As winter approaches, it’s time to talk about your gas furnace. It will soon start its steady work of keeping your family cozy and safe during another chilly winter in Colorado. We want you to enjoy the best possible performance from your gas furnace, but even more importantly we want you to enjoy a safe performance from it.
Although a gas furnace isn’t an inherently dangerous thing to have in your house, you do need to take some safety precautions each year to ensure it stays operating safely. Our technicians are here to help you with the necessary maintenance work the furnace needs in fall, as well as any furnace repair in Monument, CO you may need during the upcoming winter.
What You Need to Know About Gas Furnace Safety
Any appliance that combusts natural gas to run has the potential to create hazards. There is a risk of uncontrolled combustion and fires, but the more concerning danger is from leaks of toxic gases. The incomplete combustion of natural gas produces a toxic byproduct, carbon monoxide (CO). This is a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas. Exposure to the gas causing nausea, headaches, fatigue, and symptoms similar to the flu. Prolonged exposure will result in death. Each year in Colorado Springs someone dies from carbon monoxide poisoning in their home. That sounds frightening, but these deaths are preventable with the right precautions.
What You Can Do About Furnace Safety
The most important safety precaution you can take is to schedule professional maintenance during the fall with our technicians. We’re experts with gas furnaces and we focus on keeping them running safely. During maintenance, our technicians will give the furnace a close inspection to locate any areas of concern.
For example, one of the ways carbon monoxide can escape from a furnace and into the air of the house is through cracks in the heat exchanger. These cracks can develop over time due to the constant expansion and contraction of the metal of the heat exchanger, or because of corrosion on the heat exchanger’s surface. Our technicians can alert you to this problem and recommend solutions.
If you have a furnace that is more than 15 years old, we advise having it replaced if there’s any indication of a safety concern. Older furnaces can become hazardous more easily.
Another important safety step is to always move promptly to have repairs done when you notice anything amiss with the furnace. Before calling us for repairs (and we’re here 24/7 to act on them), shut off the furnace at the furnace switch, which will stop the flow of gas to it.
You must have CO detectors in your house if you use natural gas in any capacity. You may already have them as part of your smoke detectors. If you don’t, you can purchase them or have them installed. They should be in every bedroom as well as several other key areas of the house. The detectors will alert you to the presence of increased levels of CO so you can vacate your house in time and call the gas company. (Afterwards, you can call us to inspect the furnace.)
Call Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning for gas furnace maintenance. We have 24-hour emergency service available when you need immediate heating repairs.
