Learn more about how to keep your home safe this Winter.

It's a fact. During the cold winter months, you just cannot be home without having your heating system on to keep you comfortable. But sadly, it's also a fact that half of home heating fires are also reported during the cold months of December, January and February. No-one wants to become one of those statistics.

Count on Petro to help you keep your home and loved ones warm and safe by following these heating system, fire, and carbon monoxide safety tips:*

General heating safety:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment, like your furnace, fireplace or portable space heater.
• Have a 3-foot designated "Kid Free Zone" around open fires and space heaters.
• Never use your oven to heat your home.
• Plug only 1 heat producing appliance (such as a space heater or portable radiator) into one electrical outlet at a time.
• Remember to always turn portable heaters off when leaving any room or before going to bed.
• Always use the correct fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
• Test your smoke alarms monthly.
• Make sure you have carbon monoxide (CO) alarms installed in your home to avoid the risk of CO poisoning and test them monthly. 
• If you smell gas in your home or coming from your gas heater, do not light the appliance. Leave your home immediately and call your local fire department or gas company.
• Never leave candles burning unattended.

Heating equipment safety tips:

• Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters, or central heating equipment according to local codes and manufacturer's instructions.
• Install wood burning stoves following the manufacturer’s instructions or have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Petro can help with your installation needs 
• Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional. Contact us to schedule your cleaning today  
• Keep portable generators away from windows and use them as far away from the house as possible. Petro can help you with any portable generator installation, instruction or service 

Fireplace safety tips:

• Make sure that your fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.
• Fire ashes should always be cool before putting them into any kind of covered, metal container.
• Never put ashes into a plastic container.
• Keep fireplace ashes containers a safe distance away from your home.

Your family and home are just as important to us as they are to you. Stay safe by using these home heating safety tips and remember, we're the only name to know for all of your home heating service needs. 

*Source: nfpa.org