Stay Warm and Safe this Holiday Season

The ultimate holiday season is upon us. In just a few days it will be Christmas. In order to make this holiday season a time of joy and festivity instead of calamity and disaster, you need to follow some guidelines regarding heating safety.

Listed below are few heating safety tips

Inspection Checkup

If you haven’t done so in the last 12 months this might be time. Check your heating system, furnace, and chimney it is being maintained as soon as you can. The maintenance for all three should be done on a yearly. Consider having them checked by a qualified professional serviceman.

Check Decorations

We know that with holidays out comes the decorations. As decorations are something deeply rooted with the spirit of the holidays they cannot be avoided. To be on the safe side make sure the decorations are flame-resistant. Always keep anything that is flammable away from open flames or heat sources. For safety factor, there should be a minimum 3 foot distance between heat sources or open flames and decorations. Consider creating an area that is safe for children to play.

Check the heat

Never should you ever, ever use candles, ovens or stoves to heat your home. Remember to turn off space heaters and decorations when you step out of the house or go to bed. Always make sure to check your fireplace and chimney before you use them. There should always be a sturdy mesh in front of the fireplace to prevent embers and sparks from entering living space. Be sure wood and embers had time to cool before handling them when cleaning out the fireplace. It is recommended to use flame-free candles; however, if you must absolutely use candles this holiday season, then always be present and aware where they are. You should always keep an eye on burning candles. KEEP EVERYTHING THAT CAN CATCH FIRE AWAY FROM BURNING CANDLES! This means drapes, trees, paper or anything that is even remotely combustible.

Smoke Detection

This is where you can take some extra time in case of emergencies with your alarm system. Always make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are in order and operational. Check them monthly the batteries are still operational by observing a red light is glowing.

The Holiday Tree

This is the biggest possible fire hazard you can have in your home. Here is how you can void any bad situation. As I have mentioned earlier, keep anything remotely flammable away from flame and heat. This includes keeping your tree away from fire and heat sources like heating vents, space heaters and radiators. In the case of an artificial tree or any electric decorations (chances are you have a few of these decorations) make sure that they are certified and safe to use. In case you’re getting a natural tree, water regularly so it stays hydrated. The reason is dry trees are more likely to catch fire and erupt into flames. A tree regularly watered stays hydrated and moisturized will be harder to catch fire. It will look and appear fresher during the holiday season too.

For all your plumbing, heating and cooling needs.

Vision Plumbing Heating Cooling

778-760-1328