Winter is only a few weeks away in Irvine and most people are already using their furnaces and other heating options to keep their homes warm during those cool fall nights.
Even though home heating during the winter is necessary, the reality is that accidental house fires occur every year that destroy homes and lives.
Heating equipment is a leading cause of fires in U.S. homes. Local fire departments responded to an estimated average of 52,050 fires involving heating equipment each year in 2012-2016. These fires resulted in annual losses of 490 civilian deaths, 1,400 civilian injuries, and $1 billion in direct property damage. The homes include one- and two-family homes (including manufactured homes) and apartments (including townhouses and other multi-family dwellings). Space heaters are the type of heating equipment most often involved in home heating fires, figuring in two of every five of these fires and accounting for 86% of associated civilian deaths, 78% of civilian injuries, and 54% of direct property damage.
Source – nfpa.org
In this article, we will provide you with several reasons why accidental house fires occur and how you can avoid having one in your home.
Furnaces
One of the most common reasons why furnaces catch fire every year is due to combustible natural gas leaks. To avoid this happening to you it’s best to get your furnace cleaned and tuned up annually because doing this will also give the technician the opportunity to look for potential problems and fix those issues before they get worse.
Fire Places And Chimneys
Sadly, fireplaces and chimneys are also a major cause of home heating deaths every year. To avoid losing your home to a house fire it’s best to get your chimney cleaned before the start of winter. This will ensure that it’s functioning normally and able to handle heavy use during the winter months.
Radiators
What most people don’t know is that radiators are also a major cause of home heating fires every year because flammable items like blankets or other household items are left too close to the radiator.
To avoid a fire in your home due to the radiator it’s best to make sure that there is plenty of space between the radiator and other items in the room where the radiator is located.
Space Heaters
Last, of all, another common reason for accidental house fires is space heaters because many people tend to overuse space heaters or keep older space heaters that should have been thrown away years ago.
If you have to use a space heater in your home during the winter months, make sure that it’s designed to prevent shocks, shuts off automatically to avoid circuit load, and is made by a reputable company.
Contact Air Care Heating & Air Conditioning
Get your home’s furnace cleaned and tuned up just in time for winter! Contact Dave’s Cooling & Heating today by calling us at F:P:Sub:Phone} or click here to connect with us online.