I’ve lived in a lot of houses during my lifetime. A lot of them being old houses. I never really stopped to consider how old the heaters were and how they could be affecting my health and wallet. All I ever really thought about was if the heating & cooling worked. There is so much more to it that I never even thought about. How safe is your heater? How energy efficient is your heater? Don’t know? Welcome to the club. Let’s talk…
The first thing we need to figure out is if our heater is safe! Could your heater be making you sick? Yes, it could! You know that smell that comes when you turn your heater on at the beginning of the season? The smell that has you worried about a fire? Well that smell is accumulated dust! Ewwww…. So imagine your heater is an old heater. How much dust do you think that sucker has collected in there? It is a good idea to actually open up the house when you first turn the system on. This way you allow that air to escape and fresh air can circulate in. This is especially helpful for those of you that have allergies. There are also companies that can vacuum out the dust that can get trapped in your heating ducts.
Hey, when was the last time you changed the filter on your system? This is so very important! Go check it right now, I’ll wait…
Did you check it? Was it clean? Dirty? I bet it was dirty! Do you have a new one so that you can change it right now? If so, why don’t you go ahead and do that so you don’t forget. When you are done, set a reminder to check it. I recommend always keeping filters on hand. Here in North Texas we have a lot of dust. a LOT of dust. Our filters need to be changed very often. This keeps our heating and air system running better as well helping to keeps allergen down. Dust isn’t the only thing you need to be concerned about. Mold and mildew are other harmful threats that you need to be aware of. They can really make you sick. I know, I know…you’re like hush mama….you’re making a big deal out of nothing. But really, I’m not. This is something you should seriously be aware of.
If you are using a gas heating system, then you need to be mindful of a Carbon Monoxide
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning (source: Mayo Clinic):
- Dull headache
- Weakness
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Confusion
- Blurred vision
- Loss of consciousness
Be sure to keep your system in tip top shape in conjunction with using a carbon monoxide monitor to be safe. Exposure can be deadly or damaging before you even notice symptoms. Unborn babies, children and older adults are at a higher risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
So how safe is your heating and are system for your wallet?
Again, by having your heating and air system annually inspected by a professional, you can be sure that your system is working properly. Regular maintenance can save you from a costly repair later on. It can also keep you from spending too much on your energy bills. If your system is really old, you should look into upgrading to a newer more energy efficient system.
This discussion has been brought to you by Halo Heating & Cooling. All opinions are 100% my own.
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I am looking into a new system, so I really was looking for some ideas thank you for providing this information
we have an older oil system, and I want to upgrade to an energy efficient one.
I’d love to save some money on oil!
I have no clue when my filters were last replaced! Eeek! It’s definitely time for me to call in a professional to have things looked at.
We just moved to a new home in the spring and we’re still not used to it’s gas heating. But I think it’s fairly efficient. I have no idea if we have a carbon monoxide detector! This makes me want to find out though! Thanks for the heads up!
We have a decent system, I guess. It could definitely use an upgrade, but we live in a rental property so WE won’t be doing that …
We have a carbon monoxide detector, it went off once I was so scared. the fire dept came and it was fine but I am so glad we have one.
living in the midwest, i give thanks for my working furnace everyday!! i agree with you about the frequent filter change. I have also been wanting to invest in a Carbon Monoxide detector so thanks for sharing about that!
This is something I definitely have to keep up on. Carbon Monoxide poisoning is a scary thing.
Our system is a bit older, but in general still pretty good. My husband is responsible about changing the filter often!
We just upgraded our system. By upgrading to energy efficient, it saved us a ton!
This is so important, I’ve seen so many families end up in emergencies all because they didn’t check their heating, cooling systems.
Our house is pretty old as well and thought my husband is really good about staying on top of maintenance I think a carbon monoxide monitor is a great idea. Thanks for the reminder 🙂
I’m not sure when it was last changed. I need to check on it.
We are going to be updating our heating system in the not-to-distant future. Looking in to heat pumps but investigating all options. Thank you for sharing.
Great info that everyone should be aware of. It’s been awhile since we changed our filter…we need to do that!
Okay, now you have me thinking and wondering if we have a filter on our heating system?? I have no idea if we do as I’ve never, ever heard of that or thought of it. I’ll have to ask my husband. We have gas and I am aware of the carbon monoxide problem and we have those detectors but I do need to check the date on them to see if they are getting old. Our friend’s life was saved by one of those detectors! They are extremely important.