Heater Problems? Hurricane Ike May Be To Blame

Oct. 14, 2009 - PRLog -- Hurricane Ike has come and gone, but it may still be causing problems—this time with your heating system.  Due to late insurance claim payments, many southeast Texas residents had to wait until just recently to get their roofs replaced or repaired, and a contractor working on the roof or in the attic can cause serious problems for your heater.  

Indoor Environmental Comfort Expert and Thirty Green radio show co-host Gary Parr says, “It’s not uncommon for someone working on the roof or in the attic to accidentally bump into and disconnect the vent pipe that ensures that dangerous gases from the heater leave the home.  This creates an extremely hazardous safety issue.”  

Parr says it’s important to get your heater inspected before you turn it on for the winter.  A licensed Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) contractor will clean your unit and look for other loose connections, blown fuses, defective safety devices, possible cracks, loose ductwork and improperly sized returns.

Parr says the usual price for a checkup is $80-$100, and many licensed HVAC contractors offer preventative maintenance agreements that can be beneficial, but you should always read the fine print.  

He says consumers also need to be cautious of specials. “The lower the price, the more motivated that contractor may be to sell you something you just don’t need,” Parr says, “And if a contractor tells you that your heat exchanger is cracked, insist on him showing you where it is cracked by shining a light through it.  This can prevent you from spending thousands of dollars for something you may not even need.”  

In the meantime, something that can be done right away: “Make sure you change your air duct filter on a monthly basis.  Many people think of it in the summertime when the AC is running, but it’s also a very important part of heater maintenance,” Parr says.

To set up an interview with Gary Parr in a location with visuals, contact Lisa Dimond Vasquez at 713-426-4111 or lisa@doubledimondpr.com.

Thirty Green is a call-in radio show based on Thirty Ways to Cut Energy Costs 30%. It airs each Saturday on Houston's KSEV 700AM.

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