day routine produces a safe environment. Keeping the lawn in good shape not only gives your home more curb appeal, but lowers the chances of a fire spreading from another area to your home. Keeping bushes, leaves, and other growth away from your exterior walls helps also to prevent foundation problems and control insects that may be harmful or damaging to your home.
Keeping your garage clean and organized is another area that some of us neglect. Combustibles such as paint, gas, and cleaners should always be treated with respect.
It’s also very easy to start out with an extra extension cord in your home and branch it off to 15 different powered devices. Remember there are just 2 little wires to supply everything you have plugged into your wall per outlet. Also some breaker boxes hang weather for long periods of time. They can become filled with insects. Sometimes breakers won’t trip when they are supposed to due to corrosion. The purpose of a breaker is to stop the flow of electricity of the wires coming from it. If the wires pull more amperage than they are rated for by being overloaded or a direct short the breaker should trip.
Homes with wood burning fireplaces should have the chimney cleaned and inspected along with the insert periodically. Every winter when you first build a fire, you should make sure the chimney is clear of anything that might burn or prevent smoke and sparks from going up and out. If you have an attic fan, it should never be turned on if fireplace is going.
Water hoses that are connected to the outside of the home during winter can cause the plumbing to freeze and even burst.
Most of us know these things. They have become a way of life for some of us older home owners. Others have learned the hard way. I’m writing this to help that one person from going through a bad experience that could have been avoided.
Each season, I evaluate the primary concerns that we all hear about on the news. There are many tragic things we don’t hear about. I know several Firefighters and they want you to keep your homes safe too.
Please keep your home safe. It is your castle.
Rick Jackson
No comments:
Post a Comment