2 Things to Look Out For When Heating Your Home This Winter

There are a lot of ways in which homeowners may choose to heat their homes during the coldest time of the year in order to keep them warm and comfortable. While electric furnaces and heat pumps are fairly common these days, natural gas heating systems are the preferred method of many homeowners. Natural gas is an outstanding fuel source: affordable, convenient, and relatively clean-burning.

However the combustion of natural gas, and the act of simply piping it to and into your home, does create the opportunity for some safety risks. Modern heating systems are safer and more reliable than ever before, but no heating system is 100% dependable in every way. That is why you should know a few things about heating your home safely throughout the winter season.

Gas leaks pose a very real threat to the safety of everyone in your home. When you schedule routine heating maintenance and have your gas piping installed and serviced by a qualified, licensed professional, the risk of a gas leak is greatly minimized. It is not an impossibility, however. That is why natural gas used in our homes has an additive in it to give it a distinctive odor. You know what we’re talking about.

While natural gas is actually odorless in its natural state, this additive gives it that sulfuric, rotten egg odor that you’ve no doubt smelled at some point. If you smell it when running your heater, shut it off and exit your home immediately. Contact the utility or appropriate authorities to have the problem assessed and resolved. We can handle the necessary heating repairs as need be

Carbon monoxide poisoning is the other major concern when using a combustible fuel source to heat your home. Of course, this includes natural gas. CO is generated by the incomplete combustion of fuels like natural gas, wood, charcoal, etc. It is entirely odorless, colorless, and tasteless, so you cannot recognize its presence on your own as you may with natural gas. That is why it is so important that you have carbon monoxide detectors installed throughout your home. This will alert you to a poisonous gas that you’d otherwise have no idea was in your home: at least, not until recognizable symptoms were already developing.

Be sure to schedule your heating services in Columbus, OH with the professionals here at Quality Air Heating and Air Conditioning.