The cold weather is here, so keeping your home and family warm is a top priority. There are a number of different ways to heat your home – but with that comes some risk. Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean that fires can’t start in your home, so it’s best to employ safe practices at all times.
With that said, here are safe and unsafe ways to heat your home – and why you might need a heater tune-up.
Unsafe heating scenarios
Most home fires occur during the winter months due to a homeowner’s lack of precautions when using heating sources. These heating sources can include but aren’t limited to portable space heaters, fireplaces and furnaces. All of these can be used to heat your home – but only when done so correctly.
As a note, a stove or oven should not be used to heat your home. Common unsafe practices include leaving an open heating source unattended, letting children near heating sources and leaving flammable objects nearby. These same rules apply when in your kitchen.
Safe heating practices
To prevent any home fires or accidents from occurring, there are some things you can do. All open heat sources and your furnace should be free of flammable materials within a three-foot area. Children should also be told to stay away from sources of heat as they are likely to too touch them out of curiosity. It’s also important to not leave things like portable space heaters and fireplaces unattended while active so that you can react if there is ever an issue. Lastly, we highly recommended that you test your smoke detectors every month to ensure that they work correctly.
Safest heating methods
Undoubtedly, the safest way to heat your home is a well-maintained furnace. With one, you can be sure that every time you turn on the thermostat it will run without issue. It’s important to have your furnace checked if you think there may be an issue. This can easily be achieved with a heater tune-up.
If you’re in need of furnace repair or furnace replacement, think of Norman Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, the HVAC professionals.
