Fall & Winter Heating Safety Tips

Once fall is on the way, you know it’s time to check your plumbing, heating, and HVAC equipment. The cold months bring a drop in temperature and you have to be prepared to handle the change in the climate. The health of your home’s heating is important because it’s not only important for your home to be kept warm during the colder months, but you want fire safety and heating safety to be priorities as well. The last thing you want is a house fire in the middle of winter. Let’s explore some fall and winter heating safety tips that you should apply in preparation for the colder months.

General Heating Safety

  • Keep any flammable items or materials, such as blankets, curtains, papers, and toys roughly 3 feet away from heating equipment, including fireplace, furnace, or portable space heater.

  • Keep kids away from all heating sources at all times, and establish a 3-foot "Kid-Free Zone" around open fires and space heaters. You want to avoid accidental burns or kids tipping over the space heater.

  • Do not plug more than 1 heat-producing appliance, for example, a space heater, into a single electrical outlet at once. An extension cord should not be used to operate a space heater since it may overheat.

  • Perform monthly tests of your smoke alarms to ensure that they are working properly, and replace the batteries if a low battery chirp occurs or every 6 months.

  • Never leave burning candles unattended or burn it on or near anything flammable and keep it out of the reach of children and pets. Extinguish candles when they burn down within two inches of their holder.

 

Furnace & Heating Equipment Safety Tips

  • Perform a pre-winter furnace check to ensure that your furnace is in good working order, but more importantly to ensure safety. An inspection ensures that no gas is leaking, the burners are clear, the filter is changed. and the heating vents are exposed.

  • Have a qualified professional clear the exhaust pipes and clean the chimneys every year to ensure that they are sound and free of deposits that could block airflow and cause a fire.

  • Review your generator to ensure it’s lean and clean for fall and winter weather, ensuring that there is no debris around the generator, the air vent is clear, check the battery and change the oil, filters, and plugs.

Fireplace Safety

  • Get a quality screen to minimize the risk of burns, especially to children, from the hot glass front of some fireplaces, as well as hot embers and coals from popping out of the fireplace

  • Only burn wood and ensure that the wood is dry and well-aged, which will burn more evenly and create minimal smoke

  • Regularly remove excess ash from the fireplace so it doesn’t impair the performance of the unit. Properly remove ash keeping in mind that hot coal can be hidden in a pile of ash and empty in an appropriate ash container.

 Fagone Plumbing, Heating & HVAC: Providing Customers Preventative Heating Maintenance

There are many challenges that can arise during the fall and winter months, but you can equip yourself to be able to handle whatever the cold season throws your way. The comfort and safety of you and your family is a top priority. If you have concerns about your heating system, consult with Fagone Plumbing today to stay safe this fall and winter.

Nick Fagone