The health and wellbeing of your family is a service provider’s top priority when they perform any maintenance or installation in your home. From start to finish, a professional will do everything they possibly can to ensure that your comfort and safety remains long after they have gone. Despite an HVAC specialist’s hard work and dedication to your home and family, it’s impossible for them to completely eliminate room for error.

There’s always a possibility that something can break or malfunction within your heating system, so it’s important to be aware of the potential complications that can occur. If your furnace is old, or hasn’t been maintained properly, it could cause serious health problems for you and your family.

By knowing the signs of a problem, you may be able to call a professional before the risk escalates. Here are a few ways that a furnace that needs replacing can affect your health:

Dangerous Carbon Monoxide

This furnace issue may be the most dangerous one of all. Take a look at your pilot light and observe its color. The color code is simple: blue is good, yellow is bad. A blue light means that the gasses working inside of your furnace are perfectly balanced. A yellow pilot light is an indication that your furnace is malfunctioning and that these gases are no longer equal. Any yellow pilot light is a sign that carbon monoxide is leaking, which is dangerous or fatal for your family.

Financial Stress

Concern over money or funding is a part of most people’s lives, but you should always feel comfortable in your home. If your furnace isn’t working efficiently, your electricity bills may skyrocket. An old, damaged, or inadequate furnace won’t be able to heat your home properly. This can lead to energy waste and heat loss, as well as an increase in cost. If you notice that your electricity bill is significantly higher than it used to be, you may need a new furnace. The more money you save in utilities, the less stress you will have!

Breathing Problems

If your furnace isn’t working properly, there’s a good chance that it may be affecting the air quality in your home. Frequent problems with breathing such as asthma and chest related illness, may increase. A heating system that is outdated or damaged can introduce an increase of dust, mold, and pathogens into your home. As your heating system pumps air through the vents, these materials may come along with it. Your air quality is extremely important, and any increase in these issues should be dealt with immediately.

Fire Hazard

The only time you should ever be able to smell gas or oil coming from your furnace is when you turn it on for the first time of the season. If you detect the smell after a use or two, you should contact a professional immediately. Strange odors are an indication that your furnace is not working properly, and could pose a safety hazard to your home and family. Gas and oil are highly flammable, so it’s best to get immediate assistance.

By Milltown Plumbing