News
Alternative Heating Safety Tips
By: Atish Baidya
Posted on:
Trying to keep warm without power could be a situation you find yourself in as winter wears on.
Ohio Fire Marshal Larry Flowers is urging Ohioans to be safe if they use alternative forms of heating this winter.
Flowers said to use kerosene heaters, space heaters and generators according to manufacturer instructions. Any alternative heater needs to have a "tip switch" which are designed to shut off the heater in the event it tips over.
You should make sure anything combustible is kept at least 3 feet way from any alternative heating source.
Additional safety tips include:
Do not use the kitchen oven range to heat your home.
Never refill a space heater while it is operating or still hot.
Make sure wood stoves are properly installed, and have proper floor support and adequate ventilation.
Generators should only be operated outside the home with appropriate power cords to carry the electrical load.
Never run cords under rugs or carpets.
Never connect generators to another power source such as power lines.