Heater startup maintenance is best handled by professionals!!
It’s finally fall! As we all know, fall means Football and a break from the scorching heat. Probably none of us have turned on our heaters yet, (at least here in the south) but we soon will. This is the perfect opportunity and timing to have our system checked out to make sure that it is running properly and safely so we won’t be left out in the Cold! A professional service technician is best suited for this job. They have special tools, expertise, and testing equipment that allows for a thorough and proper check of a very important piece of machinery. Both gas and heat pump units should always be checked before turning on for the first time after months of non-use.
Electric units are less prone to have issues, but it is always best to have them checked, especially for debris around the elements that could start a fire. That funny odor you smell when you first turn it on is small particles of dust, lint, etc. actually burning off of the element. So, if there happened to be anything other than dust around you can bet it would not be pretty. I have actually seen pieces of a charred manual coming through a duct register after being burned by the element. The people in that house were extremely fortunate that the manual fire was extinguished by the air blowing on it and not ‘fanning’ it.
Gas units are extremely important to have checked out, not just for fire possibilities, but for CO leaks as well. If you have gas appliances you should make sure you have CO detectors in your house as well! The service tech will check your unit for proper heating and function, but for gas leaks and CO level tests as well. This is very important because if the CO levels get too high and you are sleeping, you won’t realize anything is wrong and it can result in bad headaches and even death.
So, don’t take chances this fall with your heater malfunctioning just when you need it, and just enjoy the cooler weather and some great football on your couch in a cozy and warm living room!!
