Home Heating Safety

Cooler weather and increased holiday energy usage can present a challenge when you’re looking for ways to save energy. Here are some tips to help you use energy safely and efficiently during the winter months, or you can download - Facts About Home Heating.

Floor Furnaces

  • Avoid lint build-up by vacuuming floor furnace regularly.
  • Keep children away from the grill, as it gets very hot.
  • Avoid fires - don't place rugs, furniture or combustible items over the grill or block the airflow.

Wall Furnaces

  • Clean inside the burner compartment of built-in vented wall furnaces once a month during the heating season.

Central Gravity Furnaces

  • Keep furnace heat registers free of obstructions.
  • Don't store items nearby which might stop the airflow.

Central Forced-Air Heating

  • Many gas furnaces use room air to operate and lint and dust carried by that air,can block airflow. In order to operate safely and efficiently, your gas furnace must be free of dust and lint build-up. Also, be sure to avoid storing near the furnace, such as newspapers or cleaning equipment.
  • Most forced-air furnaces have a filter that should be checked monthly for lint build-up and cleaned or replaced if necessary.
  • When installing a new or cleaned filter, be sure to re-install the front panel door of the furnace properly. Never operate the furnace without the front-panel door properly in place because doing so may create the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
    • Most newer forced-air furnaces have a safety switch that prevents furnace operation when the filter compartment door/panel is not in place. Some older forced-air furnaces do not have this safety feature and can be operated with the door/panel off or not properly in place.
    • These older furnaces, when installed in a closet and operated with the panel/door not in place, will circulate carbon monoxide throughout the house.

CAUTION: Unvented gas heaters are unsafe

Using an unvented gas heater in your home is a violation of the California Health and Safety Code. These heaters are not approved for use in homes because --

  • Poor operation can result in an accumulation of hazardous fumes.
  • Unless a room heater has enough air from an outside vent or an open window, all of the oxygen in a room can be used up, resulting in illness or death.
  • The flames in these heaters are not fully covered, which could result in fires.
  • Never use your oven, range or outdoor barbecue to heat your home because these appliances are not designed for this purpose.

Furnace Recalls

California Furnaces Recalled by CPSC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced a furnace repair or replacement program for certain horizontally mounted forced air furnaces manufactured by Consolidated Industries and located in attics. Further information is available at the Consumer Product Safety Commission.