Heating Safety Tips

2/4/2022 (Permalink)

Know the risks associated with heating your home this winter.

It’s no secret that we need heat to keep us warm throughout the winter months. Though heat is necessary, many do not consider that heating their home can come with risk. Many studies show that fires occur more often in winter than in any other season. That said, SERVPRO of East York has come up with safety tips to help keep you and your family safe when it’s time to turn the heat on.

Safety Tips for Fire Prevention This Winter

There are a few different ways to heat your home in the winter. Some homes use wood-burning appliances, while others rely on gas furnaces. You may even find yourself using an electric heater to warm up certain rooms in your home. There are fire prevention tips below for all three of these heating options.

Wood-Burning Appliances

Wood-burning appliances can include fireplaces and wood stoves. If you have either, ensure that your chimney or wood stove is professionally inspected and cleaned each year.

You should also not leave your fireplace unattended. Place a screen in front of it to keep embers from flying into your home while your fireplace is in use. Put the fire out when you’re finished with the fire for the night. Do not close the fireplace dampener until the ashes are cool to the touch. Waiting to close the damper prevents the fire from heating up again or forcing carbon monoxide into your home.

Some tips for both wood-burning appliances include:

• Keep flammable objects at least three feet from your wood stove or fireplace.
• Never use flammable liquids to start or accelerate a fire in your home.
• Discard cooled ashes in a covered metal container. Store the container outside and away from the house.

If the unexpected happens, your local SERVPRO team is here to help.

Gas Furnaces

Check out our fire prevention tips below if you have a gas furnace.

• Have your furnace inspected annually to ensure that it is safe to operate.
• Inspect the walls and ceiling near the furnace and along the chimney line. If the wall is hot or discolored, install additional pipe insulation.
• Check that the flue pipe and pipe seams are well-supported and without holes or cracks. Soot along or around seams may signal a leak.
• Keep combustible items away from the heating system.

Contact a professional if you have questions about keeping your home safe when using a gas furnace.

Other Fire Safety Tips

Fire damage is not the only concern when heating your home. Smoke and carbon monoxide can make it difficult to breathe properly. To detect these buildups early, ensure adequate smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in your home.

Do you use portable generators? Keep them outside and away from doors and windows to prevent carbon monoxide build-up.

A stove can be another source of carbon monoxide. To prevent a build-up from your oven or stove, don’t use it as a heat source for your home.

Electric heaters can be an excellent source of heat. If you use electric heaters, plug only one heater into a wall outlet at a time to avoid overloading the circuit. You’ll also want to avoid using electric heaters in bathrooms or other areas where water is used.

Sometimes during the winter, pipes freeze. Never try to thaw frozen water pipes with a blow torch or other open flame.

Contact Your Local SERVPRO for Fire Restoration Services

SERVPRO of East York provides fire and smoke damage remediation, in addition to water damage remediation, mold mitigation, and biohazard cleanup for both commercial and residential customers. At SERVPRO of East York, we are faster to any size disaster.

We’ll restore your home or business to make it seem, “Like it never even happened. If you need restoration services, call our office today at 717-665-1270!