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Safety tips for cold weather vs winter heating


Dec 15, 2021


Undoubtedly, during the cold winter months, it’s impossible to stay at home without having your heating system on to feel comfortable. Unfortunately, every year, 905 people lose their lives due to improper heating techniques in their
home. Especially in the months of December, January and February.
Additionally, the property loss from the winter home fires is estimated to be over 2 billion dollars. So keep your homes and loved ones warm and safe by following these tips.

Wood-Burning stove and fireplace safe
First, what is a wood burning stove and fireplaces? The wood burning stove is
simply a home appliance that is used to heat the home. It is usually made of a metal such as casts, iron or steel and generates heat by burning wood fuel in an enclosed fire chamber. Whereas, a fireplace is a structure made of brick, stone or metal and is designed to contain fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. If you are dependent on one of them, it’s essential to be aware of its consequences.

Follow some of the safety tips given below to keep your home and family safe.
● Keep a glass or metal screen in front of it to prevent embers or sparks from jumping out.
● Use only dry, seasoned wood.
● Don’t burn paper in your fireplace.
● Put the fire out before you go to sleep or leave your home.
● Make sure you have your chimney inspected and cleaned each year by a professional.
● Closely monitor children around fireplace and gas stones.
● Put ashes in a metal container with a lid outside, at least 3 feet away from your home.
● Many people like to use candles during the dark days of winter, but candles are an open flame, which means they can easily ignite anything that can burn. So use battery operated candles rather than open flame candles.

If you decorate with open flame candles, keep the following points in mind.
○ Keep candles 12 inches away from anything that can burn.
○ Never leave a candle burning in a room without a responsible adult.
○ Make sure candles are always in a sturdy container.
○ Never light candles when you are drowsy.

I made a practice to have a home fire escape plan and set a meeting place outside. Make sure everyone in your family knows at least two escape routes from their bedrooms.

Gas furnace safety
The gas furnace is an equipment that adds heat to the indoor air by using a heat exchanger, creating heat that is used to heat the passing air. But again, we can’t ignore the problems which can arise by using it. You can minimize your issues by taking these precautions.
● Have your furnace inspected by a professional before the heating season begins. Fall is the perfect time to schedule a professional furnace tune-up.
● Keep the area around your furnace clean and unobstructed.
● Keep the burner area of your furnace clean.
● Make sure you have smoke and CO alarms installed throughout your home.
● Check your furnace flame and do confirm that it is blue. If it is in any other color, it needs to be examined by a skilled person.
● Change your furnace filter regularly.
● Keep flammable materials away from your furnace.

Space heater safety
Space heaters are like any other piece of equipment. As long as you are monitoring it, and you know what you are doing, they are fairly safe. But when you start ignoring them and not really paying attention and not keeping them up
To maintain it, it can be dangerous.
So here are some tips offered about space heaters.
● Make sure that the heater is placed on a hard, level surface.
● Do not use extension cords, plug the heater in directly.
● Don't use electric heaters in all wet locations such as the bathroom, kitchen and other damp areas.
● Occasionally, inspect electric heater cords for exposed wires and damage. ( don’t use if you find any damage.)
● Review your owner’s manual for specific instructions on your heater. For gas heaters, use only the fuel recommended by the manufacturer.
● Never leave your heater unattended.
● Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from flammable items and objects, such as papers and curtains.
Shut it off and unplug it if it is not in use.

Call us today at Patel HVAC for all your heater needs. Our professionals are consistently accessible to play out your yearly heater investigation and can further assist with any heater fixes you want immediately.

We give every day and every day extraordinary assistance, each of the 52 weeks of the year. In the event that you are disapproving of your heater, call us today, and we will promptly dispatch a specialist to your home – even on a day off! Every one of our fixes is supported by 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee, yet you can be confident that our heater establishments and fixes will do well with the initial
time. Call us today at +1 (647) 984-7874


Tagged : HVAC, Winter HVAC, HVAC Company

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