HOLIDAY SAFETY TIPS

Since it’s the holidays, your house should be toasty and comfortable rather than drafty and chilly. It’s possible that family from out of town or visitors are coming to celebrate with you. Whatever the case, using a natural gas fireplace for heating can undoubtedly make your days more comfortable and even joyful if you possess one.

But it doesn’t mean you should skimp on fundamental safety because you’ll be busy this season! Here are some helpful safety recommendations for your natural gas fireplace to keep you safe throughout the hectic holiday season.

Understand Your Clearance Areas

Any space designated as a clearance zone is one where it is dangerous to store highly combustible or easily damaged products. There is a clearance zone around every fireplace, regardless of the style or model that you own. Even while the majority of natural gas fireplaces are safe enough for you to set gadgets and décor close by, you should always keep combustibles like wood, books, drapes, newspapers, and so on away from the fireplace. Avoid putting any of these in direct contact with the firebox or the glass doors.

This holiday season remember to remove all garland, stockings and Christmas cards before lighting a fire.

Recognize carbon monoxide

Despite being safe, if you’re not careful, natural gas fireplaces can nevertheless result in carbon monoxide poisoning. Whenever there is fuel-burning, the best approach to stay safe and avoid such a hazardous situation is to install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors. It is advised to have these detectors installed and tested in accordance with manufacturer instructions.

Yearly Check-ups & Cleaning

Compared to wood-burning fireplaces, modern natural gas fireplaces require far less upkeep. You should still plan an annual inspection to make sure everything is operating as it should.

Although they don’t need as much maintenance as wood-burning ones, natural gas fireplaces nevertheless need to be cleaned. The air circulation channels leading to and from your fireplace fan are the most important components to clean. Make sure the vents are operating correctly and that there are no obstructions or blockages by checking them whenever you have a chance. You may find safe cleaning procedures for the fan in the owner’s manual that came with your fireplace.

Inform Children of the Dangers

Certain risks associated with natural gas fireplaces cannot be eliminated, not even by the greatest safety measures. You could get burned by the glass that covers the fireplace’s front when it gets too hot to touch. For this reason, you should caution children who are visiting your home over the holidays or who are your own children not to play anywhere near the fireplace if the flame is burning. To keep toddlers and small children away from your fireplace, you might even want to create a “no zone” that is at least two feet.