18Jul
At-Home Safety Items You Must Have If You Own a Fireplace
Fireplace safety has come a long way, and modern fireplaces are relatively safe to use. Homeowners benefit from the advancement of fireplaces, but it’s also worthwhile to know how to enhance your safety. That means keeping items on deck that can stop emergencies in their tracks, and learning the importance of proper maintenance and installation.
Have no fear – we’ve assembled a list of must-have safety items below. Keep these in your home, and you’ll be equipped to handle any fireplace emergency, no matter how big or small.
Tools You Need For Fireplace Safety
Fire Extinguisher
You’ll see a fire extinguisher in just about any public place, even if the location doesn’t seem like one that would deal with fires. So, why wouldn’t your fireplace-equipped home have one?
Fires can happen anywhere, and the risk increases when you have a fireplace. Fortunately, fire extinguishers are easy to use once you’ve been properly trained. You can purchase a fire extinguisher at your local hardware store.
Easily-Accessible Water Source
With grease fires being a major exception, water is used to put out most kinds of fires. You should make sure that your water source is reliable and easily accessible in the event of a fire-related emergency. Owners of large homes should be wary of this, as your fireplace may be several rooms away from the nearest water source. In any event, always have a plan.
READ MORE: Unexpected Rooms to Install a Fireplace In
Proper Number of Smoke Detectors
It’s no secret that smoke detectors play an important role in home fire emergency prevention. Most regions declare that each home should have one smoke alarm per floor, but some regions may have different regulations. It’s crucial that you look into these.
Safety Gate
Wood-burning fireplaces should be equipped with a safety gate. These prevent fires from pouring out of their intended location, and they trap heat in the areas intended.
Additionally, they can stop people in your home from getting too close to the fire. Families with pets or young children should heavily consider purchasing one of these gates.
Proper Fireplace Tools
Whether you use pokers, brushes, rods, shovels, vacuums, or anything similar, you should pay special attention to which tools you use. Always choose professionally developed products meant for fireplace use, rather than substituting with random household tools.
Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Similarly to smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors are a must for fireplace safety. Leaking fireplaces can, in extremely rare cases, cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Beyond just having carbon monoxide detectors in your home, you should perform maintenance regularly, including annual chimney inspections.
Bonus Safety Tips
Safety is about far more than simply having the right safety equipment. You need to learn how to use it properly, and figure out what steps must be taken for an ultimately safer experience. Take our advice below.
Understanding How to Use Different Types of Fireplaces
If you’ve used one kind of fireplace, that doesn’t mean you’re ready to use them all. Gas, electric, and wood fireplaces all function differently. It’s crucial that you refer to the user manuals carefully and follow the necessary steps to ensure that your approach to fireplace care correlates to what you have.
Cleaning
Cleaning a fireplace doesn’t just produce a better-looking, more comforting fire. It also keeps your home safe. That’s because debris can easily build up over time in your chimney or ventilation system.
If you use your fireplace specifically during colder months, we recommend having one large ‘end of season’ clean up, and you may consider cleaning it periodically throughout the season.
READ MORE: End of Season Fireplace Cleaning Tips
Proper Installation
The way a fireplace is first installed can have a major effect on how it runs in the future. In other words, many fireplace safety issues are caused because the fireplace is not installed properly. For that reason, we recommend reaching out to a fireplace technician or professional, as these folks are trusted to carry out the installation process and catch any issues before they get worse.
Maintenance and Inspections
Maintenance is key. We recommend performing an annual fireplace and chimney checkup. You may choose to reach out to a professional fireplace maintenance service. These professionals are able to completely and safely take care of all fireplace-related issues. If you have a chimney, it should be looked at frequently as well.
READ MORE: Maintenance Tips for Electric Fireplaces
Conclusion
Fireplaces are, fortunately, quite safe. However, any appliance that uses heat, whether it is from real fire or electric causes, should be carefully monitored to ensure that your home is kept safe.
Do you have any questions about fireplace safety or maintenance? Reach out to Burning Log today, and our team of fireplace technicians will help you achieve your ultimate level of warmth.