During December, January and February, everyone relies heavily on their heating system to keep their home warm and comfortable. That's why  half of home heating fires are also reported during that time. We can help you avoid becoming one of those statistics, and keep your family and home safe, by following these heating system, fire and carbon monoxide safety tips:*

GENERAL HEATING SAFETY:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, like your furnace, fireplace or portable space heater.
• Have a 3 foot designated "Kid Free Zone" around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Plug only 1 heat producing appliance (such as a space heater or portable radiator) into one electrical outlet at a time.
• Remember to always turn portable heaters off when leaving any room or before going to bed.
• Always use the correct fuel, specific by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
• Test your smoke alarms monthly.
• If you smell gas in your home or coming from your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave your home immediately and call your local fire department or gas company.
• Never leave candles burning unattended.

HEATING EQUIPMENT SAFETY TIPS:

• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to local codes and manufacturer's instructions.
• Install wood burning stoves following manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. We can help with your installation needs 
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
• Keep portable generators away from windows and use them as far away from the house as possible. We can help you with any portable generator installation, instruction or service 

FIREPLACE SAFETY TIPS:

• Make sure that your fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks flying into the room.
• Fire ashes should always be cool before putting them into any kind of covered, metal container.
• Never put ashes into a plastic container.
• Keep fireplace ashes containers a safe distance away from your home.

Stay safe by using these home heating safety tips and remember, as your local home service experts, we can take care of all of your comfort needs.

*Source: nfpa.org