Child Safety Tips: Childproof Your Home HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Systems 

As a parent, there is nothing more critical than ensuring your child’s safety. When your little ones start crawling, it seems like your entire home feels like one big hazard! The HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems are especially concerning. With this guide from the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, you can ensure your home’s essential systems are thoroughly babyproofed—which gives you one less thing to worry about!

Hands Off Your HVAC Vents and Registers

HVAC registers that fit over the air vents in your residence often prove to be irresistible exploration opportunities for small children. Here are ways to make sure they are safe:

• Secure registers: If your floor or wall registers easily detach, screw them in place to make sure children can’t pry them loose.
• Install childproof vent covers: These use a fine mesh to stop small objects from falling inside without restricting airflow throughout your home.

Block Access to the Thermostat

Kids are fascinated by buttons and screens, which makes the thermostat a potentially fun and exciting plaything. Follow these tips to prevent little family members from creating temperature control issues in your home:

• Install the thermostat away from children: The thermostat should be installed at a height for adults. Avoid placing chairs near it that could encourage kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Secure the controls: Some thermostats feature locking functions to stop anyone from fiddling with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider adding a thermostat cover that keeps curious kids from inadvertently changing the temperature.

Make the Utility Closet Off Limits

If your HVAC system is located in your home’s cellar or utility closet, this is a critically important place for babyproofing. These are no places for [babies|children|infants or toddlers|any child}, so use these tips to keep them safe:

• Install doorknob covers: If a home’s utility area is enclosed, you have an easy task. You can put a childproof cover on the doorknob to keep your kids from opening the the door and accessing your HVAC system.
• Use a safety gate: If your heating and cooling equipment is in an open area, install a safety gate to stop intrepid crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Test your carbon monoxide detectors: Every residence should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on every level, especially if you have gas appliances. Unfortunately, plug-in versions are easy for kids to reach. Consider mounting combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for better safety.

Ways to Prevent Hot Surface Burns for Children

In many homes, the threat of burn injuries isn’t restricted to the utility room. Here’s how to keep your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Install heat guards: Use a baby gate or specially designed heat guard around heat-producing appliances or equipment, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to form a barrier between your child and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Don’t use space heaters: A properly adjusted and serviced heating system should heat your entire home, and there should be no requirement to use a space heater to tempt curious kids.

How to Childproof Your Electric System

We all need electricity to run today’s appliances, but electricity also poses safety hazards for toddlers. Here’s how to childproof your home’s electric equipment and wiring:

• Use outlet covers: Building code requires that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have older outlets, you can retrofit them with outlet covers. Choose secured covers instead of plug-in styles, because clever children can sometimes yank out the plug-in styles.
• Conceal cords: Exposed cords are a hazardous risk. Use cord concealers or secure them along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also effective for preventing little fingers from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel closed: If your electrical panel is within reach, make sure it’s properly closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from playing with it.

Increase Plumbing Safety

Babies love water play. That’s why it’s so vital to ensure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like basins, tubs and toilets. Try these childproofing tips for plumbing systems:

• Control the water temperature: Set your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent scalding at the tap. Just don’t turn the temperature down any cooler than this, because this could risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Use a faucet cover: Has your baby ever bumped their head on the bathtub faucet? Rubberized covers are a very simple way to avoid this type of injury.
• Use toilet locks: Babies are often very curious about the toilet. A special lock prevents little ones from accessing unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can lead to pipe clogs.

Count on Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Reliable HVAC, Plumbing and Electric Service in the U.S.

With these home safety tips, you can easily create a safe environment in your home. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re honored to help parents protect their little ones with reliable HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in the U.S.. We strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of every customer we serve—even the little ones! Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing at 866-397-3787 today for outstanding workmanship and customer service.