Prevent Home HVAC Fires

When it’s cold outside, we want to be warm inside. That might mean snuggling up under a blanket, building a fire in your fireplace, or cranking up the heat on your furnace. As tempted as you are to get warm fast, there are some risks involved. Discover the smartest house fire prevention tools from Sunrise.

If you hadn’t done so before the cold weather hit, have your furnace inspected now. An HVAC professional, like the ones at Sunrise Heating and Plumbing, will inspect your furnace and clean out your ducts, ensuring proper airflow and safety when in operation.

For those that have a fireplace in their home, clean out your chimney. When used regularly throughout the season, soot and creosote can build up, creating a potentially dangerous problem for your home and your family. Two options are to hire a chimney sweep, or to use a specially designed chimney sweeping log, like the ones found at your home improvement store.

Trying to heat a smaller space won’t require the heavy work of a furnace, or the delicate care of a fireplace. Instead, you might turn to an electric space heater. As tiny as these portable devices are, they do account for nearly half of all US home heating fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Never leave a space heater unattended, and make sure you place them on a flat, non-flammable surface. Keep them away from curtains or other flammable materials, and make sure you plug them into a GFI system, which will shut off the electricity if any malfunction occurs.

You should not forget about your laundry room, either. The duct that connects to the back of the dryer can collect lint over time, creating a dangerously flammable stockpile. Your dryer’s lint trap can’t collect 100 percent of the lint, and it becomes harder to clear out once it builds up too much. Clear out that duct at least once a year to prevent a fire from building behind the dryer.

Regular maintenance on your heating and cooling system won’t just save you some extra cash on your energy bills, but it can also save your life. Prevent your HVAC system from being a fire danger by knowing what to look out for.

For extra information, and all the help your home would need to stay safe, contact the professionals at Sunrise Heating and Plumbing at (616) 293-9326. We pride ourselves in providing nothing but exceptional customer service.