Cold Weather Tips

•Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or other space heater.

​•Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters.

​•Never use your oven to heat your home.

​•Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.

​•Test smoke alarms monthly.

​•Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

​•Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to prevent sparks from flying into the room and burn only dry, seasoned wood. Allow ashes to cool before disposing in a metal container, which is kept a safe distance from the home.

​•Install and maintain carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

​•Make sure all fuel-burning equipment is vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

​•Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.