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

As a parent, absolutely nothing is more critical than protecting your baby’s safety. As soon as your little ones start crawling, it seems like the house looks 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 make sure your home’s essential systems are adequately babyproofed—which is one less thing to worry about!

Block Access to Air Vents and Registers

HVAC covers 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 fit loosely, screw them in place so you can be sure they aren’t going anywhere.
• Install some vent covers: These use a fine mesh to prevent small objects from falling inside without blocking airflow throughout your residence.

Block Access to the Thermostat

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

• Place the thermostat away from children: The thermostat should be installed at a level high enough where kids can’t easily reach it. Avoid placing furniture 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 messing around with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider investing in a thermostat cover that keeps curious kids from adjusting the temperature.

Block Access to HVAC and Mechanical Room Equipment

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 follow these tips to ensure they are safe:

• Install doorknob covers: If a home’s 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.
• Add a safety gate: If your heating or air systems are in an open area, put up a safety gate to stop adventurous crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Test your carbon monoxide detectors: Every home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on each floor, especially if you have gas appliances. Unfortunately, plug-in versions are within reach for kids to access. Consider placing combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for maximum safety.

Protect Your Baby from Burns

In many homes, the threat of burn injuries isn’t confined to the utility room. Here are tips on how to keep 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.
• Don’t use space heaters: A properly adjusted and serviced heating system should heat your entire home, and there should be no requirement to use a space heater to tempt curious kids.

Tips for Babyproofing Your Home Electric System and Equipment

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:

• Add outlet covers: Building code mandates that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have older outlets, you can increase safety by adding outlet covers. Choose locking covers instead of plug-in styles, because clever children can sometimes yank out the plug-in styles.
• Cover cords: Exposed cords are a pulling risk. Use cord concealers or tape them down along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also important for preventing little fingers from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel closed: 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 crucial to ensure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like basins, tubs and toilets. Try these babyproofing tips for plumbing systems:

• Adjust the water temperature: Turn your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent children from being burned by hot water. Just don’t turn the temperature down any colder than that, because this could risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Add a faucet cover: Has your baby ever knocked his or her head on the bathtub faucet? Soft covers are a very simple way to prevent this kind of injury.
• Use toilet locks: Babies are often intrigued by the toilet. A specialized lock keeps little ones from getting covered in unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can result in 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 confidently create a safe environment in your home. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re honored to help parents protect their children with efficient 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.