Three Helpful Hints for Safer Heating in Your Home

Staying warm during the winter months is probably one of the first things you think of when your home heating system comes to mind, but there’s something else that should be one of your top priorities too — staying safe. Home heating systems are one of the most common causes of house fires (second only after cooking mishaps), but there are a few ways you can ensure that your heating system is working properly, efficiently, and safely:

• If you use a wood-burning furnace or fireplace, there are plenty of safety precautions you should take (and you probably already know about them). Having spark screens in place is imperative, and if there are small kids in your house, try to create a “kid free” area around the fireplace or furnace.
  

• On a similar note, if you use alternative home heating options like fireplaces, make sure that you have proper ventilation in your home — these types of home heating systems will emit carbon monoxide as they burn wood or gas, which is undetectable to people but is very dangerous when it collects in enclosed spaces. Make sure to have both smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in your home, working properly, and with fresh batteries.
  

• Because it can get expensive heating a whole house, many people choose to go with smaller space heaters in individual rooms. While this can definitely save you some money, it’s important to realize that space heaters can overheat very easily and can be very dangerous if left unattended. Make sure to turn off space heaters whenever you leave the room, and don’t leave them running while you’re asleep.

For even more tips, call up you local furnace repair and heating repair service — most HVAC repair services are more than happy to make house calls and look over your heating and cooling system, even if nothing seems wrong, simply as a preventative solution for safer home heating. For more about this, go here.