Most homes in the US, including in Drexel Hill, PA, rely on gas furnaces for heat. They’re efficient, effective, and reliable. However, any kind of controlled indoor combustion does come with some risks. Understanding how gas furnaces operate and ensuring safe usage is essential to minimize those risks. With that in mind, here are seven critical safety tips for homeowners.
1. Never Skip Yearly Maintenance
The most essential safety tip is never to skip annual furnace maintenance. Your HVAC technician will perform various important tasks during each yearly maintenance visit, including inspecting your furnace’s burners and heat exchangers. A malfunctioning burner can dramatically reduce your furnace’s efficiency. That happens because your furnace isn’t fully burning its fuel. This can lead to a gas leak in your home when the combustion chamber can’t accommodate any more unused fuel.
If your heat exchanger develops cracks, it may allow carbon monoxide into your home. Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas that can be fatal in high concentrations. During a maintenance visit, your HVAC technician will also test your furnace’s safety systems. That includes checking its flame and temperature sensors. Those critical safety devices turn off your furnace’s gas supply when it malfunctions.
2. Perform Regular Air Filter Changes
Another way to keep your furnace operating safely is to remember to replace its air filter on time. Most furnaces require a filter change roughly once every three months. A dirty filter can restrict airflow through your furnace. While that may not sound like a big deal, it can cause multiple safety issues inside your furnace. One is an increased risk of a phenomenon known as fire rollout. When the air filter prevents sufficient oxygen from reaching the burners, the flame will look for more. It’ll do it by leaving the combustion chamber and moving into the area surrounding your furnace.
A clogged air filter also forces your heating system to run at abnormally high temperatures. This will shorten its lifespan and carry additional fire risk.
3. Keep the Area Around Your Furnace Clean
Now that you know about the dangers of a fire rollout, the next tip should be obvious. You should always keep the area around your furnace clean. That means removing flammable items and creating a safe perimeter around your furnace. Most furnaces need roughly 30 inches of free space on all sides to function safely. This also ensures your furnace has an ample fresh air supply to support efficient combustion. However, it’s best to consult your furnace’s manual or manufacturer to determine its specific requirements.
4. Open All of Your Home’s Vents
Just as a clogged air filter can cause dangerous furnace operating conditions, so can too many closed vents. To keep your furnace operating safely, you should open them all. It’s safe to close a vent or two to adjust the temperature in your rooms if necessary. However, you force heated air inside your furnace if you close too many. If you’re dealing with hot and cold spots in your home, consider having your ducts air-balanced to solve the problem safely. An HVAC technician will have the equipment necessary to measure the airflow through your vents. Then, they can make adjustments that won’t create any furnace safety risks.
5. Periodically Inspect Your Furnace Flame
When your furnace operates properly, it will almost wholly burn all its fuel supplies. There’s a simple way to see if it’s doing so. To do it, look at the color of your furnace’s burner flames. Complete combustion requires the perfect mix of oxygen and natural gas in the combustion chamber. It should always produce a light blue flame. If you see any other color flame inside your furnace, something’s wrong. Malfunctioning burners may produce yellow, orange, or green flame.
Those colors indicate incomplete combustion occurring inside your furnace. Checking your burner flame’s color once a month can alert you to problems before they escalate.
6. Install and Maintain Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Besides fire, carbon monoxide is the most serious threat to your safety that your home’s furnace can produce. Therefore, installing and maintaining carbon monoxide detectors throughout your home is essential. You should have at least one on each floor, including one within 20 feet of your furnace. Also, you should test each detector at least once monthly according to its manufacturer’s instructions.
Be aware that carbon monoxide detectors do expire. Most have an expected lifespan of between five and ten years. You should find an expiration date printed on each detector’s case. After those dates, there’s no guarantee that your detectors will operate even if they pass their self-tests. Timely replacements are important, so remember to note those expiration dates on your calendar.
7. Mind Your Furnace’s Age
As your furnace ages, the odds of malfunctioning or becoming unsafe increase. If you follow the necessary yearly maintenance schedule, you can expect about 15 years of reliable service. Beyond that time, your furnace will likely begin needing more frequent repairs. Eventually, major components will start wearing out, leading to safety issues. One of the most common problems old furnaces develop is cracks in their heat exchangers.
Before that happens, you should consider replacing your furnace with a newer system. Newer furnaces have more comprehensive and sensitive safety systems that detect abnormal operating conditions. They also use more durable construction materials that improve system longevity.
You might also consider switching your home to a heat pump, which would significantly improve its safety. Heat pumps don’t consume fuel to heat your home, so they pose virtually no fire risk. They also can’t suffer from carbon monoxide leaks for the same reason. Heat pumps are a fully electric heating solution. You will also benefit from the extra energy efficiency of using a heat pump. They can be up to four times as efficient as the average gas furnace under the right operating conditions.
A heat pump will also serve your home’s heating and cooling needs. That means one fewer system to maintain and simpler operations all year long. Heat pumps are even eligible for tax credits, making them a cheaper option than a new furnace.
Heating System Safety Experts
O'Brien Heating & Air Conditioning has served Drexel Hill homeowners since 1955. We offer complete HVAC solutions, including installations, repair, and maintenance services. We also handle commercial HVAC systems, heat pumps, and water heaters. Our team of expert HVAC technicians has the latest training and years of practical know-how. They’re qualified to maintain gas furnaces of every make and model, ensuring their safe and efficient operation.
We’re a Lennox Premier Dealer and a York Certified comfort expert. So, when you need a new furnace or heating solution, we’ll provide one of the highest quality. We can even offer financing on approved credit and help you with available rebates. We’re also Better Business Bureau accredited with an A+ rating. So, if you need furnace maintenance for your home in Drexel Hill, contact O'Brien Heating & Air Conditioning today!
