Pratt, Kan. —
Recent cooler temperatures have prompted families to turn on or at least think about turning on their furnaces.
Fall starts on Friday and as homeowners and apartment renters start warming up their dwelling places they need to make a few preparations before moving that thermostat from cool to heat.
Before the heat is turned on, the furnace should be inspected either by the occupant or by a professional to assure that nothing has happened that would effect the operation of the unit, said Pratt Fire Chief David Kramer.
The excessive summer heat means air conditioning units have been run a lot this summer and that has drawn a lot of dust and material into the furnace unit, Kramer said.
“It always a good idea to inspect and clean the unit,” Kramer said.
The unit should be carefully inspected for proper operation, necessary lubrication should be done and filters should be changed.
Besides the furnace, the vents for the ductwork also need to be inspected. Sometimes people put items in front of vents and that can effect airflow as well as create a heat hazard.
Homes with fireplaces also need to do a thorough inspection and cleaning before lighting the fire.
The firebox and chimney need to be cleaned out at least once a year and if the fireplace is used regularly during the heating season it should be done at least once a season, Kramer said.
Cleaning the firebox makes the fireplace burn cleaner and more efficiently. The chimney should also be cleaned to help reduce accumulations of creosote that can actually catch fire, Kramer said.
Either the homeowner or a chimney sweep can get the fireplace ready for operation.
A brush assembly with an extension pole works well to get the reach into the fireplace. If the roof is accessible, a chain can also be used to break up accumulated material inside the fireplace but it is better to use a brush on a telescoping pole.
The spark arrester and the flue also need to be inspected to make sure they are clean and in good working order.
Keeping the fireplace clean and in good working order also reduces the danger of the build up of poisonous gasses.
“A fire place is a source of carbon monoxide,” Kramer said.
Chimney sweeps are available in the Hutchinson area.
Once the fireplace is ready, the wood should be dry and not green. Green wood can pop and snap and cause sparks to come out of the fireplace and onto the floor, carpet or people.
Also keep all combustibles away from the fireplace. Fireplaces get extremely hot and items can catch fire if they are too close to the fireplace.
Ashes need to be cleaned up as soon as they begin to accumulate. They should be placed in a metal container and left for an extended period of time to allow the ashes to cool.
When the ashes are dumped out they should be watered down just to make sure they couldn’t reignite and start a fire.
“Ashes stay hot for a long time,” Kramer said. “We’ve had numerous issues from discarded fireplace ashes and embers.”
Homeowners need to be particularly careful because the extreme heat has made lots of potential fuel even with the recent rain.
Some homes use space heaters and care should be taken with those as well. Be careful about using extension cords and remember to keep combustibles away from the units.
Don’t leave space heaters, fireplaces or kerosene heaters unattended especially with children in the home.
They get extremely hot and it is easy for a child to get burned. And never place a rug or any item on top of the extension cord.
Some city residents may want to burn their leaves instead of bagging them and hauling them off. Fires can easily get out of control and the city fire department has had increasing numbers of yard fires from leaf burning over the last two years.
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