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

As a parent, there is nothing more essential than protecting your baby’s safety. When your little ones start crawling, it seems like the house is one big hazard! The HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems are very concerning. With this guide from the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, you can make sure your home’s essential systems are adequately babyproofed—giving you one less thing to worry about!

Make HVAC Vents and Registers Off Limits

HVAC covers that fit over the air vents in your residence often prove to be irresistible targets for small children. Here’s how to make sure they are safe:

• Screw down registers: If your floor or wall registers fit loosely, fix 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 blocking airflow throughout your home.

No Touching the Thermostat

Kids tend to zero right in on buttons and screens, which makes the thermostat a potentially inviting plaything. Follow these tips to prevent curious toddlers from creating temperature control problems in your home:

• Place the thermostat up high: The thermostat should be installed at a level high enough where kids can’t easily reach it. Avoid placing objects near it that could invite kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Lock down the controls: Some thermostats feature safety functions to keep anyone from changing the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider installing a thermostat cover that stops curious kids from inadvertently changing the temperature.

Block Access to HVAC and Mechanical Room Equipment

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 use these tips to keep them safe:

• Put on doorknob covers: If the utility area is enclosed, you have an easy task. Just put a childproof cover on the doorknob to stop your kids from opening the door to the room.
• Add a safety gate: If your heating and cooling equipment is in an open area, put up a safety gate to block curious crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Check the carbon monoxide detectors: Every residence should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on each floor, especially if you have gas appliances. But, plug-in versions are simple for kids to reach. Consider mounting combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for maximum safety.

Follow These Tips to Prevent Burn Injuries

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

• Install heat guards: Put a baby gate or specially designed heat guard around radiators, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to form a barrier between your child and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Stop using space heaters: A professionally adjusted and serviced heating system should heat your entire home, and there should be no reason for a space heater to endanger curious kids.

Childproof Your Home’s Electrical System

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

• Add outlet covers: Building code requires that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have older outlets, you can update them by using outlet covers. Choose sliding covers instead of plug-in styles, because clever children can sometimes take off 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 small children from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel secured: If your electrical panel is somewhat low to the ground, make sure it’s adequately closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from playing with it.

Use Good Plumbing Safety Practices

Babies love playing in water. That’s why it’s so vital to ensure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like sinks, tubs and toilets. Try these childproofing 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.
• Install a faucet cover: Has your baby ever knocked his or her head on the bathtub faucet? Rubberized covers are an easy way to stop this sort of injury.
• Try using toilet locks: Babies are often fascinated by the toilet. A specialized lock stops little ones from accessing unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can cause pipe clogs.

Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing: Your Trusted Partner for the U.S. HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Services

With these babyproofing tips, you can easily create a protected 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 are dedicating to making a meaningful difference in the lives of all our customers—even the little ones! Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing at 866-397-3787 today for exceptional workmanship and customer service.