West Virginia Home Insurance: Home Heating Safety Tips!
1/12/2012 10:37:31 AM
According to NFPA Fire Analysis and Research (2009), 58,900 or 18% of reported home fires resulted from the use of heating equipment. This was the second highest cause of house fires after cooking and accounted for 22% of home-fire deaths in 2009. It seems clear then that during the colder months of the year in West Virginia¸ home insurance coverage for fire is not the only consideration. Extra care needs to be taken when using heaters to help prevent house fires occurring in the first place.
The above research also reveals that failure to clean heating equipment accounted for the many tragic damages and deaths. Other causes included combustible items being too close to heaters (14%) and faulty equipment (12%), with space heaters having many more incidents than central heating.
Tips for safe use of heating devices include:
• Keeping a 3ft clear zone around heaters, especially with regard to flammable items.
• Installing heaters according to manufacturers’ instructions, preferably by a professional.
• Regular cleaning of heating equipment and flues/chimneys.
• Use of guards or screens around open fires.
• Outside venting of heating equipment to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning.
• Regular testing of smoke alarms.
Research indicates that the number of incidents from the use of home heating has been falling in the last 30 years, possibly due to improvements in the safety standards of modern heaters. However, they do still occur and practicing safety around the use of heaters helps prevent home fires as well as the need to file claims on West Virginia home insurance policies!
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The above research also reveals that failure to clean heating equipment accounted for the many tragic damages and deaths. Other causes included combustible items being too close to heaters (14%) and faulty equipment (12%), with space heaters having many more incidents than central heating.
Tips for safe use of heating devices include:
• Keeping a 3ft clear zone around heaters, especially with regard to flammable items.
• Installing heaters according to manufacturers’ instructions, preferably by a professional.
• Regular cleaning of heating equipment and flues/chimneys.
• Use of guards or screens around open fires.
• Outside venting of heating equipment to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning.
• Regular testing of smoke alarms.
Research indicates that the number of incidents from the use of home heating has been falling in the last 30 years, possibly due to improvements in the safety standards of modern heaters. However, they do still occur and practicing safety around the use of heaters helps prevent home fires as well as the need to file claims on West Virginia home insurance policies!
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