Fifteen Steps to Prevent a House Fire
2009-01-17
There are few things as painful as losing all of your valued family possessions in a house fire. Even more so, if a loved one dies in the tragedy. It is like a complete erasure of your life with nothing left but memories. Even if you have house insurance to cover the damages some things are just irreplaceable. The good news is, a house fire can be prevented.
The first measure to take is to search for good, comprehensive house insurance online. Several trusted, established companies give free home insurance quotes online, so review their offerings, coverage options and customer service records. You can purchase home insurance online any time of day, any day of the year. Then, take these fifteen steps to prevent a house fire. While there is no 100% guarantee you will never have a fire, these tips will limit the chances.
1. Put a smoke detector on every floor in your house. You may even put one in each room of your home if you keep doors closed at night. A smoke detector in a nursery or child's bedroom is always a good idea.
2. Keep your smoke detector in working order. That is, change the battery each daylight-savings time. When you "Spring ahead" or "Fall back" with your clocks be sure put fresh batteries in each smoke detector.
3. Do NOT take the batteries out of your smoke detector for other appliances, games or remotes.
4. Use common sense when cooking. Do not leave your oven or burners on if you plan on leaving the house. Also, keep an eye on boiling water or boiling oil. They can overflow and cause flames.
5. Have your electrical service inspected. Call an electrician or firefighter and have them inspect your home for proper electrical usage. They may find over-used extension cords, non-grounded appliance cords or other simple mistakes that can lead to a house fire.
6. Use space heaters in open areas. Do not have them running near drapes, blankets or clothing. Also, be sure to buy space heaters with the safety "tip-over" feature, which makes them turn-off automatically if they get knocked over.
7. Have your gas service inspected. Contact a Heating and Air Conditioning professional (HVAC professional), and have him/her check your gas service and other gas appliances.
8. Clean the lint trap and exhaust pipe for your dryer regularly. The lint can ignite in high heat.
9. Be careful with candles. Blow them out before you go to bed, and keep them clear of paintings, curtains, walls and other flammable areas.
10. Don't smoke in bed or while laying on the couch. Dropped cigarettes are said to cause 30% of house fires.
11. Keep matches and lighters away from children. Store them on top of the fridge, or other places that are out of reach of curious hands.
12. Keep your Christmas tree watered. A dry Christmas tree can ignite very easily.
13. Do not store gasoline or flammable liquids near a gas heater, furnace or water heater. The pilot light can ignite the fumes.
14. Buy a fire extinguisher for your kitchen and any stairwells. A small extinguisher should be kept close to the stove, and it is smart to have an extinguisher near any stairwells.
15. If you have a fireplace, have the chimney cleaned regularly. Often the soot will collect in a chimney and ignite a house fire.
Take these steps to help prevent a house fire, but be sure to have house insurance just in case. There is no guarantee you'll never have a fire, and it is better to be safe than sorry, as they say. So, search for home insurance online and find a good provider. Hopefully, if you take these steps you'll never have to file a claim with your home insurance online company.