Don't Overlook These Important Tips for Fire Safety at Home

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Don't assume that a fire could never break out at your home; home fires are rare, but they do happen, and they can be devastating as well as downright deadly. Note a few important tips that are easy to overlook when it comes to fire safety in your home, so you know you're always doing what you can to protect your property and your family from the risk of a fire.

Don't disconnect the smoke alarm

You may be tempted to disconnect the smoke alarm when you're cooking, especially for when you're entertaining and don't want friends and family to be startled by the alarm. However, this can be a mistake, as it's good to be alerted to fire risks like high heat and smoke. Keep in mind that standing over food doesn't mean it won't get too hot, that you won't spill hot oil onto a burner or flame, or that there is no other reason to worry about the potential for a cooking fire suddenly breaking out.

Note, too, that you might also forget to reconnect that smoke detector once you're done cooking! To avoid having it alert unnecessarily, open a kitchen window and use the vent fan above the stovetop to keep heat levels low and reduce the build-up of smoke in the kitchen, rather than unplugging that alarm.

Clean appliances and vents

Ensure you keep the home's heating vents and ductwork clean and free of dust, lint, and other debris that might smoulder in high heat. You also want to clean the lint trap and the vent hose of a clothes dryer to ensure no lint builds up and potentially starts a spark or flame. Clean your home's oven as often as needed to avoid the build-up of grease and other splatter that could catch fire or smoulder and start a fire.

Be careful of heat and combustibles

You may think that flammable items like paperwork or fireplace logs would only catch fire if they come into contact with a flame, but these types of items are combustible, meaning they can start a fire if they get too warm. Make sure you don't have a filing cabinet, recycling container, or trash container too close to a heat source, and that firewood is stored well away from the opening to the fireplace. Cat litter is also combustible and should never be stored near a heating vent or clothes dryer to avoid the potential for it starting a fire.

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15 June 2017

How to Fix Your Refrigerator and Other Appliances

Hello, my name is Fred and this is my appliance blog. I will be completely honest with you - until last year, I didn't think twice about the appliances in my home. I would open the refrigerator and expect the light to illuminate a cold can of beer or I would switch on the microwave and expect it to burst into life. However, one day this did not happen. I opened the refrigerator and nothing happened. I reached into the darkness and pulled out a warm can of beer. I was horrified. Thankfully, my brother who is an appliance repair guy came around and explained how to fix the problem. He had since given me lots more advice about maintaining my appliances.