Holiday Home Safety Tips

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

During the holiday season, it is hard to take your mind off of shopping, cleaning, cooking, buying gifts, and preparing the house for visiting relatives and friends. Another thing that should be added to that list is the safety of your house during this season. Décor, trees, candles, and unattended stoves are the top hazards during the holidays. Read along in our December blog as we discuss holiday home safety tips.

Worry-Free Tree

If caught on fire, real or fake Christmas trees will wreak havoc on your house during the holiday season. When purchasing a fake tree, make sure it is labeled nonflammable or fire-retardant. If real trees aren’t properly watered, they can catch fire and have your whole house up in flames in a matter of seconds. Below are some ways you can avoid Christmas tree fires.

  • Low heat producing lights – This will help to keep the tree from drying up
  • NEVER overload your electrical circuits near the tree
  • Always turn Christmas lights off inside and outside the house when going to bed or leaving the house
  • Water your tree
  • Keep your tree away from any heating source

Décor Galore

Hanging, draping, and setting up decorations is one of the many delights that come with the holiday season. When you start setting up for Christmas, make sure you are using nonflammable or fire-retardant decorations. Also, make sure not to set décor on your fireplace mantel or near it where it can catch fire. If you have small children, be sure to use unbreakable decorations. When it is time to start decorating the tree, use ornaments that are nonflammable. A Christmas tree is one of the deadliest fire starters during the holidays. If you really want glass, sharp, or ceramic ornaments, try hanging them towards the top of the tree so little hands or paws can’t reach them. Candles are another source of deadly fires during the winter season. Keep them away from furniture, wrapped gifts, curtains, and anything that could possibly catch ablaze.

Safe and Sound

Along with traveling, working, and not being home on the holidays come criminals ready to pounce any chance they can get. Be extra careful this winter; lock your doors, windows, and garages before you leave the house. To help prevent theft, you can also:

  • Leave a few lights on inside
  • Try to unload packages in your garage with the door closed
  • Watch what you are posting on social media
  • Add lights: motion sensor lights are your friend

With the holidays closing in on us, we are here to make sure you are taking the correct steps to protect your home. Nonflammable trees, fire-retardant décor, and home safety and security are only some of the ways to keep your house safe and sound during this season. WestAIR Heating & Cooling can install gas fireplaces, so there is less of a possibility that your tree or decorations go up in flames. You can contact us to learn more about different types of fireplaces and to discuss more home safety holiday tips. WestAIR Heating & Cooling also wants to wish you happy holidays. Stay safe and have fun.

This entry was posted in Safety Tips,Tips and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Holiday Home Safety Tips

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

The holidays are exciting, filled with gift shopping, decorating, cooking, hosting the extended family, or traveling to a Christmas getaway. But don’t overlook small details that are mishaps waiting to happen. From the ten-year-old string of decorative lights wrapped around your banister to the poisonous poinsettia plant sitting on your dining room table, the festivities bring many hazards to your home. Have an enjoyable and accident-free Christmas season with these holiday home safety tips:

Electrical threats

Before you hang up electric decorations, inspect them for damage. Look for cracked sockets, loose connections, or frayed cords. An exposed wire could light up your Christmas tree in flames. Never overload outlets or connect more than three strings of electrical lights. They could trip a breaker or start a fire.

Fire

You should always check your fireplace and chimney before you light it. Santa may not be peeking down at you from the roof, but there could be debris blocking smoke and creating a fire hazard. If you have a real Christmas tree, water it daily, and don’t put it too close to the fireplace. Keep combustibles at least three feet from heat sources and never block exits in case of a fire.

Decorating danger

In a quest to outdo last year’s Christmas décor, many homeowners take decorating to new heights, quite literally. If you plan to hang sparkling ornaments or lights in high places, don’t climb or stand on furniture. Use a proper ladder and have someone support the base if you need to hang decorations beyond your normal reach.

Theft

Try not to order anything online to be shipped to your home if you plan to be away for the holidays. Thieves can easily run up and snatch retail packages on a porch. Don’t leave large displays of holiday gifts near windows where passersby can easily see them. If possible, ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your home while you are away so you don’t have to worry about holiday theft.

Cold weather

If you plan to be away for the holidays, take steps to prevent frozen pipes. Basement, attic, and garage pipes are most susceptible to freezing and bursting in cold temps, causing significant water damage in a matter of hours. Make sure to close your garage door when you leave to keep the cold air out. Open kitchen and cabinet doors so the warmer air throughout your home will circulate and reach the pipes in your walls. Set the thermostat to a temperature no lower than 55 degrees.

WestAIR Heating & Cooling offers programmable thermostats with vacation-hold settings so you can easily stay in control of your heat while you are away. We can install a gas fireplace so you don’t have to worry about the decorations, Christmas tree, or wrapping paper falling into the hearth and catching fire. Contact us to learn more about your heating options this holiday season.

This entry was posted in Winter and tagged , , , , ,

Happy Holidays

Posted on by WestAIR Heating & Cooling

Happy Holidays from WestAIR. Wishing you a festive holiday season.

Happy Holidays

This entry was posted in Holidays and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Subscribe to Our Blog

With RSS feeds, you don't have to visit our site everyday to keep up to date. Simply subscribe to our blog via RSS or Email and our posts will come to you!

Archives