With the advent of winter, testing carbon monoxide detectors, smoke detectors and your heating system go a long way toward assuring your family’s health and safety. This is especially true if you use any natural gas appliances or have an attached garage. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, two-thirds of house fires occur during the winter, causing over $2 billion dollars in damage and loss of life.
Have Your HVAC System Checked
Many of the homes in The Woodlands area use gas furnaces for heating. Homeowners should have them inspected for safe and efficient operation once a year. The HVAC technicians go through the entire system, adjusting and cleaning all the components, and verifying that all of the safety switches work. They inspect the seal between the gas line and its fittings and adjust the air-to-gas ratio to increase its energy efficiency and home safety. It’s just as important to have a heat pump inspected and maintained for the heating season. Routine cleaning and adjusting the parts improves its efficiency and prevents any of its electrical components from overheating.
Verify the operation of CO alarms.
Testing carbon monoxide detectors is crucial for safety. CO is odorless and colorless and can build to lethal levels from malfunctioning appliances, lack of indoor ventilation, fumes entering the house from the garage or barbecuing too close to an open window. Detectors have a test button that will sound if the battery is working. CO detectors use more battery power than smoke detectors. Depending on the manufacturer, these may need to be tested monthly for your health and safety.
Test the smoke detectors.
Smoke alarms have the same test button that CO detectors do. If it fails to sound, change the battery. If it still won’t work, it’s a good idea to replace the detector with a new one. The average smoke alarm has a lifespan of 10 years, a few years longer than a CO detector.
The experts at Bradbury Brothers Cooling, Plumbing, and Electrical can service your furnace and heat pump, along with testing carbon monoxide detectors for your health and safety. We provide top-notch HVAC services for The Woodlands homeowners and businesses.
