You thought the Flood of '97 was history? How about the Flood of '98? And now --- the Floods of 2004! The Flood of the Century has practically become an annual event! Although our city can't come near the spectacular devastation in New Orleans, still, many Milwaukeeans are surprised to find history repeating itself, in the form of flood-related furnace failures which often don't to come to light immediately.
Water in the basement...even a few inches ... can have a very negative effect on a furnace's inside workings. "Unfortunately furnaces aren't designed to be underwater," said John D'Amato, a maintenance technician at Air Comfor Systems. "The best idea is to have your furnace checked out if there's been water in the basement. Otherwise, the day will come when you need heat and there won't be a working furnace to put any out."
Water has the potential for damaging several parts of a furnace. Moisture may affect the gas safety system, which automatically shuts off the flow of natural gas when a flame isn't present. Water contact with the electrical components may cause them not to turn on heat when your thermostat calls for it. Even a small amount of water can easily seep into your furnace's insulation. "if that water contained sewage, as it did in many homes in the area," explained D'Amato, "bacteria from the sewer could still be in your insulation, ready to contaminate the air inside your home all winter long."
Eliminating your doubt is as simple as a call to Air Comfort Systems' maintenance department. We'll schedule a Maintenance Visit, and thoroughly check the system's functioning and safety. If repairs are needed, you'll receive a Guaranteed Price, and work on correcting the problem can begin immediately."
"You'll probably need a Maintenance Visit this season anyway," said D'Amato. "If you've had water in your basement, I'd schedule a little sooner than normal, to make sure you get this in. I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of surprised people when the first big cold snap hits."
