Ah, the furnace room. For many people, this room could be called by many names: The Cat’s Secret Salon, or perhaps The Chamber of Dust. Furnace rooms are often in an inconspicuous corner of the house, and are often used for storing random objects you’ll never look at again. We understand why; furnaces are often in the basement, and you’re usually not using the space for anything else because, well, it’s being taken up by a furnace. The room shouldn’t go neglected, though; that air is circulating through your whole house! Here are a few furnace room maintenance tips.
Keep it Well Lit
You should keep this room very well lit; it helps with routine maintenance to be able to see what you’re doing, and the furnace is liable to obstruct your view, so lighting is essential. This can help you catch defects or leaks early. The most important element of a well-lit room is that furnace emergencies can be extremely dangerous, given the fuels that are often used; when the room isn’t well lit, it’s a serious hazard during emergencies.
Keep it Clutter-Free
Inconspicuous as it may be, your furnace room really isn’t the place to be leaving your unused clutter. Obstruction can reduce air flow to and from the furnace, which can make it less efficient. Again, lack of clutter makes maintenance much easier, and safer in case of emergencies! Make sure to discard old filters when they’re done being used; don’t store them by the furnace!
Keep Hazardous Chemicals Away
Cleaning products, laundry detergent, kitty litter; these things can all cause irritating and potentially hazardous chemicals to circulate through your house if they’re stored near the furnace. Always put a cap on your cleaning products when you’ve finished using them; they’re especially hazardous in the furnace room, but proper storage is a good idea anywhere!
Keep it Tidy
Don’t let dust and other particles go from the furnace room into your lungs; be sure to sweep and dust regularly, and clean around your furnace seasonally, at least. Flammable objects are of course particularly hazardous near your furnace, so keep them far away!
Keep Your Furnace Well-Maintained
Change your furnace filter at least once a year. Inspect your furnace on a regular basis to see if there’s any signs of wear and tear, rust, leakage, or any other potential problems. It’s a good idea to have your furnace maintained by a professional once a year as well; contact qualifid heating contractors to perform routine furnace maintenance on your equipment.
Furnaces have a huge effect on the air quality in our homes, so keeping your furnace room clean can seriously increase your well-being. The air ducts need to be cleaned regularly as well, and routine maintenance can prevent a breakdown from occurring; breakdowns are at best really inconvenient, and at worst potentially life-threatening, so an ounce of prevention really is worth a pound of cure here!