Helpful Tips to Safely Winterize Your Home

WOOD BURNING STOVES AND FIREPLACES

· Wood burning stoves should have 36” clearance from combustible surfaces and proper floor support and protection. Additionally, they should be Underwriters’ Laboratory (UL) listed.

• One of the most important safety factors is the use of a wood stove with a clean chimney and stove pipe. State Fire Marshal Robert Rielage recommends that they be cleaned and inspected at the beginning of the heating season. If the stove is used frequently, it may also require additional cleaning during the heating season.

• Keep a metal or glass screen in front of the fireplace opening. This will help prevent embers or sparks from reaching combustible materials while also preventing possible burns to occupants of your home.

• Fireplace chimneys produce creosote (commonly referred to as “soot”), which is a normal by-product of wood burning. To reduce the buildup of soot in your chimney you should burn only dry, seasoned wood and avoid slow burning, smoky fires. Moreover, your fireplace should be burned hot twice a day for 15-30 minutes in order to reduce the amount of soot buildup.

• Some important tips on what to never do in relation to a wood burning fire

· Never use flammable liquids to light or accelerate a fire.

· Never store flammable liquids in an area where a stove is being used.

· Never burn trash, large amounts of paper or small twigs. Large amounts of paper especially can ignite the creosote in your chimney.

· Never leave the doors open or screen off except to fuel the fire.

· Never dry clothing closer than 3 feet to the stove and keep all furniture away.

· Never leave small children in a room where a wood burning stove is in use.

· Never burn charcoal indoors. Burning charcoal can give off lethal levels of carbon monoxide.

· Never go to sleep before your fireplace fire is extinguished.

· Never close your damper with hot ashes in the fireplace. A closed damper will allow the fire to heat up which will, in turn, force toxic carbon monoxide into your house.

• If you use synthetic logs, follow the specific instructions on the package. Never break a synthetic log apart in order to hasten the fire or use more than one log at a time. Such logs often burn unevenly, releasing higher levels of carbon monoxide into your home.

• Wood stove users should dispose of ashes in metal containers with tight-fitting lids and set the container only on a noncombustible surface. Never dispose of ashes in a trash container.

FURNACE HEATING

· Have furnace professionally inspected and cleaned prior to the heating season.

· Make sure that all furnace and emergency shutoff controls are in proper working order.

· Never attempt to make furnace repairs yourself. Leave such repairs to qualified specialists.

· Inspect the ceiling and walls near your furnace along with the chimney line. If the walls are discolored or hot, additional clearance or pipe insulation might be required.

· Inspect the flue pipe and pipe seams. Make certain that they are well-supported, free of holes and cracks. Soot along or around the seams may be an indicator of a leak.

PORTABLE HEATERS

• The use of portable heaters requires an even greater commitment to safety requirements. Because the heaters are portable, great care must be taken to ensure that they do not block the exit from a room or come in contact with something that will burn.

• Before using kerosene heaters, State Fire Marshal Rielage recommends that the wick be cleaned and adjusted according to the manufacturer's specifications. Operating and safety instructions included in the original package should be reviewed. In addition, safety warnings printed on the heater should be closely followed.

• Inspect the exhaust parts for carbon buildup. Ensure that the heater has an emergency shutoff in case the heater tips over.

• Never use kerosene or other fuel-burning appliances without proper room ventilation. Burning coal, kerosene or propane can produce deadly fumes in unventilated spaces.

• Kerosene heaters are designed to use only 1-K or "water clear" kerosene as fuel. Care must be exercised to insure that gasoline is never accidentally placed into the heater's fuel tank. Gasoline will cause the heater to explode.

• Never fill your heater with fuel while it is operating or hot. When refueling an oil or kerosene unit, avoid overfilling. Do not use cold fuel, which may expand in the tank as it heats. Furthermore, refueling should only be done outside of the home.

• Safety precautions involving the use of electric heaters are often overlooked because heaters that lack a flame appear safe. For this reason, most fires involving electric heaters are caused by the heater being positioned too closely to furniture, draperies or bedding.

• Keep young children away from space heaters. Pajamas, nightgowns or other loose fitting clothing can easily ignite.

OTHER WINTER FIRE SAFETY TIPS

• Never use an oven or range as a supplemental heating device. It is both a safety hazard and a source of potentially deadly fumes.

• Do not overload extension cords with heaters and multiple appliances.

• Never attempt to thaw frozen water pipes with a blowtorch or other open flame. Instead, use hot water or a UL labeled device such as a hair dryer for thawing.

KNOW TWO WAYS OUT/HOME FIRE ESCAPE DRILL

• Whether you are at home or at work, it is vital that you know two ways out of every room. Chances are that, during a fire, one of your potential exits may be blocked or impassable, limiting your means of egress.

Knowing two ways out and being able to make a quick, decisive response are often what makes the difference between life and death in a fire.

· Every household in Ohio should practice the Home Fire Escape Drill. If a fire should occur, this drill can help you and your family escape. The Home Fire Escape Drill is designed to help families practice their two chosen escape routes out of the house if a fire should occur.

Planning and practicing two escape routes -- one normal route through hallways and stairways; and an alternative route through windows or onto the roof -- will help save the lives of you and your family.

· Make sure that your windows are not frozen shut and can be opened easily during winter months.

· Consider home escape ladders in each upper level sleeping area.

SMOKE DETECTORS

• By providing early warning of a fire, smoke detectors add precious seconds that can make the difference between life and death.

• Install a smoke detector on each level of your home and outside each sleeping area. Test detectors at least once a month to ensure that they are working properly. Batteries in battery-operated detectors should be changed at least once yearly or whenever a detector “chirps” to signal low battery power.

• Never “borrow” a smoke detector’s battery for another use. A disabled detector cannot save a life!

• This holiday season, consider giving a detector as a gift or installing one in the house of an elderly neighbor or a family in need.