This Winter Keep Your Home Safe When Using Alternative Heating Sources
Even though summer is here and lots of people are worried about keeping their homes cool, in a couple of months it will be time to start heating your home again. With the soaring costs of heating oil going up every year, quite a few people are looking for alternative ways to heat their homes. The issue is that these replacement methods also have a greater risk of causing house fires. Keeping your house safe making use of alternative heating sources is the topic of this article.
The first thing many individuals do is usually to go out and get an electric heater or an electric fireplace. If not correctly looked after, electric fireplaces and space heaters can create a very real fire risk. First point you should know about these types of units is that you should never ever leave these running when your not home. If you are not home, even though the units are normally safe, it can be dangerous still to leave it on. It’s also advisable to make sure that you never put any items near the units when they are running. Any kind of wall or item that is flammable needs to be at least 3 feet away from the unit. And lastly you shouldn’t plug this type of system into a power strip.
Another choice that lots of people decide to do is get themselves a fireplace or a wood fire stove. Even though this is a great way to heat up your home, this can also be a fire hazard. If you feel like you will be able to install the stove yourself, it is critical to realize that it is better to let a professional do it for you. Appropriate set up will result in reducing the chance of fires and saving money.
Also once you have the unit in place you will need to make sure that you have your wood stove and chimney inspected and cleaned regularly. Creosote is considered the major explanation why chimney fires occur and it builds up over time in the chimney and stove. Another idea to be aware of is inserting a barrier made of metal or glass in front of the wood stove or fireplace. Flammable elements or carpeting that is near will likely not have a chance to ignite if sparks land on it because of the barrier. If you’re not in the home, it is a wise course of action to shut the wood stove or fireplace off.
Lastly, making sure that every room is equipped with a smoke detector is critical. Although this is not typically required by legal requirements, this is an excellent way to help make sure your family is notified if there is a fire. You need to also make certain you have a fully charged fire extinguisher handy on every level of your home. Even though the suggestions above should help reduce chances of a fire, incidents still happen and it is better to be prepared.
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