As the air gets chilly, you want to be as warm as possible. This means you are bound to heat your home to keep it toasty and comfortable. When it comes to heating appliances, there is always the risk of fires or even carbon monoxide poisoning. You don’t want to put your family at risk, do you?

To protect yourself, you should observe the highest levels of heating safety. These tips, as given by furnace service providers, include:

Portable space heaters

To be safe when using space heaters:

Never leave a portable space heater unattended, and always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for proper operation and maintenance.

The most common cause of space heater fires is positioning them too close to flammable things. It is a heat source, therefore, placing it near something that will burn, such as a couch, drapes, or papers, increases the risk of fire.

To be safe, keep the heater as far away from inflammable materials as much as possible. You also should keep the heater on a level, firm surface at all times.

It only makes sense to keep the heat on as long as the cold weather persists, but experts warn that using space heaters all the time poses a significant risk.

When you can’t pay attention to the space heater, whether you’re sleeping or leaving the room, you should switch it off.

A great way to treat your heater is like a candle. You don’t leave a candle burning when you leave the room, do you?

Keep your heater out of reach of children and pets. Like candles, you should not leave the heater within reach of children or curious pets. This is because they can drop it, get burnt, or, even worse, start a fire.

To be safe, place your heater elevated. You also should have a barrier around the heater to keep them out while yet allowing ventilation.

In addition to contact with flammable substances, using surge protectors with a space heater poses a significant risk of fire.

If you’re plugged directly into the wall, you know that it’s rated for the outlet, a surge protector may not be capable of handling the power required for the space heater and, if overwhelmed, can create a fire.

To avoid this, always plug your heater directly into the outlet.

Fireplace

Before you start a fire, make sure the damper or flue is open. Keeping the damper or flue open until the fire is extinguished can draw smoke from the house. Using a flashlight or mirror, look up into the chimney to inspect the damper. Do not close the damper until all of the embers have burned out.

This eliminates the risk of your pets or children getting burned. Opening the damper also protects your family from carbon monoxide poisoning.

If using wood in your fireplace, use dry, well-aged wood. Wet or green wood generates more smoke and leads to soot buildup in chimneys, so you should avoid it. Dried wood produces less smoke and burns more evenly.

When buying the wood, go for high-quality one from a reputable store.

Make sure the area around the fireplace is free of potentially combustible items (such as furniture, draperies, newspapers, and books). If these goods come too close to the fireplace, they may catch fire.

Just like with the heaters, never leave a fire in your fireplace unattended. Make sure it’s totally gone before you go to bed or leave the house.

If you have children in the house, reduce your child’s risk of burns from the hot glass by installing safety screens.

Before the winter season kicks in, it’s always recommended that you clean your chimney. When hiring the chimney sweep, take care not to hire the first one you come across. Instead, take your time and find a reputable and experienced one who knows what they are doing.

Furnaces

Ventilation is necessary to ensure that your furnace operates correctly and safely. Make sure you’re not storing anything in your furnace room. This includes removing any furniture, boxes, or other clutter from your furnace so that it has enough room to breathe and ventilate correctly.

Many homeowners question whether it is a smart idea to install their furnaces themselves. To protect your furnace’s safety, always have a professional install it.

Professionals are trained to professionally and safely install furnace units, avoiding future problems such as malfunctions or house fires.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors can save lives in an emergency. Installing these near your furnace area can help you detect a fire or gas leak. Simply ensure that you change the batteries on a regular basis and that they are functioning properly.

Objects such as bird nests, mouse nests, and leaves can get caught in your furnace’s flues. It’s critical to keep these flue ports clear so that your furnace can properly exhaust natural gas away from your home.

At least twice a year, inspect your furnace and remove any blocking materials.

Checking your furnace on a regular basis to see if there are any visible indicators of needing maintenance is an excellent method to keep it safe. For example, if you notice obvious rust, it’s a good indication that you need to maintain the unit and that you should contact a professional. Other indicators include rattling, popping, or slamming sounds.

You can inspect the furnace by yourself, but if you don’t have the experience, let a professional handle it.

When hiring the furnace repair service Huntington, hire an experienced professional who will not only inspect the unit but also repair the faulty areas.

Parting shot

These are some of the ways you can be safe during winter. You should be cautious of the appliances you use to keep yourself warm. If you have children, keep a close eye on them and ensure that you don’t leave your appliances unattended.

To avoid surprises, regularly inspect your heating appliances and ensure that they are always in tip-top shape.