How to Heat Your NYC Home Safely This Winter

December 10, 2020 by

Baby, it’s cold outside! Last month we discussed how to protect your household from deadly carbon monoxide fumes during the winter months. Now we want to touch on how to safely heat your NYC home this winter. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), space heaters, fireplaces, water heaters, stoves, and other heating units are leading causes of U.S. home fires. Use the safety tips and precautions below for a safe, warm winter.

  • Practice the 3-foot rule by keeping any flammable items at least three feet away from all heating equipment, including your water heater. Create a 3-foot “kid-free/pet-free zone” around open fires and space heaters. Invest in a baby play yard or fence system to maintain this distance.
  • Have an HVAC professional inspect your system and clean all the ducts at least once a year, but preferably twice before both the heating and cooling seasons. Also, change your furnace filter each month during the winter and remove all flammable materials from the area around your furnace.
  • Never leave space heaters unattended. Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed. Make sure to place your heater on a flat, level, non-flammable surface such as ceramic tile rather than on carpet. Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord. Your space heater should be completely cooled down before touching or moving it. 
  • Be careful when using an electric blanket for warmth. Do not cover or fold electric blankets when they are on. “Tucking in” an electric blanket can cause it to overheat and start a fire.
  • If you have a chimney, get it inspected annually for structural damage. Structural problems can allow high temperatures, sparks and embers to escape to combustible areas in walls, roofs or attics. Schedule regular cleanings to remove excess creosote from your chimney walls and ensure safe burning.
  • Smoke detectors and fire alarms alert your family to fire and dangerous smoke while there is still time to evacuate. To ensure proper function, test them at least once a month and replace the batteries at least once or twice a year.

By law, all New York City residential building owners must maintain indoor temperatures of 68 degrees during the day whenever outdoor temperatures fall below 55 degrees during the colder months. Overnight, indoor temperatures cannot fall below 62 degrees regardless of the outside temperature. If an apartment lacks appropriate heat and/or hot water, tenants should first attempt to notify the building owner, managing agent, or superintendent. If service is not restored, the tenant should register an official complaint via 311. Enforcing heat and hot water laws is just one of the many ways HPD Housing Inspectors help keep New Yorkers in safe and secure homes.

At Sentry Window Guards we make it our mission to help keep families safe. We hope these tips will keep your family safe and warm this winter. For more information regarding our window guard products and our experience and leadership in understanding NYC safety requirements, contact us today!

 

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Using Space Heaters to Heat your Home

January 12, 2016 by

The holidays are over and suddenly it feels like winter! Many New York City residents live in older apartment buildings and homes.  In fact, some of the oldest homes in the nation can be found in our great state which boasts a median age of 57 years.  While older homes have weathered the test of time, they sometimes lack many attributes that newer homes contain like insulation, energy efficient windows, and newer forms of heating.  In other words, older homes can be a bit drafty and cold during the winter.

Safe Options

In a perfect world, nobody would have to use a space heater to supplement their home or office heating, but we’re all individuals and some of us like things warmer or cooler than others so they’ve become a necessity at times.

Use these tips from NYC.gov to supplement your heat while keeping your family safe.

  • Space heaters should be treated as temporary heating devices and used sparingly
  • Keep your space heater away from anything that could catch fire, such as furniture, drapes, and carpeting.  Keep all combustible materials, at least. three feet away from your heat source. Never use your space heater to dry your clothing.
  • Never leave a space heater running unattended, especially where children are present. Always keep an eye on your equipment for any safety-related changes.  Make sure you turn it off when you are unable to monitor it or when leaving.
  • Plug space heaters directly into a wall outlet. Never use an extension cord or power strip. Do not use space heaters with frayed or damaged cords
  • Make sure you have a working smoke alarm in every room. Test them at least once a month and change the batteries twice a year. Make sure your smoke alarms have a carbon monoxide detector.

Un-Safe Options

Never use a Kerosene or propane heater indoors.  If not ventilated properly, carbon monoxide can build up. Only use portable heating equipment that is approved for indoor use. Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sleepiness, trouble breathing, and loss of consciousness. Severe poisoning may result in permanent injury or death.

If you are having trouble paying your heating bill, there is help out there for you, call 311 for more information.

For questions or to report exposure to carbon monoxide, call the NYC Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222. Poison specialists are available 24 hours/seven days a week.

To report heating breakdowns, gas leaks or housing maintenance problems in rental housing, call 311.

For more information about the NYC carbon monoxide detector law and the sources of carbon monoxide call 311.

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Sources:
http://eyeonhousing.org/2014/02/the-age-of-the-housing-stock-by-state/
http://www.nyc.gov/

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