January and February sees the peak of home heating fires and carbon monoxide poisonings. Here are some tips to avoiding problems in your home.
Heating Equipment:
*Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from furnaces, fireplaces, wood
stoves, or portable space heaters.
*Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.
*Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year.
*Turn off portable heaters when leaving the room or going to bed.
*Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into a room.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning:
*Replace the battery for your home’s CO detector each spring and fall.
*Do not heat your home with a gas range or oven.
*Never run a car or truck inside an attached garage.
Smoke Detectors:
*Test your smoke alarms at least once a month.
*Change batteries when daylight savings time changes.
*When a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
*Replace all smoke alarms in your home every 10 years.
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