Did you know that half of home heating fires are reported during the months of December, January, and February? It makes sense as everyone is at home, trying to stay warm and comfortable when winter is at its worst. Make sure to follow these heating systems, fire, and carbon monoxide safety tips to keep your family and home safe:*

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, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel-burning space heaters.
• Test your smoke alarms monthly.
• Make sure you have carbon monoxide (CO) alarms installed in your home to avoid the risk of CO poisoning and test them 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 the 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. Contact us to schedule your cleaning today
• 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 from 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.

Using these tips will help you avoid the risk of fire. And, remember, even through the worst winter weather, trust us to be there to help with any of your home service needs, anytime - 24/7!

*Source: nfpa.org