With the deep chill that many Torontonians are being exposed to it means it would be wise to take extra security precautions as well as staying warm. While most everyone tries to ensure that their fire alert systems are installed quite often they neglect to check them regularly to see that they are in good working order.

During a cold snap such as what is taking place now it is common to jack up the heat to keep our homes warm. Under normal temperature conditions during the winter many people attempt to keep their homes at a cooler temperature to save on their heating bills and keep the atmosphere comfortable by not being too hot. With the cold weather the furnaces have to work harder. It is important that you have this device inspected according to its directions to make sure it is in proper working order and doesn’t become a fire hazard.

In other posts we talked about some of the safety precautions that have to be taken when the furnace is first turned on when the cold weather arrives like making sure there is nothing around the heating system that could ignite and cause a fire.

Many times homeowners find that they need to supplement their regular heating system with additional heaters when the weather becomes as cold as what it is. There are some safety features that must be implemented with these as well. You must make sure that they meet the proper safety codes. Check the wires to make sure there are no breaks in them. Be sure that you put them in a safe location which means away from anything that could be come flammable. Most importantly do not leave them unattended. Make everyone in the home aware that you are using one of these extra heating devices and where it is located. Sometimes family members are not aware that there is a small heater being used if it doesn’t happen to be running at the time they are near it, and they could inadvertently set something on top of it which could in turn create a fire.

Staying warm is of course important but being even more aware of potential fire dangers during this time is equally as important. By following these few tips and scrutinizing your fire safety habits it can help to keep you and your family protected.

Even if you have recently checked your fire alert systems, it only takes a few moments to check them again so you have peace of mind knowing that they are there to warn you if fire should break out.