When your gas furnace is operating properly, it’s a perfectly safe appliance to have in your home. However, there are a few things that can go wrong with your furnace that can create safety hazards indoors. By following the gas furnace safety tips below, you can protect your home from those potential threats, and rest assured that your furnace runs safely throughout the heating season.

Safety tips for avoiding a carbon monoxide leak from your gas furnace

Carbon monoxide leaks can develop if there is a problem with your gas furnace’s heat exchanger or venting system. One of the best ways to prevent a carbon monoxide leak is to have your furnace inspected, cleaned, and serviced once a year. During an annual tune-up, our technicians will ensure that your furnace is running safely and fix any problems that might pose a safety hazard to your home.

Another way to avoid carbon monoxide leaks is to keep up with your air filter changes. Dirty filters can block airflow to your furnace and cause your heat exchanger to overheat. Over time, this can cause your heat exchanger to crack – allowing dangerous carbon monoxide fumes to leak into your home’s air.

Because carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas, it’s also important to install carbon monoxide detectors in your home. These will alert your family of carbon monoxide leaks before it’s too late.

Safety tips for avoiding gas furnace fire hazards

Fire hazards from your furnace are relatively easy to avoid as long as you keep the area around your unit clean and tidy. Don’t store anything (particularly flammable materials) in the area around your furnace. This is also helpful because it makes your furnace easily accessible for you when you need to change your filter as well as for your technician when your furnace needs to be serviced.

Also, avoid storing any combustible materials anywhere near your furnace. This includes common household products such as paint thinners and cleaning chemicals that might be stored away in the same section of your home as your furnace.

Make sure that your home’s smoke alarms are installed and working properly so that you can be alerted if a fire does develop in your home.

If you have any questions about these gas furnace safety tips, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Charles furnace repair company. We service the St. Louis area and surrounding cities like Clarkson Valley, Frontenac, and Town and Country.

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