4 Important Furnace Safety Tips

November 21, 2022 | Blog

Furnaces are an essential part of keeping warm in winter. As part of your central heating unit, it distributes the heated air through the house using your air ducts. While furnaces are a dream come true, they can be an absolute nightmare when not taken care of.

Luckily, at Foulks Southern Air Heating and Cooling, we have a few things to keep your heating system safety in top condition:

1. Keeping It Clean

One of your first priorities in keeping your furnace safe and usable is to make sure to clean it. While it can be a chore, constant dust and debris entering your furnace can cause damage over time. This means that you’ll have to invest in furnace replacement sooner than planned, which is a pain on your wallet and resources.

The best way to clean your furnace is by using a vacuum. Handheld vacuums allow for a lot of flexibility in movement as well as the ability to reach in smaller spaces. If you don’t have a handheld vacuum suitable for the job, you can use a duster or cloth. Make sure the furnace is completely cool before cleaning!

2. Play By The Rules

One of your biggest allies in heating maintenance is information. The life of your furnace can increase by following the prewritten guidelines. Looking at the instructions provided can give some great insight into common mistakes.

Part of playing by the rules is also enforcement. If you have kids in your house that are getting too curious about the furnace, it can end in disaster. Playing around the furnace results in burns, and blockages around the furnace take oxygen out of the home. This is dangerous and will affect the heating system’s lifespan.

3. Regularly Replace Parts

Making sure your parts and utilities are up to date can save you a lot of hassle later on. Inside the machine, you need to make sure to replace your air filter.

Damaged or dirty filters can cause regular furnace breakdowns and performance problems. Changing your filter every month or two will prevent furnace problems. However, changing needs to happen more often if you smoke or have pets.

Outside of the furnace, try your best to make sure that your carbon dioxide and smoke alarms are up to date. Every year, replace your battery on these utilities to make sure they’re working. Placing detectors on every level of the home will detect dangerous levels of smoke faster.

4. Be On The Lookout

Keeping a close eye on your furnace can prevent a lot of heartbreak in the future. If you notice that your furnace isn’t performing like it used to, or is just acting plain strange, watch out for these signs:

Home simply isn’t getting warmer
Burning smell
The fan is making a loud noise
The heater is constantly turning on or off
You smell rotten eggs (carbon monoxide gas)

If you smell carbon monoxide gas, take your family out of the house immediately and seek medical intervention. Try to stay out of the house until you get your furnace checked. All of these warning signs warrant intervention from a professional technician.

Wondering About Your Furnace Safety?

Here at Foulks Southern Air, we care about Louisiana families. Hammond heating services can be hard to come by, and we don’t want your home’s air to be a point of stress in your life. We pride ourselves on our transparent pricing and evaluations so you’re never left in the dark!