According to the National Fire Prevention Association, the majority of fires that take place in homes throughout the course of the year take place during the wintertime.
While that’s at least partly to blame on the holiday season, there are a lot of other things that can cause house fires in the winter. Here are a few maintenance tips to prevent disaster from happening.
Clean your fireplace and have it inspected.
A fireplace can heat up your home once the temperature drops outside. However, it can also result in a house fire if it is not cleaned regularly and inspected at least once every year. Soot, ash, and more can build up inside of the chimney and lead to fires. Cleaning your fireplace is of the utmost importance and could prevent a large fire in your home.
Avoid leaving portable heaters unattended.
Portable space heaters can really come in handy if you have a particular part of your home that gets cold and stays cold regardless of how high you have the heat. These heaters, however, can also start fires if left unattended at any point. If you are using a portable heater, make sure you are in the room with it at all times. This way, you can keep an eye on the heater and put out a fire if it happens to start. You should also resist the urge to leave portable heaters on overnight while you and your family are sleeping.
Maintain your heating system properly.
Improperly maintained heating systems can be problematic for homeowners. Often, these systems have not been serviced in years. In general, you should have your heating system inspected annually and replace your furnace filter every three months. You should also maintain the parts inside your heater to keep them working the way they should.
Although a homeowner may take all proper precautions and do everything possible to prevent a house fire, there is always a chance one will start. Fire Tech Residential Sprinklers, LLC can protect your property should a home fire occur by fitting your home with a residential home fire sprinkler system. Contact us today for more information.