It’s almost become a cliché, but it’s no less true: Your home has potential to be one of the most dangerous environments you’ll ever experience. Fortunately, home safety can be accomplished relatively easily, with some inexpensive and simple steps. Following are a few important home safety tips.
Electrical — Don’t leave electrical cords in locations where people will trip over them and possibly pull connected appliances down with them. Any frayed wires, or missing insulation on cords, should be repaired or replaced. If your home has small children, plug unused outlets with plastic covers. Take care to avoid using extension cords when you have the option of using an outlet. Don’t overload outlets.
Home heating — If you have a combustion heating system, make sure it gets annual maintenance that includes a check of combustion and venting components. Keep vents to the outside clear, since a clogged vent can allow carbon monoxide to backdraft into the house. Air intake and outtake vents should not be located next to each other for the same reason. If you have a chimney, make sure it gets inspected and cleaned once a year. Wood-burning stoves should be checked and cleaned regularly, too.
Detectors — Your home should be outfitted with working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, preferably one of each on each level. They should be tested every month, and outfitted with new batteries once a year.
The garage — Carbon monoxide and other toxic fumes can enter the house via an attached garage, through air leaks if the air pressure in the garage is greater than inside. Make sure the garage is properly ventilated, that air leaks between the house and the garage are sealed, and that the common doorway is kept closed and sealed as well.
For more home safety tips, or to schedule annual maintenance for your heating and cooling system, please contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc., providing quality HVAC service to the Dayton area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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