October 5, 2021
Did you know that heating appliances are the second-highest cause of house fires? Stay safe as you turn on your heat this year!
It’s pretty unlikely that a clogged air filter could cause a house fire, but it is technically possible! If your filter becomes very clogged after months of not being changed, the airflow will be blocked, causing your heating system to work harder and overheat. The blower motor is the part that could potentially catch fire in this situation!
Keep any kind of flammable object at least three feet away from a heat source. This includes your heating system and your fireplace or your space heater if you have one. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
The logic behind this tip is the same as the reason for changing your air filter. Blocked vents restrict airflow, whether it’s blocked by a piece of furniture, a pile of clothes, or a box sitting where it shouldn’t be sitting. Although it’s unlikely that the restricted airflow from a blocked vent would lead to a furnace fire, it shouldn’t be ruled out!
Although there’s a lot you can do to prevent furnace fires, many of the causes can only be prevented by regular system maintenance. For example, one common cause of a furnace fire is called a “furnace flame rollout.” This is something that happens when your furnace flue is blocked or if your furnace doesn’t have a switch to turn the system off when overheated automatically. In essence, if there isn’t enough oxygen in the furnace due to blockages, the flames “roll out” of the combustion chamber to try and find oxygen!
This fiery problem (in addition to similar furnace component issues that could start a fire, such as a cracked heat exchanger) isn’t something you can spot on your own. That’s why it’s so important to have a heating system tune-up every year! A qualified technician from Parker & Sons will come out to your Phoenix home and clean and inspect all components thoroughly.
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