Heating Safety
The high cost of home heating fuels and utilities have caused many people to search for alternate sources of home heating — namely portable space heaters. These methods of supplemental heating may be acceptable; however, they are a major contributing factor in residential fires. These fire safety tips can help you prevent fires and maintain a fire-safe home.
- Have your heating system examined annually by a qualified service technician to reduce the risk of fire and/or carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Install a CO alarm to alert occupants to the presence of deadly carbon monoxide gas.
- Creosote is a major cause of chimney fires. Have chimneys and flue pipes cleaned regularly and inspected at least once per year.
- Use a properly fitted fire screen around the fireplace.
- Watch for smoke coming into the room. This could indicate a blockage in the chimney or a faulty damper control mechanism.
- Allow the ashes from your woodstove or fireplace to cool before emptying them into a metal container with a tight-fitting lid. Keep the container outside.
- Give space heaters space: keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including curtains, upholstery, clothing and people.
Space Heaters
Space heaters are the leading cause of home fires during December, January and February — but such disasters can be prevented with a few simple precautions.
- Equip your home with a least one smoke alarm on each level and outside every sleeping area. Install a carbon monoxide (CO) detector in the hallway near every sleeping area of the home. Keep at least one fully charged multi-purpose, ABC-type fire extinguisher in the home at all times.
- Keep areas around heat sources free of papers and combustible materials. Store paints, solvents and flammable liquids away from all heat and ignition sources.
- Develop a fire-escape plan before a fire occurs. Be certain that all members of the household understand the plan and are able to carry out the plan in case of emergency. Be sure the plan includes a predetermined meeting place outside the house. If your clothing does catch fire, don't run! Stop. Drop down immediately, cover face with hands, and Roll to smother the flames.
- A space heater is a self-contained, free standing air heating appliance intended for installation in the space being heated and not intended for duct connection. Fuel-burning space heaters also can cause carbon monoxide poisoning and indoor air pollution because of improper venting or incomplete combustion.
- Choose a space heater that is either ULC or CSA approved. These heaters will have the most up-to-date safety features and the manufacturer will provide important use and care information to the consumer. An automatic cut-off device is required to turn off electric or kerosene heaters if they tip over. Buy a heater that is the correct size for the area you want to heat. The wrong size heater could produce pollutants and may not be an efficient use of energy.
- Select a space heater with a guard around the flame area or heating element. Place the heater on a level, hard and nonflammable surface, not on rugs or carpets or near bedding or drapes. Place heaters in areas where there is little chance someone will bump into it. Keep the heater at least three feet from bedding, drapes, furniture, or other flammable materials or liquids.
- Space heaters should be located in plain sight and clearly visible. Space heaters must be kept at least 3 feet away from any combustible material. Nothing should ever be placed on top of or touching a space heater and never use heaters to dry clothes or shoes.
- Keep doors open to the rest of the house if using an unvented fuel-burning space heater. This helps prevent pollutant build-up and promotes proper combustion. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to provide sufficient combustion air to prevent carbon monoxide build-up. Keep an outside window opened approximately an inch to insure adequate fresh air infiltration. This is true regardless of whether you use a kerosene heater or some other conventional method of heating, if your home is relatively new and tight, or if it is older but has been winterized to reduce air infiltration from the outside.
- Never leave a space heater on when going to sleep. Space heaters must always be turned off and unplugged when the area being heated is not occupied. Keep children and pets away from space heaters — the surface temperature of the heater may reach as high as 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Have gas and kerosene space heaters inspected annually and repaired by qualified technicians to ensure that they are clean and safe to operate. Keep the wick of the kerosene heater clean and properly adjusted. Appliances that are not working properly can release harmful and even fatal amounts of pollutants and carbon monoxide. Replace missing guards and controls at once. Never operate a defective heater. Read and follow the manufacturer's operating instructions. Keep the owner's manual in a convenient place to refer to when needed.
Have annual safety checks, inspections, and necessary repairs on all home heating equipment (including kerosene and gas space heaters) performed by qualified service technicians.
HAZARDS
Consumers should be aware of the hazards when buying and using gas, kerosene, and electric space heaters. Fires and burns may occur from contact with or close proximity to the flame, heating element, or hot surface area. Fires and explosions may be caused by flammable fuels or defective wiring. Indoor air pollution or carbon monoxide poisoning can be caused by improper venting or incomplete combustion of fuel-burning equipment.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas that interferes with oxygen availability throughout the body. Exposed individuals and physicians may not recognize some symptoms as CO poisoning due to their similarity with viral illnesses such as influenza. Individuals with heart disease, respiratory ailments, and also infants, and young children have an increased susceptibility to CO poisoning. Low levels of CO can cause fatigue and chest pain in people with heart disease. As CO exposures increase, symptoms progressively worsen through headaches, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, confusion and disorientation. At very high CO exposures, loss of consciousness and death are possible.
Take special precautions when operating unvented space heaters. Consider potential effects of indoor air pollution when deciding to use unvented kerosene or gas space heaters. Follow the manufacturer's directions, especially about using the proper fuel and about providing fresh air while the heater is in use.
Keep flues and chimneys in good condition. Leaking chimneys and damaged flues can result in the release of harmful or even fatal concentrations of combustion gases, especially carbon monoxide.
MAINTENANCE
Consult your operator's manual for instructions or recommended maintenance to ensure the heater's proper operation. Required maintenance should include periodically cleaning the unit, trimming the wick, cleaning off soot and carbon, inspecting for fuel leaks and procedures recommended by the manufacturer. If you suspect the heater is not working properly, extinguish it immediately and allow it to cool. Take it to a qualified service technician for repair.
An improperly operating heater can result in a fire or can generate an excessive amount of the byproducts of combustion: soot, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide. Always use the correct fuel for your heater.
Adequate ventilation is necessary for safe operation of the kerosene heater. Burning kerosene consumes oxygen and produces carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and other gases. Ventilation must be provided to replace oxygen as well as to remove gases in order to prevent asphyxiation or respiratory problems. The manufacturer's recommendations should be followed to provide adequate oxygen for combustion. In an energy efficient home, additional air intake may be necessary. The heater should never be used as the only heat source, except in an emergency situation. Do not leave a heater unattended.
