When something goes wrong in your home, you are faced with two options. Option one is to call an expert who will be able to make a repair or at least diagnose the issue for a price. These professionals will be able to draw on specific training and experience in order to provide the best job possible. But, using a professional service also of course means that you’re waiting for someone to show up, and that you’re paying.

Choosing instead to fix the problem with a little DIY means you can address the issue immediately, and completely for free. And there’s an immense sense of satisfaction when you get it right!

The only slight problem is that doing so will also mean you risk making matters worse. If you are not a trained plumber/HVAC technician/engineer, then doing DIY work on your home can lead to more problems. Not only that, but in some cases it can actually be dangerous.

So what is the answer? What should you do?

Well, that of course depends on the nature of the problem, and the type of installation that has the problem. In the case of a broken down furnace, you should always use a professional. Here’s why.

Health Risks

The first reason to use a professional for furnace repair is that this is a job that carries a number of risks to your health.

That’s not necessarily to say that you will get injured at the time of the repair, but an ineffectual furnace can be a very serious problem going forward due to carbon monoxide poison. This odorless gas is highly toxic and can be very dangerous if you have a leak. Of course, if you have a lack of experience when it comes to your furnace, then you will be more likely to experience a leak once you have made the repair.

Another major risk is that there could be a fire caused by improper repairs. While furnaces are perfectly safe when they are operating properly, they do of course generate a lot of heat, and this will always carry with it a risk of fire. Likewise, the use of gas means there is risk of explosion, and then there is electrical safety to consider.

None of these are common problems, and they are very easily mitigated with the right knowhow. But, is saving a couple dollars worth all of the risk?

More Damage

Another consideration for using opting for professional help instead of going the DIY route is that you might actually cause more damage by attempting to repair your furnace. For example, you might find that you end up needing to replace your entire furnace due to botching a simple repair thereby causing yourself a lot more money in the long run.

Moreover, if you do accidentally cause some kind of fire or explosion it will most likely also lead to significant property damage. Likewise, if you should cause a refrigerator leak, this can end up requiring a lot more remediation.

Basically, any time you work on fairly sophisticated equipment you run the risk of making a small problem a big one if you are not entirely sure about what you are doing. When it comes to HVAC, that can end up costing you thousands.

In short then, you should definitely file furnace repair under the ‘leave it to the professionals’ column to mitigate both additional damage and health risks.

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