Do I need to have my HVAC serviced before turning on the heat this fall?

Fall is definitely in the air.  Highs in the mid 70s and lows dipping down in the upper 30s to low 40s means it is time to bring out the light jackets and blue jeans and it’s time to contact your heating and air conditioning technician to have your HVAC serviced.  A properly serviced unit can not only keep your house warm when you need it, but it can help prevent a furnace fire like one of our customers experienced this week.

Many homeowners don’t think twice about their HVAC units, as long as it cools the house in the summer and warms it in the winter, they feel like their unit is in good shape.  While heating and air conditioning units have become more reliable in the last decade, it is a good idea to have it maintenance on an annual basis for several reasons:

• help to lower your utility bill
• keeps the unit energy efficient
• helps increase the longevity of the unit
• reduces the risk of carbon monoxide
• provides peace of mind that the unit will work when needed
• decreases the risk of fire from dirty burners or defective safety controls

It is still uncertain what caused the fire in our customer’s home.  When I took the call, the homeowner stated that a fire broke out in their crawlspace after turning on the heat for the first time this season.  Luckily they were home and able to get out of the house when the smoke/fire was first detected; and while the fire was contained in the crawlspace, there was still significant damage from smoke throughout the home.  This is also a good time to have your chimney inspected, if you burn fires in your fireplace and to have your gas logs or wood burning stoves serviced/cleaned as fires can break out in chimneys and “puff back” can blow soot into the home causing a big mess as well.

If you are unable to have your HVAC serviced and you experience a fire in your home, give PHC Restoration a call at 919-834-6523.  Our qualified technicians can effectively clean and remove the smoke damage while properly restoring your home back to pre-loss condition.