Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of fires in households. In the severest cases, these house fires claim lives. Even less severe fires cause expensive damage to property. If you are a landlord or a property owner, fire safety should be top priority. Here at K and M Maintenance we are professional and qualified gas engineers. We know how important it is for you and your home to stay safe. As a result, we have produced these fire safety tips for heating equipment.
Fire kills:
Our top fire safety tips:
- Keep a 3 foot distance between flammable objects and heating equipment. This includes gas fires, wood stoves, space heaters and furnaces.
- Always use your central heating, heater or fireplace to heat your home. Never use your oven in this way.
- Always test your smoke alarms. You should do this once a month. If your smoke alarms need new batteries, these should be fitted as soon as possible.
- Turn off and unplug portable heaters. This should be done when they are not in use, but especially when you leave the home or go to bed.
- Use a protective screen with a fireplace. This can prevent sparks from spitting outside of the grate and causing a fire.
- Make sure you have a full annual gas safety check. This will ensure that all of your gas appliances are in perfect working order.
- Make sure your heating equipment and chimneys are inspected every year by a professional.
- Never be tempted to skimp on the installation of gas appliances. Always have a professional engineer install gas and heating appliances in your home. In fact, you could be breaking the law if you don’t.
- Make sure you always use the specified fuel for burning in space heaters. Using an alternative can cause fires.
In summary
You can keep your home and family safe by following our simple and practical fire safety tips. Smoke alarms and simple fire safety precautions do save lives. For all your gas and heating requirements, don’t hesitate to contact us at K and M Maintenance.