Home Safety

Furnace and Water Heater Safety

• Make sure there is enough space around the equipment for proper ventilation or maintenance, and that your house is properly ventilated – inside and out.
• Make sure internal vents are clear of any obstruction and/or debris.
• After a heavy snowstorm, inspect the air intake and exhaust pipes outside your home to ensure nothing is blocking them.
• Keep the area around your furnace free from dust, rags, lint, or anything else that could catch fire or explode if it becomes too hot. Don’t keep chemicals in your furnace room.
• Clean and replace your furnace air filters frequently and according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Never lean anything against your furnace or water heater, and don’t hang laundry or a clothesline from your equipment.

Using Gas Stoves Safely

• Install an exhaust hood or a downdraft system
• To prevent your burners from getting clogged, regularly remove them and wash them with soapy water. Use a toothpick or wire brush on burner holes. 
• Turn the gas off if a burner does not turn on when you try to ignite it, or if the flame goes out. 
• If you smell gas, open a window and leave the room. Wait until the gas smell dissipates before trying to re-light the burner.
• Always make sure you turn off all the burners on the stove when you are finished cooking.
• Use cookware that matches the size of your cooking flame. This will help keep your cookware handles from heating up, decreasing the risk of a burn, and will also help reduce carbon monoxide.
• Never cover the bottom cavity of the oven with aluminum foil. Foil can melt at high temperatures, which could cause a short circuit or start a fire.
• Don’t wear loose clothes while cooking, and keep flammable potholders, towels, or wooden or plastic utensils away from the stovetop.
• Make sure to have your stove serviced if the burner flames aren’t blue, if the burners or pilot light produces soot, or if your CO detector shows increased levels of carbon monoxide. If you smell gas when the appliance is off, leave the house and call the gas company.

Gas Fireplace Safety

• Use a protective screen over the front of your fireplace to keep people from touching the hot glass. 
• Never leave a young child alone near a gas fireplace; they can be burned before, during, and even after you use it. Consider not using the fireplace if you have children younger than five, use it only after they have gone to sleep, or turn the unit off completely(including the ignition flame) whenever you’re not using it.
• If the wall above your fireplace gets very hot, it could be a sign of improper installation—and a potential fire hazard.

Space Heater Safety

Never use a fuel-burning portable space heater (such as propane or kerosene heater) in any enclosed space, as doing so can lead to deadly carbon monoxide exposure.