Staying Safe & Warm this Winter
Did you know that heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths? In fact, 50% of these home heating equipment fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February*. And with winter fast approaching, it is important to know what you can do to avoid becoming a statistic.
General Safety Tips:
- If you smell gas in your home or coming from your gas appliances, such as your furnace, stove, etc., do not light the appliance(s). Leave your home immediately and call your local fire department or gas company.
- Keep anything that can burn – especially, but not limited to, paper products, cardboard, gasoline, paint or paint thinners, wood scraps, old rags, and sawdust – at least 3 feet away from furnaces, boilers, fireplaces, wood stoves, wood furnaces, hot water heaters, or portable space heaters.
- Have a 3-foot “kid-free zone” around open flame and heating appliances.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Plug only 1 heating appliance, such as a space heater, into one electrical outlet at a time.
- Install smoke alarms & carbon monoxide detectors and test them monthly.
- Never leave candles burning unattended.
- Keep portable generators away from windows and use them as far away from the house as possible.
Heating Equipment & Fireplace Safety Tips:
- Always have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters, or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Heating equipment & fireplaces must be vented outside to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Wood burning stoves and furnaces must be installed following the manufacturer’s instructions. We strongly recommend you have professional do the installation.
- Once a year have a qualified professional inspect your heating equipment and clean & inspect your chimneys**.
- Always turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- For fuel-burning space heaters, always use the right kind of fuel as specified by the equipment’s manufacturer.
- Always use a sturdy fireplace screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.
- Ashes from fireplaces, wood stoves, and wood burning furnaces should be cool before storing them in a metal container which should be kept outside, a safe distance away from your home.
* Source: nfpa.org
** Depending on how much use your chimney gets, your chimney may need to be cleaned more than once a season. Please refer to a chimney professional for specific guidance regarding your own chimney.