Heater Safety during Cold Weather

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- As temperatures plummet over the next few days, residents will have numerous issues, like looking after the 3 P's ( Pets, Plants & Pipes ). As Firefighters, we are involved that there is another danger which is usually overlooked, that is the risk of injury or death from home heating fires. It is estimated which there are approximately sixty-four,000 home heating fires annually in the United States, ensuing in nearly $1 Billion greenbacks in damage, 540 civilian deaths and 1,four hundred injuries.
The high price of home heating fuels plus utilities has caused many Americans to look for different home heating sources like wood burning stoves, house heaters, plus fireplaces. Heating is 1 of the leading causes of residential fires. Over one-quarter of these fires result from improper maintenance of kit, specifically the failure to clean the equipment.
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is another danger when using heating equipment fueled by fossil fuel. It happens nearly all mostly when equipment is simply not vented properly. CO deaths have been on the rise because 1999. On average there have been 181 unintentional non-hearth deaths from CO poisoning associated with client products per year from 2004-2006 compared to 123 from 1999-2001 (Supply: Shopper Product Safety Commission). Carbon monoxide poisoning is most fatal to adults age sixty-five or older.
The number 1 safety recommendation is to first and foremost have functioning smoke detectors throughout the house, particularly in all sleeping areas. Homes with gas appliances need to even have a Carbon Monoxide Detector on every floor. Having a working smoke alarm dramatically will increase your probabilities of surviving a fire.
Preventing Home Heating Fires
In 2003-2006, the leading issue contributing to home heating fires (28%) plus deaths (46%) was heating equipment too near things that can burn, like upholstered furniture, clothing, mattress, or bedding (Supply: NFPA). Numerous heating fires can be prevented by following basic safety tips when dealing with any heating equipment:
- Stay or maintain a three foot clearance between every one heating equipment and something that will burn.
- Examine and maintain heating equipment frequently for safety.
- Be certain to have fastened house heaters put in by a professional technician, according to manufacturer's instructions or applicable codes. Or, make sure a qualified technician checks to detect the unit has been properly installed.
- When purchasing a hot, laptop area heater, make sure it has the label showing it is listed by a recognized testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- House heaters should be turned off every time you allow the room and before going to bed.
- Select house heaters which turn off automatically if they tip over.
- Never use a space heater to dry clothing.
- Do not use your oven to heat your home.
- Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on each level of the home. For the ideal protection, interconnect every one smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
- Take a look at smoke alarms monthly.
- Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid risk of carbon monoxide poisoning
Wood Burning Stoves and Fireplaces
- Use a metal or glass fireside screen to stay sparks from hitting nearby carpets or furniture.
- Be sure the fireplace or stove is installed properly. Wood stoves ought to have adequate clearance (3 feet) from combustible surfaces and correct floor support plus protection.
- Wood stoves should be of brilliant quality, solid construction plus design, and may be evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL).
- The stove should be burned hot twice a day for fifteen-30 minutes to reduce the number of creosote buildup.
- Have your chimney inspected annually plus cleaned if necessary, especially if it's not been used for some time.
- Don't use excessive amounts of paper to create fires in fireplaces. It looks potential to ignite creosote in the chimney by overbuilding the fire.
- Make sure your fireside contains a durable screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.
- Keep flammable materials away from your fireplace mantle. A spark from the fireside can generally ignite these materials.
- Prior to you visit sleep, be certain your fireside fire is out. NEVER shut your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will help the fire to heat up once more and will force toxic carbon monoxide into the house. If artificial logs are used, follow the directions on the package. NEVER break a synthetic log apart to quicken the fireplace or use more than only one log at a time. They mostly burn unevenly, releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide.
- Do not use flammable liquids to get started or accelerate any fire.
- Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal can give off lethal amounts of carbon monoxide.
-Allow fireplace and wood stove ashes to cool prior to disposing in a very metal container.
Electrical Heaters
- Stay area heaters at least 3 feet away from something that may burn - as well as furniture, blankets, curtains, and paper products.
- Check to confirm the heater includes a thermostat management mechanism.
- Select a heater that may turn off automatically if it tips over.
- Never dry clothes or store objects on stop of the heater.
- Never use extension cords with electric heaters.
- Stay anything that can burn at least three feet away from the heater.
- Never permit children to play with, or around, the heater.
Sources: United States Fire Administration, National Fireplace Protection Association

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