Heat Your Home In Confidence
It’s that time of year again, the time when winter is upon us in full blast. A time when the cold wind seems to seep into your home causing you to run to the heater just to stay warm. But with the threat of carbon monoxide poisoning and other heating dangers, the winter can be a time of worry as well. Carbon Monoxide is a tasteless, odorless, colorless and very poisonous gas that can be a real danger when heating your home. Carbon Monoxide can come from a variety of sources, including unvented fireplaces, furnaces, cooking ranges, water heaters, boilers and other sources. Though carbon monoxide is often mixed with other gasses to give the gas a smell for detection purposes it is quite possible that you could be poisoned by carbon monoxide without even knowing it. Though a furnace can be great to warm yourself in the winter, how do you know you’re protected? Here are a few ways:
Alarms Aren’t Just for Fire!
A great way to help protect your home from the dangers of carbon monoxide is to purchase a detector! These tiny devices will detect the first trace of carbon monoxide in your home and immediately alert you to its presence allowing you to get to safely away. Just like having a fire detector, a carbon monoxide detector does require regular maintenance as well. Change batteries yearly, and make sure that if you do install a detector, you have at least one per floor of your home.
Keep Clear the Area!
Another great tip to heating your wintery house in confidence is by keeping the area near the furnace clear of all dangerous combustible materials. Though this tip seems like a no-brainer, there are many substances you may have laying around that you aren’t even aware that are in fact combustible. Have paint-thinner lying around near your furnace? That’s a combustible substance. A combustible substance can be anything that could potentially catch fire, so be sure that the area around your furnace is crystal clear, and you will be in the clear as well.
Get Your Heating Units Serviced!
Whether you’re looking at a fireplace, or a heater, there’s never anything bad about a good service! A good inspector can detect any problem areas that you may have well before they become a dangerous problem, like a gas leak, or potential combustion problems. It is recommended that at least once a year you get your furnace inspected, especially if your furnace is an older model.
How Do You Choose a Service Technician?
Ready to get your furnace serviced but are unsure where to start? There are great companies just waiting to help you! Make sure the technician you’re looking to hire is well certified, that can make a huge difference in the sort of service you get. Look for companies that have extra proficiencies with your brand of furnace as well, as different brands may require different knowledge from your technicians. For heating service in your area be sure to contact our preferred vendors: MAM AC & Refrigeration Co.; True Cool AC; AirTech Air Conditioning