Home Heating Safety
November 19, 2009 – 10:00 pm
When the winter weather starts settling in, you start using heating equipment such as space heaters, fireplaces and wood stoves. Keeping your house and family toasty warm is important, but you also have to take some safety precautions. Although you might be familiar with using these types of heating equipment, they can cause fires if they malfunction or are not used and maintained properly. Below are some tips that can help prevent a fire in your home during the winter.
- Read the small print on your heating equipment to determine whether it has been tested for safety. You might find the following common acronyms: ETL, UL and CSA. This step is especially important if you’re purchasing new, because you want something that is going to be reliable.
- Ensure that the space heater has enough space around it. If you have books, cardboard boxes or furniture too close, it can cause a fire and the flames will spread quickly. It’s best to keep it in the corner of the room and set it so it has a three-foot radius of space around it. If you have pets or children, you should be around to supervise while the device is on.
- Turn off your space heater and smother the flames in the fireplace if you’re going to bed.
- Put only seasoned hardwood in your fireplace. This includes oak, ash and maple. Household items such as cardboard boxes and other trash may emit poisonous gas when burned, or they can cause a fire since these items often burn unevenly.
- Schedule a professional chimney sweep to inspect your chimney on an annual basis. They can fix cracks, blockages and leaks as well as remove the buildup, which commonly causes house fires.
- Always have the flue open before using your fireplace and use a screen or glass door to prevent the embers from flying out.
- Install a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your home. These are especially important to have near your bedroom.
Heat is an essential to have when it’s snowing outside and particularly when it’s below zero. It’s great to use a space heater or your fireplace to save money on electricity; however, take the time to educate your family so everyone stays safe and warm.
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