subject: Take Care When Using Alternative Heating Sources
[print this page] As summer comes to an end, it will be time to think about what you can do for heating during the winter months and how you should go about it. Because it has turned out to be more expensive to heat oil, lots of people want a new way to heat their houses. House fires come to be more of a danger when you start to look at alternative heating sources. Keeping your house safe making use of alternative heating sources is the topic of this article.
Getting an electrical fireplace or electric heater is one of the earliest things people do. These so called area heating elements or electric fireplaces can be a rather large fire risk if not used properly. The first thing you should know about these units is that you should never leave these running when your not home. It's a huge fire threat having these generally safe units operating while you are not at your house. When they're running you must also never set any objects near the devices. Usually try to keep the device at least 3 feet from any wall or any other object that is flammable. And lastly you shouldn't ever plug this kind of device into a power strip.
Another choice that many people decide on is get themselves a fireplace or a wood fire stove. It can also be a fire hazard, but at the same time is a great way to heat your home. Always employing professionals to install the stove for you even though you think can undertake it yourself is the smartest decision you can make. Correct setting up should result in reducing the chance of fires and saving money.
Additionally once you have the unit installed you will need to make sure that you have your wood stove and chimney inspected and cleaned regularly. Chimney fires are generally due to creosote that builds up in the stove and chimney. Placing a barrier whether it's glass or metal in front of the fireplace or wood stove is something else to keep in mind. Flammable materials or carpeting that is near is not going to have a chance to spark if sparks land on it because of the barrier. And the same as with electrical heaters you should never leave your fireplace or wood stove burning if perhaps you aren't at home.
On a closing note you should make sure you've got a smoke detector in every room of your house. If you have a fire, it's always a great way to safeguard your family and yourself as best you can, despite the fact that it is not required by law. You need to also make sure you have a fully charged fire extinguisher on hand on every level of your home. It is always good to be prepared as best you can even though you can't foretell the future, but the above tips should help.
