When you are getting ready for winter, you think about doing a lot of things, but getting your furnace cleaned might not be one of them. However, it really should be. That's because a dirty furnace can end up costing you a lot more money when it comes to heating and can even cause some serious problems. 

Carbon-Monoxide Leaks

Carbon monoxide is a byproduct of combustion. You can't tell if it is around because it is odorless and colorless. The reason that carbon monoxide is so dangerous is that it is slightly less dense than air is, so it displaces the air that you are breathing, and that can eventually kill you. A low-level carbon monoxide will cause you to feel tired, achy, and like you have the flu. If your house doesn't get aired out, the carbon monoxide will just keep building up. The only way you can tell if there is a carbon monoxide leak is if you have a monitor that goes off. If you do have a carbon-monoxide monitor, and it goes off, you should get your family and animals out of the house. As you are leaving, you can open up windows to get fresh air into the house, but you should not go back into the house until the leak has been found and has been repaired. 

When your furnace is being cleaned, the technician goes over the entire furnace, so they will be able to find a leak and can even find problems before they cause a leak. 

Furnace Fires

No one wants to think about this, but your furnace can start a fire. If the furnace gets clogged, filled with dust, or filled with soot, only a tiny spark, like the one in the burner of your furnace, can set all the dust and such alight and burn your house down. Changing out your air filters regularly and getting your ductwork cleaned will get rid of the risk of fire being caused by those things. Changing the filters is something that you can do on your own, but you are going to need help in order to clean out the burner and get rid of the soot. 

Every year, when you are looking at everything you need to do to get your house ready for winter, one of the things you should do is to make sure that your furnace is cleaned out. Not only will it help keep you safer, but you will also end up saving money on your heating bills as well as your repair bills. 

Call a professional such as Will-Do Furnace & Chimney Cleaning soon to make sure your furnace stays free of these hazards.