If you use a gas furnace in your home or business, consider these four gas furnace safety tips to keep in mind to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the building.
When fuel is used to power an appliance, we must be mindful of following best practices for safety and wellbeing.
As HVAC professionals, our team at Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning are experts in gas furnace safety. We have provided a list of crucial tips to keep in mind so you can safely enjoy the warmth and coziness your gas furnace provides.
Follow Gas Furnace Safety Tips by Installing Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Gas furnaces can produce carbon monoxide as a by-product of their combustion process. When the heating system is working correctly, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide are vented safely outside your home.
However, leaks can happen if the furnace is damaged, and therefore it’s critical to install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home and near all sleeping areas.
Carbon monoxide can cause serious and potentially deadly health effects by lowering the oxygen level in your blood. Remember that we can not detect carbon monoxide through our senses. Therefore, installing carbon monoxide detectors on every level of the home and near every sleeping area is crucial to catching a leak.
Schedule Regular Maintenance
HVAC professionals performing scheduled maintenance inspections once or twice a year can catch any problems that need resolution before they become costly repairs or turn into dangerous situations. There are many parts to a functioning gas furnace, and the best way to ensure your furnace is functioning properly, and therefore safely, is by calling in an HVAC expert.
At Beebe Heating & Air Conditioning, we recommend scheduling regular maintenance inspections at least once a year, and ideally, once in the fall and once in the spring.
Keep Furnace Area Clear of Debris and Storage
You may feel tempted to store items near your furnace to save space. Storing items near your furnace is not wise due to the potential for a fire this scenario can cause. Always keep the area around your gas furnace clear of debris or storage.
Even if you have your furnace in a larger room that you use for storage, such as a basement, make sure that you allow several feet between the furnace and any other objects. Doing so lowers the risk of a fire starting and maintains clear and easy access to your furnace for maintenance, inspection, and repairs.
Watch for Discolored Gas Furnace Flame
The gas furnace flame should burn blue. You need to quickly call an HVAC technician to diagnose and repair a problem if you notice yellow, orange, or green streaks or a complete color change.
Changing flame color means the furnace is not burning at the correct oxygen and gas mixture. Of particular note, if you notice a yellow flame there is a buildup of carbon monoxide through incomplete combustion.
The buildup may be small enough not to cause health effects but always err on the side of safety and call in an HVAC technician. If you notice a discolored furnace flame and feel any early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning like headache, nausea, fatigue, or dizziness, you should vacate the home until an HVAC team can fix the problem.
Follow Gas Furnace Safety Tips and Schedule Maintenance with Us Today
Preventative maintenance is always key to best practices for ensuring efficiency, longevity, and safety.
If you live in Kansas City, follow our gas furnace safety tips and schedule a maintenance call today with our expert team at Beebe Heating and Air Conditioning.