How Heating Repair Can Save You Money and Ensure Your Safety
A professional heating repair isn’t just about comfort. A proper repair can also keep your family safe and save you money on your utility bills.
Heating systems continue to become safer and more energy-efficient with each new innovation, however, all homeowners should still be aware of potential problems that need immediate attention.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is a natural byproduct of combustion and is therefore produced by a variety of heaters including wood-burning stoves. However, today it’s mostly associated with gas heaters. A faulty gas heating system that introduces high levels of carbon monoxide into your home poses an immediate threat to you and the ones you love.
You can’t detect carbon monoxide with your five senses because it has no odor, taste, or color. Homeowners are often not aware of a problem until someone in the household becomes ill with carbon monoxide poisoning.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, poisoning occurs when the air contains too much carbon monoxide. Your body steadily begins filling your red blood cells with carbon monoxide, depriving your organs and tissues of oxygen.
The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Shortness of breath
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Blurred vision
- Loss of consciousness
Sadly, victims of carbon monoxide poison often die in their sleep. During the day, they may be active, going in and out of the home several times, which introduces fresh air into the house. However, overnight when the house is closed tightly against the winter chill, there are enough uninterrupted hours for the carbon monoxide level to become life-threatening.
Natural Gas Leak
Owners of gas furnaces must also be aware of a rotten egg-type of smell. Natural gas is odorless so a chemical smell has been added to it so that a leak can easily be detected.
If you get a whiff of this smell, it’s important not to try to investigate and remedy the problem on your own. This is not a suitable DIY project. A natural gas leak is serious. You should immediately report the leak to your gas company. HVAC Philly will then gladly repair a faulty heater or replace it in order to keep your family safe.
Save Money With Regular Checkups
Naturally, we all want to save money. It’s much easier to save money if your heating system is functioning correctly.
That’s why you should invite HVAC Philly to your home twice a year for seasonal inspections. We can catch minor issues before they become major problems. If you ignore small repairs, they have a way of eventually becoming large and expensive repairs. Besides, you don’t want to take the chance of your unit failing in the middle of a cold Philadelphia night.
The smoother your heating system is operating, the less fuel it uses. That means that you’ll pay less for your utility bills.
As your system ages, it tends to become less efficient. Regular checkups will keep your unit functioning longer, preventing the need to replace the system until you’re ready to do so.
Swapping your outdated thermostat with a new one will give you more accurate control over your heat and reduce your heating costs. If you use a boiler system, make sure that you can control each room with a separate thermostat. This will prevent unnecessary heating of rooms that are not in use.
Making repairs to duct work will also save money in the long run. If the unit is producing heat, but much of the heat is lost before it ever reaches your living quarters, it’s as if you’re tossing money out the window.
Don’t lose money this winter, and don’t put your family at risk. Schedule a checkup for your heating system today by contacting HVAC Philly.
