Home Maintenance: Large Appliance Safety

When it comes to home maintenance, keeping your large appliances in check isn’t just smart for the longevity of your appliances, but can also decrease your chance of fire and carbon monoxide gas build-up. With fall approaching, it’s a good time to do some routine maintenance checks on some of the large appliances in your home.

Furnace and Water Heater: 

• Regular maintenance will prevent your chance of fire and reduce the production of deadly carbon monoxide gases.
• Check for rusted and/or loose parts or any signs of deterioration, such as water stains or leaking.
• It’s a good idea to schedule annual furnace check-ups, an ideal time for this is before fall hits so your furnace is ready for heating when the colder weather hits.
• Keep flammable products away from your furnace and heater, ex: boxes, paint cans, cleaning supplies, rags and clothing.
• Similar to the last point, don’t use flammable liquids near furnaces or water heaters, ex: gasoline, paint thinners, cleaning products. In the right environment, these vapours can catch on fire.

Dryer: 

• The build-up of lint can be a serious fire hazard, so regular safety and maintenance checks are important.
• Always clean your lint filter before each use and wipe away lint that’s accumulated around the drum, and don’t run the dryer without a lint filter.
• Make sure your dryer is plugged into an outlet that can handle its electricity needs.
• Ensure the air exhaust pipe is not obstructed and that the outdoor flap opens easily.
• Never run your dryer while you are not in your home.