Furnace Safety Checks Before Winter in Ajax
Efficiency and comfort get most of the attention, but a gas furnace is first of all a combustion appliance in your basement. Before the heating season gets going in Ajax, these are the safety checks that matter most.
Carbon monoxide alarms
Ontario requires CO alarms near sleeping areas in homes with fuel-burning appliances. Press the test button, check the date on the back (most alarms need replacing after 7 to 10 years), and swap batteries if needed. A CO alarm is the only reliable warning of a venting or combustion problem.
Venting
High-efficiency furnaces vent through plastic pipe out the side of the house. Make sure the intake and exhaust outside aren’t blocked by leaves, shrubs, or, later in the season, snow drifts. Mid-efficiency furnaces vent into a chimney or metal flue; the connector pipe should be sealed, sloped upward and free of rust holes.
The heat exchanger
The heat exchanger separates combustion gases from the air you breathe. Cracks develop with age and with overheating, usually from years of restricted airflow. A technician inspects it during a service, often with a camera, and we test combustion with an analyzer to look for signs of trouble.
Burners and flame
Burners should light smoothly and produce a steady blue flame. Delayed ignition (a small “boom” when it lights), yellow flames or soot are signs to get the furnace checked.
Clearances around the furnace
Basements fill up with stuff. Keep paint, solvents, gasoline and cardboard boxes away from the furnace and water heater, and don’t block the air supply in a furnace room with a door that’s always closed unless it has proper combustion air openings.
Filter and airflow
Overheating from poor airflow is the main thing that ages a heat exchanger. A clean filter and open registers protect the furnace and you.
If your furnace hasn’t been serviced in over a year, now is a good time. See our heating services or book a visit at 647-657-2977. We work in Ajax and across the GTA, and emergency service is available 24/7.
