Safety of you, your family, and your home is important. The winter season in Minneapolis means that you might be spending more time inside, and you’ll need the heat to stay comfortable. Unfortunately, heating equipment accidents are the leading cause of house fires during the winter months. That’s why it is important to keep any safety tips in mind as you heat your home.
Three feet away rule
Establish a three foot area away from any heating device you have. Whether it is a space heater, furnace, or any other heating unit, it is unsafe to keep anything near it. Flammable items like drapes or rugs should especially stay away from any heating equipment. Kids and animals should also stay away to avoid getting burned. Keeping everything three feet away will help avoid house fires.
Test all alarms
Testing your alarms doesn’t prevent house fires, but it does help response times for your family and emergency services. Response times can be the difference between fixing a couple pieces of furniture and major damage to your home. All of your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms should be tested twice a year with one being in the fall before you turn on your heating units.
Don’t cook your home
Kitchen appliances like ovens and microwaves should not be used to heat your home. The doors on them while heating up your food are there to keep dangerous levels of heat and potential radiation. Keeping them open is not only dangerous because it could create fires in your home, but it can also release small amounts of radiation that will build up in your home. They do normally use safe levels to warm your food, but keeping it on for a long time could cause some issues.
Maintenance
Whether you use a furnace, fireplace, or space heater, maintenance is recommended to keep them running smoothly without any problems. For a furnace, get your HVAC provider to do a tune-up to make sure every part of your furnace will last all winter long without issues. If you have a fireplace, get your chimney swept and your fireplace cleaned. Chimneys that are not cleaned out will gather ash, dirt, and dust, all of which are flammable. If it isn’t cleaned, it can catch fire and start a house fire. Most space heaters use electricity to warm a room in your home. Making sure it is working properly will help avoid any electrical fires.
If you haven’t gotten your HVAC system checked yet this fall, it is time to plan a tune-up. Call one of our technicians to schedule an appointment or if you have any questions.
