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

As a parent, nothing is more important in life than ensuring your child’s safety. Once your little ones start crawling, it seems like your entire home 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 take steps to make sure your home’s essential systems are adequately babyproofed—which gives you one less thing to worry about!

Block Access to Air Vents and Registers

HVAC covers that fit over the air vents throughout your residence often prove to be irresistible targets for small children. Here’s how to make sure they are safe:

• Secure registers: If your floor or wall registers easily detach, fix them in place so you can be sure they aren’t going anywhere.
• Install childproof vent covers: These use a fine mesh to keep small objects from falling inside without blocking airflow throughout your residence.

Move the Thermostat Up High

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

• Place the thermostat up high: The thermostat should be installed at a height for adults. Avoid placing furniture near it that could encourage kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Lock the controls: Some thermostats feature child-lock functions to stop anyone from fiddling with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider adding 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 basement or utility closet, this is an extremely important place for babyproofing. These are no places for [babies|children|infants or toddlers|any child}, so use these tips to keep them safe:

• Add doorknob covers: If your utility area is enclosed, you have it easy. Simply put a childproof cover on the doorknob to stop your kids from opening the door to the room.
• Use a safety gate: If your heating and cooling equipment is in an open area, install a safety gate to stop intrepid crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Test your carbon monoxide detectors: Every residence should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on each floor, especially if you have gas appliances. However, plug-in versions are simple for kids to access. 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 limited to your home’s utility room. Here are tips on 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 heat-producing appliances or equipment, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to create a barrier between your child and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Don’t use space heaters: A professionally adjusted and tuned heating system should keep you comfortable in every room, and there should be no reason for a space heater to tempt curious kids.

How to Childproof Your Electric System

We all need electricity for modern living, but it also poses safety hazards for toddlers. Here’s how to protect your home’s electric equipment and wiring:

• 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 sliding covers instead of plug-in styles, because determined toddlers can sometimes take off the plug-in styles.
• Tape down cords: Exposed cords are a chewing 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 locked: If your electrical panel is somewhat low to the ground, make sure it’s adequately closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from accessing it.

Use Good Plumbing Safety Practices

Babies love water play. 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:

• Control the water temperature: Turn your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent scalding injuries. However, be careful not to turn the temperature down any lower than this, or you 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 prevent this kind of injury.
• Try using toilet locks: Babies are often intrigued by 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 babyproofing tips, you can confidently create a protected environment in your home. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re pleased 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.