While a large number of people use space heaters in their home during the winter to avoid having to pay the gas bill during that time, most people are not completely aware of just how much damage these little conveniences can do to their home if they are left unattended or used incorrectly.
Any homeowner with children should be wary of using space heaters, depending on how old the child is. Small children tend to touch things they are unfamiliar with or things that look “cool” and this can be a really big hazard. It is a bad idea to use a space heater in a child’s room at night, especially since smaller children tend to have stuffed animals and toys all over the room that could easily get too close and start a fire.
Something else that you should know about space heaters is using extension cords with them is a very bad idea if you do not have access to a heavy duty one. The smaller extension cords that are used for lamps or other electronics simply cannot stand up to the high amount of electrical current needed to power a space heater and they will eventually melt. You may or may not realize it, either, since sometimes you will be able to smell the melting plastic, but other times you might not. Use an extension cord that is marked as being at least a 14 gauge or higher cord. This should be able to handle most space heaters.
A great number of fires concerning space heaters happen at night when people are sleeping. If you can help it, try to leave space heaters off at night. Cover yourself with more blankets or anything else you have to do in order to stay warm, since a space heater may catch on fire and end up causing you and everyone else in the house to be much, much warmer than you intended.
Space heaters should never be used as dryers for any kind of wet clothing, even though some people have done this by setting something they want to make warm on top of it. Do not do this even for a few seconds and even if you are right there watching it. It is a bad practice to get into and once you become confident that nothing will happen, you will let your guard down and a fire will eventually happen. It may not happen the first, second, or third time, but fires are unpredictable and you never know when one may start.
Keep at least one smoke detector in your home and have one located on each floor, whether you use space heaters in your home during the winter or not. Fires can break out no matter what kind of heating system you may use.
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fire. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Mistakes Made With Fire
Almost everyone has let the bathtub or the kitchen sink overflow at least once, but what most people do not realize is that not paying attention to what you are doing when you are working with heat and water is that these can cause much more damage to their home than they may think. Since fires tend to do much more immediate and devastating damage, they are what will be covered here.
One of the biggest mistakes that you could ever make in your home is leaving something unattended in the kitchen on the stove. We all know what devastating damage a fire can do to a home, but the number of people that put items on the stove and leave the room are staggering. Almost all of us do this on a day to day basis because we get preoccupied with other chores or have to answer the phone or tend to other matters in the household. If you can put any of these things off until later and focus on cooking, please focus on cooking and try to leave the kitchen as little as possible. A fire can start in an instant and this is especially true when you are cooking with grease. At least one person that I know has burned her entire house down and everything in it by putting a pan of grease on the stove, sitting down to watch television, and falling asleep. She lost everything. So, if you are cooking with grease or a deep fryer, forget everything else and just focus on the food. If you absolutely must multitask and watch TV in the kitchen, adding a small television on the counter or under the cabinet may be the way to go.
Another mistake that people make when dealing with electricity and possible fire concerns the space heaters that some people use to get by during the winter. These are notorious for starting house fires, but you do not have to be a victim as long as you know how to use these safely.
The first thing you should know about space heaters is that you should NEVER use an extension cord with them. Simple extension cords simply cannot handle the amount of current necessary to run these items and they will melt fairly quickly. If you must use an extension cord, it needs to be a heavy duty cord marked as being at least a 14 gauge.
You should also be careful with where you place space heaters. If possible, they need to be on a non-carpeted surface, but you can put them on carpet if you are careful. Heaters with more space between the heat source and the floor are safer to use on carpeted areas than ones with shorter legs. Try to avoid space heaters with short legs if you can, since these tend to start more fires than any other kind.
