Home Safety: How to Childproof Your Home HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Systems 

As a parent, absolutely nothing is more critical than keeping your baby safe. 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—giving you one less thing to worry about!

Make HVAC Vents and Registers Off Limits

HVAC registers that fit over the air vents in your home often prove to be irresistible exploration opportunities for small children. Here’s how to make sure they are safe:

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

No Touching the Thermostat

Kids tend to zero right in on buttons and screens, which makes the thermostat a potentially tempting plaything. Follow these tips to stop curious toddlers from creating temperature control problems in your home:

• Install 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 tempt kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Lock the controls: Some thermostats feature locking functions to stop anyone from changing the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider adding 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 lower level 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 keep them safe:

• Put on doorknob covers: If the utility area is enclosed, you have it easy. Just put a childproof cover on the doorknob to prevent your kids from opening the door to the room.
• Install 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 every level, especially if you have gas appliances. Unfortunately, plug-in versions are simple for kids to access. Consider placing combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for maximum safety.

Ways to Prevent Hot Surface Burns for Children

In many homes, the threat of burn injuries isn’t limited to your home’s utility room. Here are other ways to keep your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Install heat guards: Place a simple baby gate or specially designed heat guard around heat-producing appliances or equipment, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to form a barrier between young children and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Stop using space heaters: A professionally adjusted and tuned heating system should heat your entire home, and there should be no reason for a space heater to tempt curious kids.

Childproof Your Home’s Electrical System

We all need electricity to run today’s appliances, but it also poses safety hazards for children. Here’s how to babyproof 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 retrofit them with outlet covers. Choose secured covers instead of plug-in styles, because determined toddlers can sometimes remove the plug-in styles.
• Hide cords: Exposed cords are a chewing risk. Use cord concealers or secure them along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also important for preventing small children from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel secured: If your electrical panel is within reach, make sure it’s firmly closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from tampering with it.

Make Sure Your Plumbing Is Safe

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

• Set the water temperature: Set your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent scalding at the tap. However, be careful not to turn the temperature down any lower than this, because this could risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Add a faucet cover: Has your baby ever bumped their head on the bathtub faucet? Cushioned covers are an easy way to stop this kind of injury.
• Install 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.

Call Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for HVAC, Plumbing or Electrical Services in the U.S.

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 little ones with reliable HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in the U.S.. We are dedicating to making a meaningful difference in the lives of every customer we serve—even the little ones! Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing at 866-397-3787 today for superb workmanship and customer service.