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spect the main heating system for mechanical or other hazards. Make sure that the chimney or flue is also inspected, because most fall checkups do not routinely include this.
• Precautions should be taken with wood or coal-burning stoves at the beginning of the heating season. If you purchased a new stove, make sure that the stove, connections to the chimney (stovepipe), and chimney are installed correctly and in compliance with local building codes. Existing chimneys and connectors should be inspected for structural damage, creosote soot buildup and . possible blockage.
• If you use a space heater to supplement the main heat source, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for its use. Also, there are basic precautions common to all portable space heaters, regardless of fuel type: never put the heater near drapes, furniture or other flammable materials; to prevent carbon monoxide buildup, keep a window partly open and the room well-ventilated if you are using an un-vented, fuelburning space heater; never operate the heater overnight in a room where people are sleeping. As with the main heating system, familiarity with the owner’s manual is essential.
• If the heating system has recently been converted from oil to gas heat, have the chimney inspected. If the furnace was inspected, call the contractor to double-check whether the chimney was inspected as well.
• NEVER USE GASOLINE IN A KEROSENE HEATER. Use only K-l grade kerosene.
Chimney inspections important
The CPSC urges homeowners to have chimneys inspected before use each heating season. Blockages can cause chimney fires or dangerous, even fatal, carbon monoxide buildup.
A qualified contractor, chimney sweep or heating service technician should inspect the furnace, flue pipe and chimney for problems. Chimneys are seldom included in routine inspections, but the CPSC advises that it is extremely important to have the chimney inspected for blockages such as loose mortar or bricks, or bird’s nests, which could cause insufficient draft and a resulting buildup of carbon monoxide inside the house.
Apart from routine furnace inspections for safety, the CPSC adds that heating systems recently converted from oil to gas can also pose potential carbon monoxide problems. After the conversion, soot on the chimney walls may loosen and fall to the base of the flue. If enough soot falls, the exhaust opening from the combustion chamber of the furnace could become blocked, causing the toxic carbon monoxide fumes to blow back into the house, creating a potentially deadly situation.
The CPSC said that new conversions should be inspected now, then routinely at the beginning of each heating season. t
The CPSC publishes several booklets with information on safety with a number of heating sources: Coal and Woodbuming Stoves (#92); Electric Space Heaters (#98); Space Heaters (#34); Furnaces (#79); Kerosene Heaters (#97), and smoke detectors. Copies are available by writing CPSC, Washington, D. C. 20207, or by calling the CPSC’s toll-free hotline 1-800-638CPSC.
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