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

As a parent, absolutely nothing is more essential than keeping your baby safe. As soon as your little ones start crawling, it seems like the whole 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 properly babyproofed—which is one less thing to worry about!

Hands Off Your HVAC Vents and Registers

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

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

Block Access to the Thermostat

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

• Move the thermostat out of reach: The thermostat should be installed at adult eye level. Avoid placing objects near it that could invite kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Secure 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 keeps curious kids from inadvertently changing the temperature.

Make Your Utility Room Safe

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 make them safe:

• Put on doorknob covers: If the utility area is enclosed, you have it easy. You can put a childproof cover on the doorknob to stop your kids from opening the door to get inside.
• Set up a safety gate: If your heating and cooling equipment is in an open area, put up a safety gate to block intrepid crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Test the carbon monoxide detectors: Every home 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 placing combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for better 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 tips on how to keep your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Place heat guards: Use a baby gate or specially designed heat guard around heat-producing appliances or equipment, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to create a barrier between your child and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Stop using space heaters: A correctly 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 childproof your home’s electrical setup:

• Install outlet covers: Building code requires that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have old outlets, you can increase safety by adding outlet covers. Choose sliding covers instead of plug-in styles, because clever children can sometimes remove 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 locked: If your electrical panel is within reach, make sure it’s properly closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from touching it.

Safeguard Your Plumbing

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

• Set the water temperature: Set your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent scalding injuries. Just don’t turn the temperature down any cooler than this, or you risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Add a faucet cover: Has your baby ever hit her or his head on the bathtub faucet? Rubberized covers are a very simple way to avoid this kind of injury.
• Use toilet locks: Babies are often fascinated by the toilet. A specialized lock keeps little ones from playing in 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 child-friendly environment in your home. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re proud to help parents protect their children with reliable HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in the U.S.. We are proud to follow our motto of 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 top-notch workmanship and customer service.