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Make sure to
check heating systems
Soon, the 90-degree days will be gone and the leaves will begin
changing from the lush summer green we so welcome in the spring to the
brilliant yellow orange and reds of fall, showing us how beautiful and
spectacular nature can be.
Soon we will wake up and there will be a slight chill in the morning
air and frost that sparkles in the early morning sunshine. This changing of
the seasons should remind us to make sure our heating systems are ready for
the coming w i n t er.
Having your heating system serviced is a task that is easily
forgotten. It’s easy to tell yourself that it worked fine last year, so
just wait another year. It very well may work fine for another year, but
all heating systems should be serviced each year by a qualified technician
to make sure they are safe, especially oil and gas furnaces. A furnace that
operates properly will burn cleaner and be more efficient, which can save
money, a big plus with oil and gas prices being so high. It’s also important
that the vent pipes on these appl! iances are in good repair and
not clogged, so carbon monoxide, a tasteless and odorless gas that can be
deadly, does not leak into your home.
Kerosene heaters are another popular way for people to heat their
homes.
They often are used when the power goes off or to supplement their
regular heating system. These heaters should be fueled outside, and please
make sure that you are using kerosene. I have been to several fires wh ere gasoline was used instead of kero
s en e, which is very dang erous.
Adding gasoline to a kero s en e heater
will likely cause a fire and explosion, which could cause serious injury or
death to anyone close to the heater. It’s also important to keep
combustible materials, including carpet, away from the heater. Make sure
the heater sits on a noncombustible surface.
I would also suggest that anyone with oil and gas appliances in
their home have a carbon monoxide detector. They are reasonably priced and
worth their weight in gold if you have a problem with carbon monoxide in
your home. They work like a smoke detector, emitting a shrill beeping noise
when they detect carbon m o n ox i d e.
With preparation and a little common sense, you should be ready when
the temperatures drop and another North Carolina winter arrives.
It is my desire that no one suffers the devastat!
ing effects of a house
fire. If you do, we are prepared.
24/7/365: You call; we res p o n d
KENNETH LEE KNIGHT is a battalion chief in the High Point Fire
Department. He can be contacted at kenneth.knight@highpointnc.gov.
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