One of the biggest mistakes that you could ever make in your home is leaving something unattended in the kitchen on the stove. We all know what devastating damage a fire can do to a home, but the number of people that put items on the stove and leave the room are staggering. Almost all of us do this on a day to day basis because we get preoccupied with other chores or have to answer the phone or tend to other matters in the household. If you can put any of these things off until later and focus on cooking, please focus on cooking and try to leave the kitchen as little as possible. A fire can start in an instant and this is especially true when you are cooking with grease. At least one person that I know has burned her entire house down and everything in it by putting a pan of grease on the stove, sitting down to watch television, and falling asleep. She lost everything. So, if you are cooking with grease or a deep fryer, forget everything else and just focus on the food. If you absolutely must multitask and watch TV in the kitchen, adding a small television on the counter or under the cabinet may be the way to go.
Another mistake that people make when dealing with electricity and possible fire concerns the space heaters that some people use to get by during the winter. These are notorious for starting house fires, but you do not have to be a victim as long as you know how to use these safely.
The first thing you should know about space heaters is that you should NEVER use an extension cord with them. Simple extension cords simply cannot handle the amount of current necessary to run these items and they will melt fairly quickly. If you must use an extension cord, it needs to be a heavy duty cord marked as being at least a 14 gauge.
You should also be careful with where you place space heaters. If possible, they need to be on a non-carpeted surface, but you can put them on carpet if you are careful. Heaters with more space between the heat source and the floor are safer to use on carpeted areas than ones with shorter legs. Try to avoid space heaters with short legs if you can, since these tend to start more fires than any other kind.
Making Mistakes With Fire and Water
Everyone makes mistakes and that is just a fact of life, but the reality is that a lot of the mistakes that you can make that are the most devastating to your home can be completely avoided simply by paying attention to what you are doing. Some of the worst accidents conceivable can happen while you are inside your own home and no matter how careful you are, accidents will always happen, but one of the most important things that you can do while you are working in your home is to pay attention.
For example, when you are cooking in the kitchen, the worst thing that you can do is put something on the stove and leave it unattended. Maybe you get occupied doing other chores around the house or you have to answer the phone or tend to the kids in another room, but if you can put that off until later, never leave anything unattended on the stove for more than a few seconds. Houses have been badly fire damaged and even completely burned to the ground by leaving things unattended on the stove, especially grease. You should never begin heating grease on the stove and leave it alone. A relative of mine did this and sat down on her couch, fell asleep, and her entire house burned to the ground. Never leave the kitchen when cooking with grease unless absolutely necessary and never let yourself get preoccupied with other chores. It is just not worth the risk.
Another less immediate threat to your home is water. Water does not do the devastating immediate damage that fire can do, but this could possibly make it even more of a risk simply because you do not realize any damage is being done. Whether you are filling up the kitchen sink to wash dishes or filling up your bathtub, this is another area where getting preoccupied with other activities can get you into trouble. Doing your best to keep the sinks and tubs in your home from overflowing should keep your kitchen and bathroom floor pretty safe from water damage and mold growth.
Even if you do slip up and let a container of water overflow, you can keep it from doing too much damage to your floor by making sure the floor is waterproofed. You can do this by making sure that there are no cracks in the flooring, whether it is tile, linoleum, or anything else, no missing areas of grout, and no missing areas of sealant around the base of the cabinets.
For example, when you are cooking in the kitchen, the worst thing that you can do is put something on the stove and leave it unattended. Maybe you get occupied doing other chores around the house or you have to answer the phone or tend to the kids in another room, but if you can put that off until later, never leave anything unattended on the stove for more than a few seconds. Houses have been badly fire damaged and even completely burned to the ground by leaving things unattended on the stove, especially grease. You should never begin heating grease on the stove and leave it alone. A relative of mine did this and sat down on her couch, fell asleep, and her entire house burned to the ground. Never leave the kitchen when cooking with grease unless absolutely necessary and never let yourself get preoccupied with other chores. It is just not worth the risk.
