MyKey Presents: Safety Tips to Prepare your Furnace & Fireplace for Cold Weather

Snow-capped trees, white rooftops, cozy weather, and hot chocolate! Yeah, we do love Winters, don’t we? After all, it is the season of joy, love, and holiday cheers! But are you prepared for it? Is the fireplace properly maintained to avoid an accident? Or have you checked the furnace since last year to ensure it is running correctly? Well, here’s a handy guide for you to get your house safely prepared for cold days and colder nights.

Even though the snow looks beautiful and the sight of snowflakes lazily dancing on the breeze is pleasant when viewed through the window, you still want to keep the cold outside where it belongs during the winter months, don’t you? That is why it is important to keep your furnace and fireplace in check and properly maintained before winter arrives.

Furnaces and fireplaces are used mostly during winters and tend to be heated to high temperatures on extremely cold days. At times, if the gas pressure of the furnace is too high or the fireplace is not maintained properly, the soot in the walls of the heat exchanger might become combustible, leading to a house fire. Statistics show, about two-thirds of house fires in a year are caused by poorly maintained furnaces or fireplaces.

We recommend that you consult with a professional to ensure regular proper maintenance of your furnace and fireplace prior to their first use each year. Here are some things you should also be looking for and staying on top of as a homeowner.