Well, that escalated quickly! The winter that had a mild beginning, thanks to what’s been called the “Godzilla” or “Bruce Lee” El Niño, gave way to an intense weekend blizzard that walloped Long Island with about two feet of snow, give or take a few inches depending on the town.However, whether or not Long Island stays coated in snow for the rest of the winter, the home heating experts at Tragar Home Services, your Long Island heating and cooling company, want to remind Long Island homeowners of some key winter heating safety tips.

Winter Heating Satefy Tips For Your Home

So far this winter, we’ve discussed tricks to help you save on your home heating bills this winter and how to prepare your oil or gas heating system for the frigid temperatures. The experts at Tragar Home Services, a full-service home heating company, want to focus on some of the best ways to safely heat your home this winter that will keep you and your family warm, toasty and protected.
First, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to schedule an annual home heating system inspection, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This is especially important to do as temperatures drop because your heating system will be working hard to keep everyone in your home warm. You want to be sure your heating equipment is working at optimum efficiency.

Home Heating Safety Tips From The NFPA

The NFPA has some other great home heating safety tips that, if put into place, can help prevent most heating-related fires:

• Create a three-foot safety barrier around heating equipment, including the furnace, fireplace, wood stove or portable space heater. Don’t put anything that can burn inside that barrier. Keep kids at least three feet away from fireplaces and space heaters, too.

• Don’t ever use your oven to heat your home.

• Remember to turn off portable heaters if you’re out of the room or going to bed.

• In addition to making sure your heating equipment is inspected by a qualified professional, be sure your chimneys are inspected and cleaned yearly by a certified pro.

• If you have a fireplace, then make sure it has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from reaching the living area.

• Always have a qualified home heating technician install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment so they are up to local codes and manufacturers’ instructions.

• Take care to use the manufacturer-specified fuel for fuel-burning space heaters.

• Install smoke detectors and test them monthly. Change the batteries as you adjust your clocks to fall back or spring forward an hour, too.

In addition, the Nassau County Firefighters Museum and Education Center further recommends installing carbon monoxide detectors “to detect production of potentially lethal carbon monoxide by gas fireplaces, gas stoves, barbecues [and] gas furnaces,” and checking them regularly to ensure proper function. The CDC also recommends keeping a multi-purpose, dry-chemical fire extinguisher on hand, while the American Red Cross advises homeowners to set up and regularly practice fire drills in their homes.
These tips should keep homeowners stay safe and warm this winter. Contact Tragar Home Services today to learn more about your home heating equipment and your home heating options this winter. Our home heating pros can also help you learn more about our oil and gas service programs and make sure you’ve scheduled an annual inspection and cleaning for your heating systems. Don’t forget to ask about our free, no-obligation quote!