Another less immediate threat to your home is water. Water does not do the devastating immediate damage that fire can do, but this could possibly make it even more of a risk simply because you do not realize any damage is being done. Whether you are filling up the kitchen sink to wash dishes or filling up your bathtub, this is another area where getting preoccupied with other activities can get you into trouble. Doing your best to keep the sinks and tubs in your home from overflowing should keep your kitchen and bathroom floor pretty safe from water damage and mold growth.
Even if you do slip up and let a container of water overflow, you can keep it from doing too much damage to your floor by making sure the floor is waterproofed. You can do this by making sure that there are no cracks in the flooring, whether it is tile, linoleum, or anything else, no missing areas of grout, and no missing areas of sealant around the base of the cabinets.
Fires And The Smoke Point of Oil
If you cook a lot at home and with oil, then you are probably at least somewhat aware of what a smoke point refers to. Even some of us who do cook fried or stir fried foods often are not fully aware of what a smoke point is and what it might be for the particular kind of oil that we are cooking with. It is something that every cook should be familiar with, since not knowing the smoke point of the oil that you are cooking with can cause it to catch on fire. Some of the worst house fires ever have been started by cooking with oil in the kitchen and by knowing the smoke point of what you are cooking with, you can reduce the chances of having an oil fire greatly.
Unrefined oils that have been harvested using what is called cold extraction tend to have a lower smoke point than other kinds of oil. These unrefined oils usually have better flavor than refined oils and are usually used in sautéing, baking, and for salad dressings. Unrefined oils tend to include avocado oil, some nut oils, and olive oils. Oils that have high smoke points are generally peanut oil, canola, soy, and safflower oil.
A pan containing oil that has reached its smoke point needs to be removed immediately and let to cool. After it cools, it should be thrown out for a number of reasons. Oil that reaches its smoke point starts to break down and will taste very bad, which is why any kind of oil that has reached its smoke point should be thrown out. It will make the food taste bad and the smoke should not be breathed in or the oil consumed, since it can form carcinogens.
You should heat oils gradually because they will perform better than if you just pour them into a very hot pan. As long as they are heated up and cooled off slowly, you can reuse most oils, but you should throw them away as soon as they start to discolor or smell rancid.
One of the worst things that you can do is leave oil to heat in the kitchen on its own. A home catching on fire and burning down completely is not an uncommon occurrence when there is unattended oil heating in the kitchen. What makes this another very bad situation is that oil and electrical fires cannot be put out with water, no matter how much of it you throw on it. If your oil or stove catches on fire and it is fairly small, you can put it out effectively by using baking soda or using your fire extinguisher. Anyone who cooks with oil on a regular basis should have both of these items close by, just in case.
Unrefined oils that have been harvested using what is called cold extraction tend to have a lower smoke point than other kinds of oil. These unrefined oils usually have better flavor than refined oils and are usually used in sautéing, baking, and for salad dressings. Unrefined oils tend to include avocado oil, some nut oils, and olive oils. Oils that have high smoke points are generally peanut oil, canola, soy, and safflower oil.
A pan containing oil that has reached its smoke point needs to be removed immediately and let to cool. After it cools, it should be thrown out for a number of reasons. Oil that reaches its smoke point starts to break down and will taste very bad, which is why any kind of oil that has reached its smoke point should be thrown out. It will make the food taste bad and the smoke should not be breathed in or the oil consumed, since it can form carcinogens.
You should heat oils gradually because they will perform better than if you just pour them into a very hot pan. As long as they are heated up and cooled off slowly, you can reuse most oils, but you should throw them away as soon as they start to discolor or smell rancid.
One of the worst things that you can do is leave oil to heat in the kitchen on its own. A home catching on fire and burning down completely is not an uncommon occurrence when there is unattended oil heating in the kitchen. What makes this another very bad situation is that oil and electrical fires cannot be put out with water, no matter how much of it you throw on it. If your oil or stove catches on fire and it is fairly small, you can put it out effectively by using baking soda or using your fire extinguisher. Anyone who cooks with oil on a regular basis should have both of these items close by, just in case.
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