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Kirk Zwiers looks at an air filter. Zwiers is the manager at Larson Heating and Air and said people should change filters every couple of months, vacuum vents and have annual professional maintenance checks done to ensure safe and successful heating.

As the winter season nears, local heating companies urge checking vents and heating systems

As the winter season nears, local heating companies urge checking vents and heating systems

Kirk Zwiers looks at an air filter. Zwiers is the manager at Larson Heating and Air and said people should change filters every couple of months, vacuum vents and have annual professional maintenance checks done to ensure safe and successful heating.

With cooler temperatures come all sorts of fall activities, such as trips to the pumpkin patch, sips of apple cider and cozy bonfires. The weather also has homeowners starting to turn on their heat, but there are some things to check before doing so.

St. Joseph Fire Inspector Steve Henrichson said his department usually receives a bunch of calls when the weather turns cool. He said the most important thing is to make sure nothing is too close to anything heating your home.

“A lot of it is maintenance,” Henrichson said. “Keeping everything three feet away from your hot water heaters, furnaces, space heaters, fireplaces, things like that.”

He said when heaters are first turned on, the smell of smoke is typically just dust.

Kirk Zwiers, manager at Larson Heating and Air, said people can vacuum inside their vents or have a professional come out to clean air ducts to prevent that dust from circulating when the heater is kicked on.

“The smell of burning, the smell of hot would be normal,” Zwiers said. “If you notice actual smoke, any time there’s like a haze, I would think that would be a concern.”

He said new equipment typically will smoke and potentially set off alarms, but that shouldn’t be happening unless the equipment is brand new. If there is smoke, he said the heater should be turned off immediately.

Zwiers recommends having a professional do an annual maintenance check to make sure everything is running smoothly. Other things people can do is change air filters every couple of months and vacuum vents. He said if equipment is making strange noises or squeaks, that’s a sign to call a professional.

Along with the smell of smoke, Henrichson said calls about carbon monoxide also pick up when heaters are first turned on. The gas is odorless and tasteless, which is what makes it so deadly.

“Anything that burns basically puts off carbon monoxide, so if you don’t have a proper ventilation system or if something has built a nest in your ductwork over the summer, that pushes (the gas) back into the house,” Henrichson said.

He said if carbon monoxide is detected in the house, residents should go outside and call the fire department and not open any windows. On arrival, the fire department will walk through the house to determine the source.

For maintenance purposes, Zwiers said the earlier the heat is turned on, the better.

“Don’t wait until it’s 30 degrees outside and your house is cold and you’re trying to turn it on because that’s when everybody else is trying to turn theirs on,” Zwiers said. “If it doesn’t work, you’re going to have to be on the list and you’re not going to get same-day service like if you were to do it now.”

Henrichson said while they do get multiple calls, firefighters typically deal with only two or three actual furnace fires a year. He emphasized the importance of having smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in the house and said when in doubt, call the fire department.

“Never be afraid to call us,” Henrichson said. “We don’t charge, we’re free and we’d much rather come out and spend five minutes. It’s just dust? No big deal … we’d much rather come out for five minutes and get back (to the station) rather than two or three hours fighting the fire and have all the problems and things that go with that.”

Morgan Doyle can be reached at morgan.doyle@newspressnow.com

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