Home Safety: How to Childproof Your Home HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Systems 

As a parent, there is nothing more essential than ensuring your child’s safety. As soon as your little ones start crawling, it seems like the whole house feels like one big hazard! The HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems are particularly 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—giving you one less thing to worry about!

Hands Off Your HVAC Vents and Registers

HVAC covers that fit over the air vents throughout your residence often prove to be irresistible areas for small children. Here are ways to make sure they are safe:

• Fasten registers: If your floor or wall registers fit loosely, secure them in place so you can be sure they aren’t going anywhere.
• Install childproof vent covers: These use a fine mesh to keep small objects from falling inside without hindering airflow throughout your home.

Move the Thermostat Up High

Kids are attracted to buttons and screens, which makes the thermostat a potentially tempting plaything. Follow these tips to prevent curious toddlers from creating temperature control problems in your home:

• Install the thermostat away from children: The thermostat should be installed at a level high enough where kids can’t easily reach it. Avoid placing chairs near it that could invite kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Secure the controls: Some thermostats feature child-lock functions to keep anyone from changing the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider adding a thermostat cover that prevents curious kids from adjusting the temperature.

Make Your Utility Room Safe

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

• Install doorknob covers: If your utility area is enclosed, you are in luck. You can put a childproof cover on the doorknob to keep your kids from opening the door to the room.
• Use a safety gate: If your heating or air systems are in an open area, install a safety gate to block curious crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Inspect the carbon monoxide detectors: Every house, mobile home or apartment should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on each floor, especially if you have gas appliances. However, plug-in versions are simple for kids to access. Consider installing combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for maximum 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:

• Place heat guards: Use a baby gate or specially designed heat guard around radiators, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to build a barrier between young children and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Stop using space heaters: A professionally adjusted and tuned heating system should comfortably heat every room in your home, and there should be no need to add a space heater to attract curious kids.

Childproof Your Home’s Electrical System

We all need electricity for modern living, but electricity also poses safety hazards for little ones. Here’s how to childproof your home’s electrical setup:

• Add outlet covers: Building code requires that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have old outlets, you can increase safety by adding outlet covers. Choose childproof covers instead of plug-in styles, because determined toddlers can sometimes remove the plug-in styles.
• Cover cords: Exposed cords are a chewing risk. Use cord concealers or fasten them along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also effective for preventing kids from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel locked: If your electrical panel is somewhat low to the ground, make sure it’s properly closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from touching it.

Increase Plumbing Safety

Babies love water. That’s why it’s so important to make sure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like sinks, tubs and toilets. Try these safety tips for plumbing systems:

• Control the water temperature: Turn your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent scalding injuries. However, be careful not to turn the temperature down any cooler than this, or you risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Use a faucet cover: Has your baby ever hit her or his head on the bathtub faucet? Cushioned covers are a quick and easy way to prevent this type of injury.
• Use toilet locks: Babies are often fascinated by the toilet. A specialized lock keeps little ones from accessing unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can cause pipe clogs.

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

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