Heater & Air Conditioner Safety Rules

by Ann Ryan

It is essential to keep your air conditioner, furnace and other units that heat or cool your home well-maintained so they can operate dependably and provide for your heating and cooling needs. Therefore, while operating and maintaining your heating and air conditioning systems, it is also important that you adhere to a number of safety rules.

The "nuts and bolts" of heating and air conditioner safety.

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Turn Off the Power

If you want to service your air conditioner or furnace yourself, then it's important that you disconnect the electrical power to the units. To do this, you'll need either to remove the individual fuse or trip the specific circuit breaker to the unit. If you can't determine which fuse or breaker to shut off, trip the main breaker or remove the primary fuse and cut off the electricity to the entire house.

Call a Service Professional

When fuses are continually blown each time you use your heating or cooling system, you'll need to contact a service professional, such events indicate an electrical problem within the unit. You'll also need to contact a service professional yearly to run a maintenance check on your heating and air conditioning system to make sure everything is safe and in working order. Always have your heating or cooling units inspected or cleaned before you use them for the season.
Keep Heating Units Away from Water

If you have one or more space heaters within your home, make sure that their heating filaments are covered with adequate guards to prevent fires and that they are placed in areas away from any sources of water, which can result in electrocution. Also, make certain you buy units that are electrically grounded or have plug-ins with three prongs that are UL listed.

Turn Off the Power