Air conditioning and heating maintenance is not on anyone’s list of favorite spring or fall activities.

But the recent headline-making fatal home fires in Ontario and Nova Scotia clearly highlight why they should be.

The truth is, poorly maintained HVAC equipment and electrical connections are two of the top 10 most common causes of home fires throughout Canada.

And since it is literally impossible to tell from the outside looking in whether your heating and cooling appliances may be developing loose power connections, accumulated debris, failing parts or dangerous abrasions, the only way to know for sure is to schedule an annual inspection and service call.

In this article, we take a look at common inspection and maintenance needs and how to make yours worry-free!

3 Key Home Fire Safety Warning Signs to Watch For

The most common causes of HVAC-related home fires are not always obvious to the untrained eye.

1. Accumulated debris

One of the biggest safety risks is simply letting debris (leaf litter, fallen branches, etc.) or stored flammable items pile up in and around your heating and cooling units.

Under the right circumstances, which can be anything from a nearby lightning strike to a stray spark from a fraying wire, nearby stored items or accumulated debris can ignite and start a fire.

You should aim to maintain a cleared area of at least three feet around any major appliance.

2. Blocked or clogged vents

Another equally significant risk is blocked exhaust vents or clogged dryer vents. When dust and debris begin to build up in and around exhaust and dryer vents, this matter can act like kindling under the right set of dangerous circumstances.

This may mean you need to place reminders on your calendar to do walkabouts and inspect exhaust vents and dryer lint vents on a regular basis, especially in seasons when storms or even nesting animals are more apt to block vents to the outside.

3. Faulty electrical connections

Often, our electrical connections will start issuing warning signs well before we realize that is what they are.

If you regularly have to make the trek out to your circuit box to reset blown breakers, your equipment feels hot to the touch after being plugged in for a time, your lights flicker or your switches start to act up, these are all signs you may have overloaded circuits or frayed connections, among other issues.

These can often be managed for a time by being careful not to overload electrical outlets (such as by unplugging one appliance before plugging in and using another), but this can’t lower the risk when it comes to major appliances like your furnace and air conditioner!

Essential HVAC Inspection Safety Checks

You can think of your annual heating and cooling inspection and service call like your own annual “well person” check-up with your family doctor. Sometimes a little prevention can save you a lot of intervention, and a lot of money, too!

But just as so many of us feel tempted to skip our annual health and wellness check, so too can we glance at our hard-working A/C and heating appliances and think, “Well, they seem to be running okay—no need to inspect them this year.”

Sadly, this is precisely the kind of assumption-making process that can turn into deadly home fires for Canadian homeowners each year!

These safety maintenance checks are a must for exactly this reason.

• Thorough unit cleaning. Removal of debris around your HVAC components and draining accumulated condensate from pans and lines.

• Inspect all moving parts. Belts, hoses, connectors, lubrication—all are inspected for wear and tear. Recommendations are made for repairs or replacements.

• Filter changes as needed. Dirty, clogged or compromised filters are changed or cleaned and reinserted.

• Power connections. Pilot lights, electrical wiring, voltage and current checks, on/off switches, burner and heat exchangers and system controls are inspected, lubricated, cleaned and repaired.

• Thermostat test. Temperature accuracy is tested and verified by running test cycles of your air conditioner and heater.

Make Your Annual Inspection Worry-Free

Here at Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating & Electric, we offer two different HVAC maintenance plans to make your annual HVAC inspections totally worry-free.

You can choose from a one-year plan or a five-year plan. The five-year plan comes with a 20 percent annual discount, which works out cost-wise so that you get the fifth year of inspection/maintenance free of charge!

Comfort Maintenance Plan

Our comfort maintenance plan offers you a comprehensive annual safety inspection, plus complete equipment cleaning and routine preventative maintenance as needed.

Eligible appliances include heating systems (gas, oil, electric), air conditioning systems, boilers, geothermal systems, fireplaces, heat recovery ventilators, hot water tanks (gas, oil), air-cooled generators, air handlers and heat pumps.

You can include additional appliances for a 10 percent discount.

Heating Protection Plan

Our heating protection plan includes an annual comprehensive safety inspection, plus complete equipment cleaning and routine preventative maintenance as needed.

Eligible appliances include heating systems (gas, oil, electric), air conditioning systems, boilers, heat recovery ventilators, hot water tanks (gas, oil), air handlers, water furnaces and generators.

You also receive priority place in the 24/7 emergency repairs queue if your heating goes out unexpectedly.

You can include additional appliances for a 10 percent discount.

Get in Touch

Here at Gravenhurst Plumbing, Heating & Electric, we can proudly say we have 70-plus years’ expertise serving all makes and models of HVAC and plumbing equipment in and around the Muskoka area.

All year long, we stay busy assisting our wonderful clients with consultations for new construction and permitting, maintenance and repair service, air quality and water purification upgrades, cottage openings and closings, rental equipment, stand-by generator rental and installation and so much more.

Contact us online or give us a call to learn at 1-877-885-3403.