Home Heating Safety Tips

Happy New Year!  With winter in full swing, most of us are looking forward to warmer weather and the chance to get outside.  Until then, the EFD would like to share some tips with you that will protect your home or business, and possibly save your life.  Please keep the following safety tips in mind when using your fireplace or wood burning stoves:

• ·        Allow enough clearance between a wood burning stove and combustible materials such as walls, floors and ceilings.
• ·        A wood stove should be placed on an approved stove board to protect your floor from heat and hot coals.
• ·        Make sure the flue is open before lighting a fire, and never close the flue while a fire is still smoldering.
• ·        Never use gasoline or lighter fluid to start a fire.
• ·        The immediate area in front of a fireplace (approximately 3 feet) should not have a rug, carpet, or exposed wood flooring.
• ·        When lighting a gas fireplace, strike your match first then turn on the gas.
• ·        Burn only dry, seasoned wood and dispose of the cooled ashes in a closed metal container outside and away from your home.
• ·        Never leave a fire burning unattended in the fireplace.

In addition to fireplaces and wood burning stoves, a very common alternative for adding heat to a home is through the use of a space heater.  Recently, the EFD listed five space heaters that have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).  These space heaters are listed below:

• ·        Meijer Touch Point Oscillating Ceramic Heater.  The hazard involved with this product is that the oscillating mechanism can short out resulting in a fire hazard.
• ·        Flow Pro, AirTech, Aloha Breeze and Comfort Essential Heaters. These heaters can malfunction resulting in overheating, smoking, burning, melting, and fire.
• ·        Lasko Portable Electric Heaters.  An electrical connection in the base of the unit can overheat causing it to melt and expose the electrical connection, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
• ·        Honeywell Electric Baseboard and Fan Heater Thermostats. The thermostats can overheat, causing them to melt and smoke.  This poses a burn hazard to the consumer.
• ·        GE Zoneline Air Conditioners & Heaters. An electrical component in the heating system can fail, posing a fire hazard to consumers.

To find out more about these or other recalled products that may be in your home, please visit www.saferproducts.gov.

If you own a space heater that has not been recalled, we want you to be sure to follow the following safety tips:

• ·        When buying a space heater, look for a control feature that automatically shuts off the power if the heater falls over.
• ·        Never leave a heater on when you are not in the room or when you go to sleep, and do not leave children or pets unattended around any heating source. Unplug the heater when you are not using it.
• ·        Provide at least 3 feet of clearance around the space heater.  Any clothing, furniture, or other combustible material can smolder and ignite causing a fire if placed too close to a space heater.
• ·        Don’t use an extension cord with an electric portable heater. The current to the heater could melt the cord and cause a fire.
• ·        Don’t plug more than one heating device into an outlet.
• ·        Never use electric heaters near water – as in your bathroom or near a water heater.

As a reminder, smoke detectors provide early warning when a fire occurs, but only when they are properly installed and maintained.  For the greatest protection, install a smoke detector on every level of your home.

Test smoke detectors at least once each month to ensure that they are working properly. Vacuum the dust from inside the detector at least once every year. Batteries in battery-operated detectors should be changed whenever a detector “chirps” to signal low battery power.  Never “borrow” a battery from a smoke detector for another use.  A disabled detector cannot save your life.  In addition, smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years or according to the manufacturer’s specifications. 

Also, develop an escape plan and make sure every family member knows what to do if the alarm does sound. 

We hope these safety tips will add safety and security to your home or business.  As always, if you need us, call us!  We’ll be there.  Thanks for reading and stay safe.