Before a heating system is installed in a home, several steps must be followed in order to keep everyone safe. If you want to tackle and complete a heating system installation job without worrying about fire risks and hazards, these five tips can be very beneficial.
Never Place Flammable Near Vents
In order to prevent sudden fires, you'll need to keep flammable items three feet away from a heating source. The most common flammable items that can ignite in a home are:
- Rubbing alcohol: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hundreds of fires start when homeowners place rubbing alcohol near heating sources. This type of alcohol is dangerous because it has highly flammable chemicals that vaporize rapidly. To ensure total safety, you should always keep rubbing alcohol far away from a heater whenever you're going to dramatically increase the temperature in an compact, enclosed space, such as a bathroom.
- Gasoline: In the United States, over 8,000 house fires happen because homeowners don't store gasoline properly in a garage. A UL-approved container is the solution to this problem as it can shield gasoline from high heat that blasts through a heating system.
- Aerosol cans: Aerosol cans can explode when increased heat builds up in the surroundings. In order to prevent explosions, you must direct heat away from cabinets that hold these kinds of cans.
Tackle Wire Maintenance Tasks Properly
Heating systems that use a thermostat will require wire maintenance. The best way to avoid frequent maintenance is by letting a professional tackle an entire wiring routine. By working with a professional, you could avoid:
- Simple power problems: The thermostat is the main device that controls when and how long a heating system operates. If this piece of hardware has a simple power problem, an HVAC system won't function properly. When a professional technician wires an HVAC thermostat, strategic steps are always taken to prevent inconsistencies that can impact performance and safety.
- Mismatched hardware: All heating systems are designed to work with a specific type of thermostat. The main thermostat options have low-voltage or high-voltage hardware. If the wrong type of thermostat is used to power an HVAC unit, a system failure will happen. When a problem is severe, it could impact safety.
- Improper temperature readings: If an HVAC unit has hardware that provides inaccurate readings, the system won't shut off when it should. Professional technicians always test wires thoroughly in order to prevent thermostat temperature problems.
Prep the Home for the Wiring
If your home is in a rural area, you must implement tactical procedures to protect wires that will run to the area where you'll place the HVAC system. Since rats commonly roam around in rural communities, they can bite through wires after accessing vulnerable areas on a property. However, there are ways to keep rats and mice away from an HVAC system's wiring, and you can get ideal results without making a large investment.
Rural rats are always hunting for food. When they find food, they stay on a property where the food is available in order to constantly harvest the scraps and crumbs. If you put your trash in cheap, thin bags, dogs and cats may tear through the plastic using their teeth and claws. After this happens, food debris will land on the ground, and the scent will attract rural rats on your property. This is why you must seal all of your trash inside thick, heavy-duty trash bags outdoors.
Besides rats, other things can also tear and damage HVAC wiring, such as sharp landscaping tools. In order to avoid accidents, simply install your HVAC system in a practical spot so that the wiring won't touch the ground.
Secure Kid Zones
When an HVAC system isn't protected, many things can damage key hardware. On properties where children play, most homeowners have to deal with safety and performance issues that are caused by projectile sports balls. Balls that fly through the air rapidly are risky because they can smash into an HVAC system and cause mild to several damage. If kids play on your property, you can protect your HVAC unit after it's installed by building a barrier around the hardware. For this task, you'll need a fence that's solid, durable, and strong. The best fence materials that can protect an HVAC system are:
- Wood: A wooden fence can block speedy balls that fly near your HVAC system. However, since wood attracts pests, you'll need to treat the material with paint in order to keep rodents away.
- Aluminum: An aluminum fence is an ideal option for a yard in a rainy climate because the material doesn't rust easily. If you pick an aluminum fence that has a railing system, the rails will block balls and increase curb appeal on your property.
- Stainless steel: A stainless steel fence should be placed around an HVAC system in a yard that has weeds and bugs. If you soak a weed killer or a bug spray on this type of fence, the material won't damage as it can handle harsh chemicals.
Implement Filter Cleaning Procedures Regularly
Shortly after an HVAC system is installed, dust will begin to generate on the air filter. If a large cluster of dust stays on a filter for a long time, an HVAC system will struggle whenever the hardware tries to heat the air in an environment.
In order to keep your system running properly, you must develop a cleaning schedule so that you'll always clean the filter on time. After you have a practical schedule, make a chart and post it in a common area in your home.
If an air filter can be reused multiple times, you can cleanse it by washing the housing in warm, soapy water. By swishing the filter around in the water, you'll remove thick dust that could clog an HVAC system and start a fire.
A filter that isn't reusable should be replaced whenever heavy dust builds up on the housing. During replacement situations, always replace the old filter with a proper filter that's designed for your specific HVAC unit.
These strategies will help you maintain a high level of safety while using an heating system. If you need help installing a complicated system, consider working with one of Canberras best heating companies.
