Michigan Insurance Claims – Public Adjusters and Loss Consultants

When it comes to preparing for the colder weather, there is one thing you simply can’t neglect – to have your furnace checked for safety.

This relatively simple and generally inexpensive task will prevent unwanted complications, even tragedy.  Not just it’s not fun when your furnace stops working and it’s freezing outside, but, most importantly, servicing your heating system will make your home and family safer, decreasing the chance of serious accidents.

During the cold season, improperly maintained or operating heating systems and appliances are responsible for the majority of fires, explosions and human loss.  As most residential heating systems in Michigan are gas burning furnaces, the risk of fire and explosions is particularly high.

The gas pipeline that goes to the furnace needs to be checked for leakages – as it poses a serious explosion risk. Methane gas accumulates in closed spaces such as basements and ignites and blows from any small spark. It takes as little as switching on the light for the accumulated methane to blow up, destroy your home, and your life.  

During the safety check procedure, the HVAC technician you hire will perform a series of tests and procedures meant to reveal and fix any furnace problems that may prevent it from functioning properly or increase the chances of fires and accidents:

• check for debris in the chimney and flue;
• cleaning of air filters;
• checking gas pilot safety;
• cleaning burners for proper combustion;
• cleaning the fan;
• checking and adjusting the condition and tension of fan belt;
• checking blower operation.

Also, proper maintenance of your heating system will keep it operating efficiently over the years, making it a good deal even for the budget conscious consumer.   

So don’t delay! Make sure the furnace check is performed by a reliable, authorized heating company, not just for your safety, but also, in case of an accident – fire, explosion, etc., you will need to prove to your insurance company that you performed required maintenance on your heating system, or your claim may be denied (save all records of the work performed).

 
Be safe!
Nik Kalaj
Michigan Fire Claims Inc, A Public Adjuster Company

For too many Michigan families, the holiday season brings not just the usual joys and happy family times, but also an increased risk of fires.

While no one likes to think of fires other than the one in the fireplace, believe us, it happens; we see it every day. Loosing all you’ve got in a fire is not an easy thing for anyone, but eventually life goes on and thing get better. You buy new things, re-build your house, etc. However, while material things will be replaced, a life cannot!

So, please, as you start baking, decorating, lighting the candles, etc., don’t forget to take the necessary precautions to help protect your family and property. Here’s a video from the US Fire Administration and NIST showing it takes less than a minute for the Christmas tree to catch on fire and engulf the living room. Don’t let it happen to you!

If you have small children in your family, take the time to talk to them again about fire safety and the fire evacuation plan. If the unthinkable happens, having rehearsed these, will dramatically decrease their chance of fire related injuries.

From everyone here at Michigan Fire Claims Inc., we wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday season!

Tags: Fire, Fire Claims, Fire Help, fire insurance claims, holiday, Michigan Fire Claims, smoke, smoke claims

This past weekend saw a rise in home fire’s throughout Flint and Saginaw.  The majority of the homes that caught on fire were fortunatly vacant and caused no real property loss to homeowners or insured’s.  We have also heard that Detroit and Grand Rapids have also had a spike in property damaged by fire.

Tags: Fire, Flint, Saginaw