Make It Safe: Babyproofing Your Home HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Systems 

As a parent, absolutely nothing is more essential 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 is one less thing to worry about!

Make HVAC Vents and Registers Off Limits

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

• Secure registers: If your floor or wall registers easily pop out, screw them in place so you can be sure they aren’t going anywhere.
• Install babyproof vent covers: These use a small grid to keep small objects from falling inside without hindering airflow throughout your home.

Move the Thermostat Up High

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 problems in your home:

• Install the thermostat up high: The thermostat should be installed at a height for adults. Avoid placing objects near it that could encourage kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Lock down the controls: Some thermostats feature safety functions to keep anyone from messing around with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider installing a thermostat cover that keeps curious kids from adjusting the temperature.

Make Your Utility Room Safe

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

• Install doorknob covers: If your utility area is enclosed, you have it easy. Just put a childproof cover on the doorknob to keep your kids from opening the door to get inside.
• Add a safety gate: If your heating or air systems are in an open area, put up a safety gate to stop intrepid 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 each floor, especially if you have gas appliances. But, plug-in versions are within reach for kids to reach. Consider installing 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 restricted to your home’s utility room. Here are other ways to keep your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Use heat guards: Put a baby gate or specially designed heat guard around heat-producing appliances or equipment, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to create a barrier between infants and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Avoid space heaters: A professionally adjusted and maintained heating system should comfortably heat every room in your home, and there should be no need to add a space heater to tempt curious kids.

Childproof Your Home’s Electrical System

We all need electricity to run today’s appliances, but power also poses safety hazards for little ones. Here’s how to protect your home’s electrical setup:

• Use outlet covers: Building code requires that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have old outlets, you can retrofit them with outlet covers. Choose sliding covers instead of plug-in styles, because determined toddlers can sometimes pull off the plug-in styles.
• Conceal cords: Exposed cords are a tangling risk. Use cord concealers or tape them down along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also helpful for preventing kids from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel secured: If your electrical panel is within reach, make sure it’s securely closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from touching it.

Increase Plumbing Safety

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

• Set the water temperature: Turn your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent scalding at the tap. However, be careful not to turn the temperature down any colder than this, because this could 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 very simple way to avoid this kind of injury.
• Install toilet locks: Babies are often fascinated by the toilet. A special lock stops little ones from accessing unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can lead to pipe clogs.

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

With these home safety tips, you can confidently create a protected environment in your home. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re honored to help parents protect their children with fast 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 outstanding workmanship and customer service.