Clean and service heating appliances

    It is getting that time of year where I’m sure the heating appliance in our homes are going to be running more than we would like. With that in mind, I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to have their heating appliances cleaned and serviced by a professional technician.  Not only will this ensure that the appliance is operating to its highest efficiency level, which should help with fuel consumption, but it will also lessen the likelihood of other hazardous conditions like the buildup of carbon monoxide gas in your home.
    For those of you who have wood or pellet stoves, we want to remind you to keep a minimum 36 inches free of combustibles around your stove. We strongly encourage folks to have chimneys cleaned and inspected to check for cracks and built-up creosote. We know that it can’t always be done, but we encourage everyone to burn dry, seasoned wood. Be mindful that if you do burn green wood, you are more susceptible to having creosote buildup that can lead to chimney fires. If you do have a chimney fire, please contact your fire department immediately to ensure that the fire has not spread into areas that you cannot see, like inside walls, attics, and unseen floor spaces. Anytime that you use wood or pellet stoves, you should be cleaning your chimneys and stovepipes regularly – at least once a month, if not more.
    Electric spaces heaters and fuel space heaters should be UL (underwriter’s laboratories) certified; they should also have a safety switch that automatically turns off the heater in the event that it is tipped over. Space heaters should be inspected for frayed wires or other damage and should be taken out of service until repaired by a qualified electrician. We also strongly discourage the use of extension cords with the use of space heaters as the cords increase the heat going through the cord, the chance of tripping over the cords, and shortages in the wires from being walked on or crushed by furniture.
    The Presque Isle Fire Department strongly urges you to turn off all space heaters if the room is unoccupied. Pet owners must also pay close attention to the possibility that animals will knock over heaters or chew on wires. The same 36 inches of clearance area around a space heater is strongly recommended, especially keeping the heater away from beds, blankets, curtains, and other combustibles found in the home. We do not recommend leaving space heaters on in bedrooms at night because of fire hazards, no way to monitor the heater, and the fact that persons who are sleeping are not always likely to wake up to smoke or fire in their room(s). We encourage all dwellings to have current and working smoke detectors installed on every floor of the home, as well as in each bedroom. For safety, we recommend keeping bedroom doors closed at night to keep any potential smoke from spreading as quickly into surrounding rooms.
    These tips, along with smoke detectors, will help residents deter fire and could provide extra life saving time to detect and escape any fire. Any questions concerning fire safety or the use of in-home heating devices can be directed to the Presque Isle Fire Department by calling 769-0881.
    Darrell White is Presque Isle’s Fire Chief.