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. 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 particularly concerning. With this guide from the Experts at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, you can make sure your home’s essential systems are thoroughly 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 areas for small children. Here’s how to make sure they are safe:

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

Block Access to the Thermostat

Kids tend to zero right in on buttons and screens, which makes the thermostat a potentially inviting plaything. Follow these tips to stop small children from creating temperature control issues in your home:

• Place the thermostat up high: The thermostat should be installed at adult eye level. Avoid placing chairs near it that could invite kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Secure the controls: Some thermostats feature safety functions to stop anyone from changing the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider installing a thermostat cover that keeps curious kids from adjusting the temperature.

Make Your Utility Room Safe

If your HVAC system is located in your home’s basement or utility closet, this is a critically important place for babyproofing. These are no places for [babies|children|infants or toddlers|any child}, so try these tips to make them safe:

• Install 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 get inside.
• Add a safety gate: If your HVAC is in an open area, set up a safety gate to stop curious 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 every level, especially if you have gas appliances. Unfortunately, plug-in versions are easy for kids to reach. Consider mounting 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 protect your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Use heat guards: Use a baby gate or specially designed heat guard around heat-producing appliances or equipment, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to build a barrier between babies and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Avoid space heaters: A properly adjusted and serviced heating system should heat your entire home, and there should be no need to add a space heater to attract curious kids.

How to Childproof Your Electric System

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

• Install 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 secured covers instead of plug-in styles, because clever children can sometimes pull off the plug-in styles.
• Hide cords: Exposed cords are a hazardous risk. Use cord concealers or secure them along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also useful for preventing small children 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 play. That’s why it’s so vital to take preventive measures to make sure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like basins, tubs and toilets. Try these safety tips for plumbing systems:

• Control 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 this, or you risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Install a faucet cover: Has your baby ever knocked his or her head on the bathtub faucet? Rubberized covers are a quick and easy way to prevent this type of injury.
• Use toilet locks: Babies are often intrigued by the toilet. A specialized lock prevents little ones from playing in unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can cause pipe clogs.

Count on Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing for Reliable HVAC, Plumbing and Electric Service in the U.S.

With these childproofing tips, you can confidently create a safe environment in your home. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re proud to help parents protect their families with fast HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in the U.S.. We strive to make a meaningful difference in the lives of every family member we serve—even the little ones! Contact Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing at 866-397-3787 today for exceptional workmanship and customer service.