With a heating system, you can keep your space warm and comfortable throughout winter. But this heating system is responsible for thousands of fires each year. Follow these four HVAC safety tips for heating systems if you want to keep your house safe during winter.

4 Safety Tips for Heating Systems in Winter

1.   Inspect the Heating Units

As you’ll be using your heating system after a year, it’s advised to inspect your heat pump or boiler before using them again. This will protect you from accidental fires and ensure your safety.

As a part of the heating system’s inspection, you should clean and replace the air filter of your furnace or heat pump. After that, if any of the components in your heating unit is damaged, you should repair or replace them ASAP. Then check the furnace thermostat and lubricate the HVAC parts. Besides, don’t forget to check the condition of the electrical wiring of your heat pump or furnace.

If the electrical wires are worn or damaged, you’ll have to replace them.

All these not only protect you from fires but also increase the efficiency of your heating unit. For example, replacing the furnace air filter allows your heating system to have more airflow, which eventually increases the HVAC efficiency.

If you’re not comfortable or have no time to do all these, you can call a heating professional and get your heating unit inspected. Undoubtedly, a professional heating inspection will give you more insights into your heating system.

2.   Check Your Home Alarm Systems

When you have a functioning home alarm system, it’ll notify you when the carbon monoxide level goes up or there’s a fire in your house.

The furnace burns the fuel and keeps your space warm and comfortable. During this burning process, the furnace produces carbon monoxide, which is very poisonous. As you’ll be running your furnace throughout the winter, the chances of carbon monoxide poisoning are very high. But when you have a functioning carbon monoxide sensor, it’ll notify you as soon as the CO level goes up. As a result, you can take necessary measures and protect yourself from CO poisoning.

It’s advised to have both a fire safety alarm and carbon monoxide sensor in your house. If you already have these alarm systems, before the start of the winter, you must check whether the alarms are functioning properly or not. If possible, you should test these alarm systems once every month.

Again, to lower the carbon monoxide level in your house, you must keep the vents in your house clear. Besides, you should never store any furniture right in front of the vents.

3.   Use Portable Space Heater Sensibly

Like any other heating unit, while using a portable space heater, you’ll have to follow the guidelines set by the manufacturer.

Most people become careless while using portable heating systems and they don’t realize that even these portable units can cause a disaster.

In fact, a good number of house fires are initiated by the portable space heater. But does that mean you shouldn’t use the portable space heater? No. But you’ll have to use the portable heating unit more sensibly.

For example, while using the portable heater, you should never leave any shoes or clothe near the heating system. Otherwise, they can catch fire and light your entire house. Besides, you must disconnect the portable space heater every time you go out.

Also, you should never use an extension cord or a damaged cord in the portable space heater.

4.   Buy Heating System with Plastic Exterior

If you’re planning to purchase a heating system this winter, try to buy a heating unit that comes with a plastic exterior. It’ll protect you and your children from accidental burns.

Nowadays, most space heater has a plastic exterior rather than a metal exterior. This is because metal can transfer heat, and plastic cannot.

When there is a metal exterior on the heating unit, you could get burned if you touch it. But in the case of the plastic exterior, you don’t have such a risk. That’s why if you have pets or children, you should always go for a heating unit that comes with a plastic exterior.

See the summary of this content here in this infographic – 4 Heating System Safety Tips for Winter [Infographic]