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

As a parent, absolutely nothing is more critical than ensuring your child’s safety. Once your little ones start crawling, it seems like the whole house is 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 take steps to make sure your home’s essential systems are thoroughly babyproofed—giving you one less thing to worry about!

Hands Off Your HVAC Vents and Registers

HVAC grills that fit over the air vents in your home often prove to be irresistible targets for small children. Here are ways to keep them safe:

• Fasten registers: If your floor or wall registers easily detach, screw them in place so you can be sure they aren’t going anywhere.
• Install babyproof vent covers: These use a small grid to stop small objects from falling inside without blocking airflow throughout your residence.

No Touching the Thermostat

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

• Place the thermostat away from children: The thermostat should be installed at a height for adults. Avoid placing furniture near it that could tempt kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Lock down the controls: Some thermostats feature locking functions to keep anyone from changing the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider installing a thermostat cover that keeps curious kids from inadvertently changing the temperature.

Make Your Utility Room Safe

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

• Install doorknob covers: If your utility area is enclosed, you have an easy task. Simply put a childproof cover on the doorknob to stop your kids from opening the door to the room.
• Set up a safety gate: If your heating or air systems are in an open area, set up a safety gate to block curious crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Check your carbon monoxide detectors: Every residence should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on every level, especially if you have gas appliances. But, plug-in versions are within reach for kids to access. Consider placing 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 limited to the utility room. Here are tips on how to shield your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Install heat guards: Place a simple baby gate or specially designed heat guard around radiators, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to create a barrier between your child and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Don’t use space heaters: A properly adjusted and tuned heating system should comfortably heat every room in your home, and there should be no requirement to use a space heater to tempt curious kids.

Childproof Your Home’s Electrical System

We all need electricity in our homes, but electricity also poses safety hazards for children. 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 childproof covers instead of plug-in styles, because clever children can sometimes yank out the plug-in styles.
• Cover cords: Exposed cords are a hazardous risk. Use cord concealers or tape them down along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also useful for preventing little fingers from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel closed: If your electrical panel is within reach, make sure it’s securely closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from touching it.

Safeguard Your Plumbing

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

• Adjust the water temperature: Turn your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent scalding at the tap. Just don’t turn the temperature down any lower than that, or you risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Add a faucet cover: Has your baby ever bumped their head on the bathtub faucet? Cushioned covers are a quick and easy way to avoid this kind of injury.
• Use toilet locks: Babies are often very curious about the toilet. A special lock keeps little ones from accessing unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can result in 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 children with reliable HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in the U.S.. We are dedicating to making 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 top-notch workmanship and customer service.