Home Heating Warning Signs: What To Look For

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Home Shield, the nation’s leading provider of home protection plans, is urging homeowners to protect their homes from potential heating system hazards this winter by learning important warning signs.

Faulty and improperly used heating equipment accounted for nearly 500 deaths, more than 57,000 fires and $1.1 billion in direct property damage in 2010, according to the latest figures available from the National Fire Protection Association.

To help prevent heating system hazards, be aware of the following warning signs that may point to potential problems:

Always be aware of gas odors. If you smell gas around your heating unit, leave the area and call your gas company immediately.
Be sure your pilot light is burning a steady blue flame. If it is not, call your heating professional or a gas company.
Take a close look at your exhaust fan for any rust, damage or deterioration. If you notice any, call a qualified professional and describe what you see to determine whether a repair is needed.

Along with these warning signs, the company also reminds homeowners to use extra care when operating space heaters. For instance, they should be plugged directly into a wall outlet, never into an extension cord, and turned off at night. When in use, always be sure space heaters are a safe distance from curtains and other flammable items.

American Home Shield recommends having a licensed professional conduct annual preventative maintenance on your home’s heating system as an effective way to help avoid potentially hazardous situations like these.

Homeowners can watch a video about home heating warning signs and a variety of other home maintenance tips on the American Home Shield YouTube channel. The short, informational videos are hosted by licensed contractor and HGTV personality David Leon.

About American Home Shield

American Home Shield founded the home warranty industry in 1971 and remains an industry leader, servicing more than 1.3 million customers across 49 states. In addition to its core focus on home protection plans, the company also issues and administers preventative maintenance contracts on major home systems and appliances in 48 states across the country. The Memphis-based company operates three customer service centers, employs approximately 1,600 employees and has a national contractor network made up of over 10,000 independent home-service contractors. American Home Shield is a subsidiary of The ServiceMaster Company, one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks. The company’s brands include Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec.

About ServiceMaster

With a global network of more than 6,900 company-owned, franchised and licensed locations, Memphis-based ServiceMaster is one of the world’s largest residential and commercial service networks. The company’s high-profile brands are Terminix, TruGreen, American Home Shield, ServiceMaster Clean, Merry Maids, Furniture Medic and AmeriSpec. Through approximately 21,000 corporate associates and a franchise network that independently employs over 31,000 additional people, the ServiceMaster family of brands provided services and products to approximately 8.1 million customers during the last twelve months. Our market-leading brands provide a range of residential and commercial services including termite and pest control; lawn, tree and shrub care; home warranties and preventative maintenance contracts; furniture repair; home inspections; home cleaning; janitorial services; and disaster restoration. Go to www.servicemaster.com for more information about ServiceMaster or follow us at twitter.com/ServiceMaster or facebook.com/TheServiceMasterCo.