Electrical furnaces can work wonders when it comes to heating up a room. This is especially the case when it is particularly cold outside and you want to save money on your heating bills. While you may know how to use your programmable thermostat efficiently, you still may want to give your heating system a break. In the colder months, your heating bill can end up skyrocketing, especially if your home doesn’t have proper insulation or weatherstripping on the windows and doors. However, electric furnaces come with a list of their own issues, especially when it comes to safety. Here are five electrical furnace safety tips for homeowners.

1. Make sure that your furnace isn’t too close to furniture or other items that are flammable. Many electrical furnaces have what is equivalent to an exposed heat cable that can catch flame if it touches any object that is made of a thin material, like paper or fabric. So, make sure that you keep the furnace away from any of these objects. If you want to be safe, keep all of these items at least ten feet away from the furnace – you never can be too careful.
2. Make sure there are no flammable chemicals or compounds near your furnace. Things like turpentine and other flammable liquids can combust if they are too close to a heated furnace. Things like gasoline are especially troublesome. If your electric furnace is in your garage, you want to make sure that you keep gasoline tanks, paint canisters and even firecrackers, far away from your furnace. Even a small spark can ignite a disaster.
3. Make sure that your furnace is clean. Dust and dander can build up on your furnace, which can not only cause your furnace to work inefficiently – it can also cause fires. So, make sure that you clean your furnace regularly. If you have a cat or dog, you may need to clean your furnace more often, because there is a greater chance that you have a build up of fur and dander. Before you clean your furnace, however, you want to make sure that your system is completely turned off. The last thing you want is to injure yourself while trying to clean your furnace.
4. Make sure to have your furnace inspected and repaired if it has any issues. A malfunctioning furnace can be especially troublesome and dangerous. So, if you hear any strange noises, or if your furnace is acting funny, you may want to have it looked at. The last thing you want is to disregard an issue and then run the risk of something disastrous happening as a result. In the end, it simply much safer to have your furnace inspected.
5. Make sure that your furnace can’t be played with by children. Small children, especially babies, can become severely injured by an electric furnace. Not only can they get burned, but they can also get shocked by the electrical current. In the end, kids should never be able to access your electric furnace.