Stay Warm Safely This Winter

Did you know heating equipment is one of the leading cause of home fire deaths?  With a few safety tips and precautions, you can prevent most heating fires.

• Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater.

• Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

• Never use your oven as a heater.

• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.

• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

• Turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

• Use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacture, for fuel burning space heaters.

• Ensure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.  Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal containers.  Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.

Portable Space Heaters

When the weather turns cold, it can bring a chill into our homes.  Portable space heaters have become a popular way to supplement central heating or heat one room.  If you plan to use portable electric space heaters, make sure to follow these tips and recommendations:

• Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory.

• Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.

• Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.

• Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.

• Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic.  Never block an exit.

• Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet.  Never use an extension cord.