We don’t tend to think of our homes as dangerous places. And, for the most part, they’re not. But given that they contain water, electricity, gas and stand upwards of fifty feet tall, they contain hazards.
The good news is that there’s a lot that you can do to keep your home safe. Here’s your home safety checklist.
Rethink Your Extension Cords
Extension cords are helpful when you have more appliances than plug sockets. But they’re also an electrical hazard. Most main power supplies can only deliver a fixed amount of current. So when you go over that, you risk overloading the circuits and creating a fire. A lot of homeowners go to companies like Hornsby Electric to get them to fit new plugs or wiring loops. That way, they don’t have to rely on extension cords as much.
Check For Faulty Electrics
Faulty electrics can develop in your home at any time. That’s why so many homeowners regularly check for faults – perhaps once per year. They usually hire reputable professionals in their area to do the job for them.
Inspect Your Chimney
Did you know that your chimney is a major hazard in your home? As your fire burns, it can deposit a substance on the inside of the chimney called creosote. If this builds up for long enough, it can produce a chimney fire which might spread to the rest of your home.
Families with open fires should, therefore, hire chimney sweeps every year or so to get rid of the soot.
Check Your Boiler For Carbon Monoxide
Boilers produce carbon monoxide as a by-product of burning gas. Most use a flue to transfer the gas to the outside of the home. But, sometimes, this process can fail. And if it does it could be a major hazard to your health. Low levels of carbon monoxide can lead to headaches, while a high level could cause cardiac arrest.
Ideally, you should have a carbon monoxide meter close to your boiler. You should also get an engineer to check it every once in a while, just to make sure that exhaust gases are going out of the back.
Test Your Alarms Every Month
Disasters can hit your home at any time. That’s why you should check your alarms every month or so and replace them every ten years. Clean them regularly to ensure that their detectors can work.
Place Extinguishers Strategically
You should place fire extinguishers strategically around your home: ideally on every floor. You should also teach everyone on the property on how to use them. There’s no point in having a big extinguisher if you’re not sure how to use it properly.
Plan An Escape Route
Lastly, you’ll want to plan your escape route. This might seem like a simple task, but think about how you’d get out of your home if you could get down the stairs because of a fire. Ideally, you want a window you can crawl out of, a wide ledge, and then a reasonable climb down to safety.
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