Sacramento County Encourages Residents to Stay Safe When Heating their Homes
As winter weather settles in across the Sacramento region, Sacramento County Code Enforcement wants to remind residents to take a few simple precautions when heating their homes to ensure that everyone in the household stays safe.
“Heating the home takes a lot of energy and can cost a lot of money,” said Carl Simpson, Chief of Code Enforcement. “While we know residents may be looking to heat their homes for less this year, we want to make sure people understand alternatives for heating their home, and when in doubt, throw on extra sweater.”
Tips for keeping the heat going and what to avoid:
· Never use your oven, stove, or bring a BBQ into the home – Not only are these methods fire hazards, using these appliances incorrectly can result in serious bodily injury or death for you and your family.
· Don’t leave your fireplace or space heater unattended – Keep an eye on open flames in the house and make sure your smoke detectors are working.
· Make sure your fireplace is safe to use – Talk with your landlord about having your fireplace inspected to ensure that the fireplace is working correctly and ready for a fire.
· Keep all flammable materials away from heat sources – Move newspapers, matches, bedding, or anything that can easily catch fire at least three feet away. It is recommended that you do not run your space heater on a flammable surface such as carpet.
· Close the door to any rooms you are not using – Don’t waste energy trying to heat rooms that are not in use. Close any heating vents going into those rooms.
· Hang heavy curtains over your windows – Heavy curtains can help block cold air from coming into your home through the windows. You can also use towels or sheets to block cold air from coming in under your doors. Talk with your landlord about replacing the weather-stripping around your doors and windows to prevent leaks.
· Set ceiling fans to blow air down and turn off vents in the kitchen and bath when not in use – Because hot air rises, a ceiling fan can help blow the hot air back down towards the ground. Vents in use can suck hot air out of a room into the vented area that is not in use.
Code Enforcement recommends that you discuss heating issues with your landlord to resolve any problems regarding heaters or fireplaces. State law requires that there must be a heating source in a living area. If your landlord is not providing a heating source contact Code Enforcement at 916-875-5656 or visit www.code-enforcement.saccounty.net for additional information.