Ready for Winter?
After an oddly warm Christmas season, cold temperatures are returning to Charlottesville. When temperatures plummet, a warm home is the best place to be.
To stay warm this winter, don’t forget to care for your heating system so it can care for you and your family.
Skipping just one scheduled HVAC maintenance visit can result in expensive repairs, and even contribute to issues that endanger your family.
Fire Prevention
Improperly maintained HVAC — furnaces, boilers, and heat pumps — are among the top causes of house fires in winter months. The U.S. Fire Administration blames heating problems as a top contributor to the 400,000 residential fires that occur each year.
Home fires are often fatal. Even if your family escapes unharmed, a fire in your home can cause substantial property damage and wreak havoc on your daily routines.
Early Detection and Repair Save Lives
Left untreated, damage to electrical wiring, gas or propane lines can lead to a fire and even explosions.
Don’t Risk Your Family’s Safety
Fire prevention is a top priority every time our heating technicians perform regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance inspections at your home. Our highly trained HVAC technicians inspect your heating system for breaks, gashes, tears, leaks, damaged wires and overloaded or improperly wired circuits.
HVAC Safety Recommendations
In addition to keeping your appointments for regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance inspections, Fitch Services recommends you:
- Install a smoke detector near the base of your heating system
- Change smoke detector batteries at least once every 6 months
Heating Failure Can Be Life Threatening
Losing your heat for just one night can be uncomfortable. But when you and your family are without heat for an extended period, severe medical conditions such as frostbite and hypothermia can occur.
Frostbite can begin after only a few minutes in temperatures below 30 °F. Extremities such as fingers and toes are first to feel the sting, which is followed by numbness. If untreated, frostbite can require amputation.
Hypothermia can be deadly. Uncontrollable shivering can progress quickly to slurred speech and diminished brain activity.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon Monoxide is one of the deadliest gasses on Earth. The CDC estimates 20,000 Americans will be treated for CO poisoning this year.
Carbon Monoxide leaks can occur without warning.
Leaks can originate from a blocked chimney or a damaged furnace. As heating systems age, they become increasingly prone to Carbon Monoxide leaks, but even new heating systems can leak if they are not properly calibrated and maintained.
Odorless and colorless, this toxin is often undetected until it’s too late.
The first line of defense is a carbon monoxide detector. A CO detector will not prevent the gas from becoming lethal, but it can alert you to the presence of a dangerous leak.
Our HVAC techs can install one for you.
During regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance, our trained technician will test your heating appliances for CO leaks and ensure that your CO detector is functioning properly.
Allergens
Dirty air and household pollutants can trigger serious medical issues such as an asthma attack. Air quality is especially important if you or a family member suffers from allergies or respiratory conditions.
Filters are often the best defense. Our heating technicians will check and replace filters, as needed, on each regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance visit.
Mold Spores
Ducts can harbor and transmit mold spores and airborne debris throughout your home. Regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance is your first line of defense.
Invest a Little to Avoid Expensive Repairs
It is tempting to skip regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance to reduce your bills. But bypassing routine HVAC maintenance can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.
Regularly scheduled maintenance makes early detection and repair possible. This small investment reduces costs over the lifetime of most heating systems by fixing problems before they damage expensive parts of your heating system.
During routine maintenance visits, our techs also can recommend products and brands that work best in each setting to avert or decrease costly emergency repairs and replacements.
Proactive maintenance and tailored solutions reduce your risks of HVAC emergencies.
Routine maintenance for your heating system can provide years of affordable and reliable comfort.
Let Fitch Services protect your family and your wallet this winter. Schedule HVAC maintenance and get on our calendar for regular checkups.