Home Heating Safety Tips

Keep Safe and Warm This Winter

home heating Sussex County, NJ Keeping your home and family warm in the winter—especially in our area—is a priority. Even with comparatively mild temperatures much of the past few seasons, we’ve also seen our share of deep and bitter cold. Making sure you’re heating your home safely can be the difference between life and death—with carbon monoxide poisoning and fire being the main dangers. Learn how to stay warm safely this season.

CO Safety

Carbon monoxide (also known by its chemical formula, “CO”) is an odorless, colorless gas that’s produced when you burn any fuel, including propane, wood, coal, and heating oil. Proper venting and regular maintenance is all that’s needed to prevent buildup of carbon monoxide gas. But when the gas is allowed to accumulate, exposure to CO can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning, which can be fatal.

Make sure you know the signs of CO poisoning: Continued exposure leads to severe headaches, drowsiness, and disorientation, followed by unconsciousness, cardiac arrest, and death. Remember that animals can be victims of CO poisoning too. If your pet seems sick or unusually slow to awaken, take him or her outside, open windows, and check your CO detectors.

If you suspect CO poisoning, get fresh air immediately. Leave the house and call 911. Then, get a professional inspection for your appliances and heating equipment before using them again.

Here’s how to prevent carbon monoxide from building up in your home:

Don’t skip your tune-up. Annual maintenance makes sure your equipment is running correctly, and safely. Our expert technicians will spot and fix issues before they pose risks to your family.
Install CO detectors on every floor of your home. Replace batteries once a year and replace the detector itself every five years.
Clear your vents. Blocked exhaust vents can cause a dangerous buildup inside your home. Be sure to clear exhaust vents, flues, and other lines from debris and snow after all storms. Using a broom rather than a shovel will prevent damage your equipment.
Never use outdoor equipment indoors. Barbecue grills, portable generators, and outdoor space heaters are not equipped for indoor use; they don’t have the hardware to safely vent carbon monoxide.

Space Heater Safety

Use a portable space heater to keep the chill under control? Make sure you’re using it safely! Used incorrectly, you risk fire or even explosion, as well as CO poisoning depending on the type of heater you use.

Choose a heater with an automatic shut-off feature that turns the unit off if it begins to overheat or if it tips over or is on an uneven surface.
Always check the unit for damage before you use it the first time each season.
If you use a propane space heater, be sure it’s specified for indoor use. NEVER use an outdoor propane heater for an indoor space.
Keep heaters at least 3 feet away from drapes and furniture, as well as papers, pillows and bedding, and flammable materials like paint, solvents and matches.
Don’t leave the heater on if you leave the room. Children and pets can knock it over.
Don’t use it while you sleep. Use an extra blanket or quilt.

Fireplace Safety

Nothing adds more cozy charm than a crackling fireplace. And traditional wood-burning hearths or gas logs can both add real warmth as well. Still, there are some simple but important safety tips to follow when dealing with fire—or gas—in your home:

Always use safety screens to prevent sparks and embers from escaping from the hearth. Even if there’s glass between you and the flame, that glass can get hot—up to 500°F!
Keep newspapers, books, blankets, draperies, and anything flammable or combustible at least 3 feet from the hearth.
Don’t leave a fire unsupervised, and don’t leave children or pets alone in a room with a fire. Keeping the remote for a gas hearth out of reach when you aren’t using it.
With a gas hearth, if the flames don’t look normal, or your hearth doesn’t light, turn it off and call for service right away. If you smell rotten eggs, or suspect a leak, leave the house immediately.
Have an annual inspection and cleaning of your fireplace, chimney and flues or vents. Schedule yearly maintenance for late summer or early fall to ensure you’re ready to go on that first crisp night.

Winter Delivery Safety

Our delivery drivers are the best on the road—they have to be. They’re out there in all kinds of weather to be sure you stay comfortable. But ice and snow can turn an already tough job into a potentially hazardous one. Maneuvering with a heavy hose while navigating slippery surfaces is challenging. You can help by keeping the path to your oil tank clear, and removing obstacles such as fallen branches. And when clearing your driveway after snow, remember that our trucks need a 9- to 10-foot-wide path to maneuver safely—and we cannot deliver fuel if your driveway isn’t plowed.

No matter what Mother Nature throws our way this winter, rest assured we are always working to make sure your home and family are warm, comfortable and safe. If you have questions, or want information about fuel deliveries, equipment upgrades, service or repairs, contact us anytime!