Doing repairs around your home by yourself can save you money, but there are times when they should be avoided. In the case of DIY furnace repair it could even be dangerous.
Here is some information on reasons to avoid taking on furnace repairs yourself, and what you can do instead.
Reasons to avoid DIY furnace repair
Often, we’re tempted to find a video on YouTube, and attempt repairs ourselves, even with no prior experience. In many cases it’ll work out for you. But DIY furnace repair can lead to expensive issues that will be costly to fix. In a worst-case scenario you could risk a fire or injury.
One of the main reasons that homeowners should avoid trying to fix a furnace relates to carbon monoxide poisoning and inhaling toxic gases. If you get it wrong, it’s possible you will release toxic or flammable gas into your home. There are also electrical furnace components that can be dangerous if not handled by a qualified furnace repair technician.
Homeowner’s insurance policies require inspections
When you are applying for a homeowner’s insurance policy or having your current one updated, you will need to show you are taking care of your home. One of the keys is to have regular inspections and maintenance of all of your home’s equipment. Unfortunately, if you do not have proof that you have had your home safeguarded against major claims related to fires, you could lose your coverage. Since faulty furnaces can cause fires and lead to other major damage in the home, insurance companies will not favor a homeowner that does not keep the paperwork up-to-date. For instance, a homeowner may be more likely to file a claim because their pipes froze due to a poorly-maintained furnace that stopped operating.
DIY repairs could make selling your home difficult
When a homeowner puts their residence on the market, the next buyer may not be impressed by a lack of paperwork showing that the real estate is a good investment. One of the ways that homeowners can prove they have been taking care of the property they are selling is by providing documentation that the home has been regularly serviced by contractors. For instance, having regular inspections and maintenance of a furnace will be essential to showing the next homeowner that your real estate will not need any major repairs or replacements in the next five years.
If there is a fire, your furnace could be considered suspicious
If your home experiences a fire, one of the first steps is to have the fire department inspector come to see if there are any clues about what started the fire. Sadly, some homeowners find out that they lost their property due to simple mistakes that could have been avoided. In the end, some homeowners find out the hard way that regularly scheduled inspections and maintenance were a better idea than DIY furnace repair.
DIY furnace repairs that are safe for homeowners
Although most furnace repairs need to be left to professionals, there are a few routine jobs that can help reduce utility bills and they can be performed by the homeowners. One of the most common furnace tasks is changing the filters regularly. A second task that homeowners can stay on top of is checking the thermostat to see if it can be lowered. Finally, homeowners can greatly improve the longevity of their furnace by installing a smarthome thermostat that is regularly monitored on an app. Overtime, homeowners will use the smarthome app to adjust the amount of energy their furnace is using throughout the day, and this means it is not working as hard.
Let us help you keep your furnace safe this winter
Instead of buying tools and watching videos on the internet, it is easier and cheaper to call us to help you get your furnace in working order for this winter. Once we do a inspection, we let you know before we get started if you need repairs. In order to help our customers, we have transparent pricing and we also have advice about installation of new furnaces. To let us start helping you today, give us a call.
