Heating with gas is one of the most efficient ways to warm your home, but when you’re running a gas furnace, safety has to come first. These recommendations can increase your safety, and your energy efficiency as well.
- Install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector at least 15 feet from the furnace. Any closer and trace amounts of CO that result at ignition could trigger a false alarm. Ideally, you should have one detector for each level of your home, but if you’re phasing them in, place the detector away from a bathroom and near the master bedroom. Humidity interferes with CO detection. Since CO is odorless and colorless, it’s important to have the alarm near the bedroom to awaken you when you sleep. The alarm should be placed at eye-level or above.
- Have your furnace serviced annually. Not only does this help you save energy, it can also keep you safe. HVAC technicians clean and adjust your system, oil the motor and check any belts. They adjust the air-to-fuel ratio and look for cracks in the heat exchanger or burner.
- Clean or change the air filter for the air handler when it gets dirty. It’s a good idea to check it monthly. Clogged filters slow the passage of air through the air handler, which keeps the heat exchanger warmer. Eventually it can crack, which can spew CO into your ducts. Poor airflow also reduces efficiency and costs you in wasted energy.
- It’s important when you’re running a gas furnace to teach your family members what to do if they smell gas. Show them how to turn off the gas to your home and inform them that they should exit immediately. Keep the emergency number for your gas company in an obvious spot, or tell them to call 911 to report the leak.
If you’d like more information about running your furnace safely and efficiently this winter, please contact us at Donald P. Dick Air Conditioning. We’ve provided quality HVAC services for the San Joaquin Valley for more than 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Fresno, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about gas furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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