Focus On Fire Safety This Fall With Furnace Maintenance
Service Experts is committed to helping keep homes and families fire safe, particularly as it relates to furnaces, heating equipment and fireplaces. After all, furnaces and other types of heaters are by their very nature a potential fire hazard. They use either fuel combustion (read: fire) or electricity to heat the air in the home. So this fall, we're honoring Fire Safety Month (October) and educating on Fire Prevention, as our way of emphasizing home fire safety.
About Fire Prevention Week
Fire Prevention Week was originally created to commemorate the tragedy of the Great Chicago Fire, which started around 9am on October 8th, 1871*. The Great Chicago Fire burned over 2000 acres (more than 4 square miles) in just 27 hours, killed over 300 people and left 100,000 homeless. The fire devastated 17,000 structures and left over 34 blocks of the city in ruins. Fire Prevention Week is now observed in the US and Canada during the week of October 9th each year, which is designated as Fire Service Recognition Day. You can learn more about
the Great Chicago Fire here.
On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (FMANA) chose to observe the tragedy so that the public could be informed about the importance of fire prevention. In 1925, then U.S. President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the first national Fire Prevention Week as October 4-10. He noted that in the previous year some 15,000 lives were lost to fire in the U.S. Coolidge's signed proclamation stated: "This waste results from the conditions which justify a sense of shame and horror; for the greater part of it could and ought to be prevented... It is highly desirable that every effort be made to reform the conditions which have made possible so vast a destruction of the national wealth".
Furnace Safety is Fire Safety
Furnaces typically use fuel during the combustion process to create the flames which then heat the air that a blower circulates throughout the home. If a furnace is improperly
maintained or not operating properly, the combustion process can create Carbon Monoxide gas (CO) which is vented through a flue pipe to the home's exterior. There are three primary dangers related to improperly maintained furnaces.
The primary risk is
Carbon Monoxide gas. A properly operating and maintained furnace will not produce Carbon Monoxide gas. A secondary risk is the furnace not venting properly to the outside of the home. Finally there could be problems with wiring or electrical components that may lead to safety issues in older or dirty furnaces. All models of furnaces are designed to operate extremely safe. But all heating equipment should have
regular maintenance performed in order to help eliminate the potential for CO problems or other potential fire hazards.
We're Honoring Fire Safety Month With Savings & Education
In honor of
Fire Safety Month this October, participating Service Experts
locations are offering discounts on heating and air conditioning tune-ups, plus free products like Carbon Monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers with a
Precision Tune-up visit. Our heating and AC Precision Tune-ups provide a thorough cleaning and safety inspection of the home's heating and AC system, and could help keep your family and your home safe from furnace related fire or health hazards. We'll also be providing fire safety tips and home Fire Safety educational resources in partnership with local Fire Departments and schools.
To view and print your Fire Safety Month coupons now, just find
a location near you and then click on Special Offers.