Winter Home Safety Tips

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Shorter days and cooler weather signal that winter isn’t far off, and now is the time to focus on home safety during the heating season. Follow these winter home safety tips to ensure that your family is warm and safe this winter.

Furnace safety

  • Schedule an annual tune-up of your heating system with an HVAC professional. Preventive maintenance will extend the life of your furnace, ensure its safe operation and keep your heating bills low.
  • Keep the area around your furnace clean and clear of debris. Store flammables such as paint, paper and aerosol sprays away from your furnace.
  • Post the emergency phone number of your gas company on your furnace, and call immediately if you smell gas around your unit. Also keep the number for your heating contractor close by. If your furnace quits working, you want to be able to reach your contractor quickly.

Fireplace safety

  • Hire a professional chimney sweep to remove debris from your chimney. This will minimize the possibility of a chimney fire.
  • Burn only properly seasoned wood in your fireplace. Seasoned wood is gray and has cracks in the inner rings.
  • Keep your hearth free of flammable materials and decorations.
  • Make sure your fireplace screen is free of holes, and keep it properly positioned whenever you have a fire.

Carbon monoxide detectors

  • Carbon monoxide leaks can be deadly. Install a carbon monoxide detector on every floor of your home; one should be in close proximity to your bedrooms. Carbon monoxide detectors should meet the UL 2034 safety-standard requirements.
  • Change the batteries in your CO detectors, and test them for proper operation every six months.
  • If your alarm goes off, leave the house, and call 9-1-1. Carbon monoxide is colorless, odorless and tasteless.
  • Know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, which include headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion, loss of coordination and loss of consciousness. Move to fresh air and call 9-1-1 if you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning.

For more expert advice on home safety or to schedule a furnace tune-up with one of our HVAC professionals, contact Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing. We serve homeowners in greater Cincinnati.

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"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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