Preparing for the Coldest Months in San Antonio

With January & February being the coldest months in San Antonio, it’s time to have a heating system inspection and tune-up. Both heat pumps and gas furnaces need to be inspected for proper heating and operation. Natural gas pricing has jumped from 1.67 p/ccf last year to 3.31 p/ccf in 2022, so If you have a gas furnace, keeping your system running efficiently is important for safety and for your wallet.

Annual heating inspections are recommended so you can be confident the furnace is safe, heating and in good working order. The system check includes a visual inspection of the components like the ignitor, heat exchanger, the inducer motor, flame sensors, and combustion analysis. One of the most dangerous situations is running furnace with cracked heat exchanger tubes.

it’s important to have a working carbon monoxide detector when running combustion appliance, like a gas furnaces.   Carbon monoxide detectors save lives. Every year, hundreds of people die and tens of thousands are treated for carbon monoxide poisoning.

The most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:

• “Flu-like” symptoms
• Headache,
• Dizziness,
• Weakness,
• Upset stomach,
• Vomiting,
• Chest pain
• Confusion.

You should place a smoke detector on the ceiling, but you should install a CO detector on the wall. This is because smoke rises, but carbon monoxide does not.

The furnace should be inspected for any flange corrosion or heat exchanger cracks. Cracks are caused over time by the constant heating up and expansion followed by cooling and contraction of the metal tubes.