A home fire is the last thing anyone wants, and it’s especially something we don’t anticipate as we gather for the holidays. According to the National Fire Protection Agency, heating equipment fires are the second leading cause of home fires and typically happen in December, January, and February.
American Restoration Water & Fire highly recommends having your gas furnace inspected annually. Taking preventative steps and keeping your furnace maintained and inspected can reduce the chance of your gas furnace causing a home fire.
There can be many causes of a gas furnace causing a home fire, but American Restoration Water & Fire has some simple yet effective gas furnace fire safety tips to help prevent a furnace fire in your home.
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- Have your gas furnace inspected at the beginning of every heating season before you start it up! This is also an ideal time to schedule a tune-up.
- Furnace repairs should be left to the professionals. An HVAC technician will inspect areas of your furnace you may be unaware of, like: the flue, vent connections, gas pressure, flame color, cracks, and more.
- You can check the walls and ceiling around your furnace for discoloration. Soot discoloration is an indication that you need to have your gas furnace inspected immediately!
- Keep the area around your furnace free of debris such as trash, leaves, paint, or even paper.
- When you change the filter, take the time to vacuum around the unit and clean the vents of dirt buildup. Your furnace relies on proper airflow to function effectively. Maintain a 30-90 day filter replacement schedule for your furnace.
- Make sure your home is equipped with Co2 alarms and smoke detectors. It is also recommended to inspect and replace the batteries on your smoke detectors every year.
If you haven’t considered an annual furnace inspection plan, now is the time! We take fire safety and prevention very seriously and recommend it to all homeowners. Your gas furnace should be the last thing you worry about when you get home, and by taking these steps in ensuring it’s working correctly and effectively, you won’t have to worry too much about it! American Restoration Water & Fire is here for all your water and fire damage restoration needs. For more information regarding our Fire restoration team and how it all works, you can give us a call at 505-206-5277.
