Winter has marked its arrival and just in case you are not ready enough to welcome it with a ‘warm greeting’, we are prepared to help you through it. It is a no brainier to understand that during winters, home appliances such as water heaters and furnaces, that keep you warm are used to the maximum. It is, therefore, necessary that your appliances are in a tip-top condition to fight off the wrath of the winter season.

This blog will walk you through 4 essential “DO’s” to ensure that your home is ready for winter.

Check for Leaks:
During winters, it is crucial that you avoid any possible safety hazards from operating the furnace in your home. Furnaces produce an unsafe gas called Carbon Monoxide (CO). Usually, the gas is directed through the furnace’s fuel pipe and safely vented out of your home. However, for many reasons, the furnaces can develop cracks in their heat exchanger or fuel pipes thereby causing a CO leak into your home’s air. A leaking water heater on the other hand can cause some serious structural damage to your property with moisture on walls and floors of your home. Moreover, if the water heater is located in proximity of other electrical appliances or wires, then a leak in the system poses a serious electrocution threat to you and your family. Although an explosion is a quite rare mishap, but if the Temperature & Pressure (T&P) valve ceases to function properly, pressure can build up within the heater, weakening the tank and leading to explosion. Furthermore, a leak in the system will increase your energy bills and overwork your heating unit. Make sure to check the air leaks at least once every month, during winters and address them if necessary.

Immunize The Insulation:
The purpose of insulation is to obstruct the flow of electric current between points of different potentials in an electrical system. It is important to note here that failure of insulation is the most common cause of problems in electrical equipment. It doesn’t matter how well your insulation was placed when you first got your heating unit because at some point of time something or the other will happen to it which makes it prone to failure. Some of the common reasons for insulation failure include natural deterioration due to age, excessive voltage stresses, chemical deterioration, etc. Once you lose insulation, you will immediately lose heat and energy. It is required that whenever you clean your heating system, be it water heaters or furnaces, you should inspect the insulation and check for leaks.

Alter The Filters:
Ignorance or laziness in maintaining the furnace can lead to huge risks for your heating system as well as you. Especially, if you fail to inspect and remedy the internal components of the furnace and water heaters such as air filters and anode rods, then the consequences can impact adversely to your health and that of your family members. Dirty furnace filters attract pollen & debris and decrease the productivity of your system. These filthy filters block the air flow to the furnaces which can cause damage to the furnace motor. They will also not filter dust & micro-organisms from the air thereby increasing the likelihood of allergic reactions or breathing irritants.By replacing those filters every few months, the air in your home will stay clean & healthy and the system will perform at maximum efficiency. Talking about water heaters, an anode rod is a steel core wire surrounded with either aluminum, magnesium or zinc set up inside the heater. These rods are the most important factor in determining the life of water heaters. These rods corrode and degrade thereby protecting the tank lining from taking any damage. Make sure to inspect them regularly during winter, when the system is being continuously used.

Carbon Monoxide Detector:
Carbon Monoxide (CO) can be produced by improper installation, application or ventilation of generators, furnaces or any other device that burns charcoal. The threats imposed by Carbon Monoxide gas can be toxic and fatal. At higher concentrations, people can experience impaired vision and coordination, headaches or nausea. Its exposure can also cause flu-like symptoms. It is important to note here that CO is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas and therefore, it is almost impossible to detect its presence without any technical help. By setting up a Nest Protect Carbon Monoxide Detector or similar device in your home you will hear an alarm about any of the potential dangers or leakages.

HWisel provides water heater and furnace repair service for almost all the brands. An added bonus if you own a Rinnai water heater or a Goodman Furnace is that HWisel is here to provide quick and effective fixes!

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