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

As a parent, nothing is more important in life than protecting your baby’s safety. When your little ones start crawling, it seems like the house feels like one big hazard! The HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems are very concerning. With this guide from the Experts at McKinley Heating Service Experts, you can take steps to make sure your home’s essential systems are properly babyproofed—which gives you one less thing to worry about!

Block Access to Air Vents and Registers

HVAC registers that fit over the air vents throughout your home often prove to be irresistible exploration opportunities for small children. Here’s how to keep them safe:

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

No Touching the Thermostat

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

• Place the thermostat away from children: The thermostat should be installed at adult eye level. Avoid placing chairs near it that could tempt kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Lock down the controls: Some thermostats feature child-lock functions to stop anyone from messing around with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider installing a thermostat cover that stops 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 very important place for babyproofing. These are no places for [babies|children|infants or toddlers|any child}, so try these tips to ensure they are safe:

• Install doorknob covers: If a home’s utility area is enclosed, you have it easy. Just put a childproof cover on the doorknob to stop your kids from opening the door to get inside.
• Add a safety gate: If your HVAC is in an open area, set up a safety gate to block curious crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Test your carbon monoxide detectors: Every house, mobile home or apartment should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on every level, especially if you have gas appliances. Unfortunately, plug-in versions are within reach for kids to access. Consider installing combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for better safety.

Protect Your Baby from Burns

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

• Use 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.
• Stop using space heaters: A properly adjusted and maintained heating system should keep you comfortable in every room, 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 to run today’s appliances, but electricity also poses safety hazards for children. Here’s how to secure your home’s electrical system:

• 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 childproof 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 fasten them along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also effective for preventing small children 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 playing with it.

Safeguard Your Plumbing

Babies love water. That’s why it’s so crucial to ensure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like basins, tubs and toilets. Try these safety 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 colder than that, because this could risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Install a faucet cover: Has your baby ever hit her or his head on the bathtub faucet? Cushioned covers are an easy way to stop this sort of injury.
• Try using toilet locks: Babies are often very curious about the toilet. A special lock stops little ones from getting covered in unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can cause pipe clogs.

McKinley Heating Service Experts: Your Trusted Partner for Edmonton HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Services

With these childproofing tips, you can confidently create a child-friendly environment in your home. At McKinley Heating Service Experts, we’re honored to help parents protect their children with fast HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in Edmonton. We strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of every family member we serve—even the little ones! Contact McKinley Heating Service Experts at 780-800-7092 today for exceptional workmanship and customer service.