Time to get heating equipment cleaned and inspected
As temperatures drop and home heating systems kick into gear, remember to get your home heating systems inspected and cleaned as soon as possible. That’s a key message from the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), who are teaming up to reduce the risk of home heating fires this December, January and February, when half of all U.S. home heating fires occur.
According to NFPA, home heating equipment is the second leading cause of U.S. homes fires; failure to clean heating equipment is the most common reason for these fires.
Through their joint winter fire safety campaign, “Put a Freeze on Winter Fires,” NFPA and USFA urge everyone to get their home heating systems inspected and cleaned annually by a trained professional, preferably before the start of the season. This will ensure that your home heating system is working properly, and can significantly reduce your risk to associated fires.
If you have a chimney, make sure it’s also inspected and cleaned, if necessary, by a trained professional. Creosote - a sticky, oily, combustible substance created when wood does not burn completely - rises into the chimney as a liquid and deposits on the chimney walls, causing one-quarter of all home heating fires.
Wood-/Pellet-/Coal-burning Stoves and Fireplaces
• Burn only dry, well-seasoned wood.
• Use artificial logs according to manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Use only newspaper and kindling wood to start a fire. Never use flammable liquids, such as lighter fluid, kerosene or gasoline to start a fire.
Click here for additional Information on chimney fires from CSIA
