detect and fix any water leaks before mold develops, and they can eliminate potential fire risks.
When Was Your Last Furnace Safety Check?
If you’ve never had your furnace professionally checked, or if you can’t remember the last time this happened, it’s time to schedule a furnace safety check appointment. Here in the greater Houston area and the surrounding communities, temperatures can drop suddenly. You don’t want to risk being unprepared and ending up with a malfunctioning furnace simply because of neglecting to schedule a furnace safety check.
The heating and cooling specialists at American Comfort Experts can take a close look at your furnace system to ensure everything is in proper working order. We’ll check for common safety problems, including carbon monoxide, fire risks, blockages, cracks, broken switches, ineffective safety controls, and pilot assembly issues, as well as do an overall inspection to make sure your heater is running efficiently.
To schedule your appointment, contact us. Our professional, experienced technicians are licensed, bonded, and insured. Reach out to us today.
