10 Important Heating Safety Tips for Your Home

We all love that first evening the heat kicks on. It reminds us it’s time to pack away the shorts and bring out the cozy sweaters. Before you start dreaming of snow, follow our 10 important heating safety tips for your home.

Test the Smoke Alarms

With winter comes more fire risks as we heat our homes. Furnaces and mini split systems are working hard, fireplaces are crackling, and portable space heaters toast our feet. Use that first chill in the air as a reminder to check all the smoke alarms.

Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Just as with smoke detectors, now is the time to run a test on all your carbon monoxide detectors as well. Each detector has a button on it you can press to show it’s working. Place a carbon monoxide detector on each floor of your home for the best protection.

Flammable Objects

Look around the areas in your home that produce heat: space heaters, mini splits, furnaces, and fireplaces. Find any objects that are within three feet of those heating units and remove them.

Schedule a Checkup

Schedule a heating system checkup with an HVAC professional before winter strikes. It’s best to start the season with the system in good shape. Don’t wait until something goes wrong and you’re left without heat.

Smelling Gas

Some heating systems run with gas. If anyone smells gas in your home, leave immediately and call the fire department. Gas is dangerous, and you and your family are not safe when it’s smelled.

The Oven Is for Cooking

We get it—after pulling that delicious turkey out of the oven, besides the wonderful aromas, a gush of comforting, warm air fills the room. Close the oven door. It may feel toasty and cozy to feel that warm oven air, but it isn’t a safe way to heat the room.

Unplug the Space Heater

Space heaters are a helpful way to heat our feet at our desks or to use in the garage as we work on the car. Still, it’s so easy to walk away and forget to unplug the heater. Don’t leave space heaters unattended.

Manual Instructions

If you have a system like a mini split, it came with a manual. When it comes to maintenance, error codes, and operation, follow whatever the manual says. Don’t wing it when it comes to the heating system.

Disposing of Ashes

We encourage clean fireplaces; however, be wise and don’t dump the ashes into a plastic bucket or container. Even when ashes feel cool, there could be a hidden ember with some life in it. The plastic will melt and start a fire.

An Open Fireplace

As you enjoy the glow of the fireplace, always use a sturdy screen. There’s nothing more nostalgic than a crackling fire in the winter. Just keep in mind, sparks and ashes hitting the floor are a danger.

No matter your heating system, use our 10 important heating safety tips for your home. A warm and safe home is an oasis during the frigid, cold months.

At Pioneer Mini Split, we offer a wall mount ductless mini split system, as well as other mini split systems for heating and cooling your home. Browse our online store, or contact us for more information on how to safely heat your home this winter.