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

As a parent, absolutely nothing is more important in life than protecting your baby’s safety. When your little ones start crawling, it seems like the 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 take steps to make sure your home’s essential systems are thoroughly babyproofed—giving you one less thing to worry about!

Block Access to Air Vents and Registers

HVAC registers 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 pop out, secure them in place so they won’t come off.
• Install childproof vent covers: These use a fine mesh to stop small objects from falling inside without hindering airflow throughout your home.

Move the Thermostat Up High

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

• Place the thermostat out of reach: The thermostat should be installed at a level high enough where kids can’t easily reach it. Avoid placing objects near it that could encourage kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Secure the controls: Some thermostats feature safety functions to prevent anyone from fiddling with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider adding 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 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 ensure they are safe:

• Add doorknob covers: If a home’s utility area is enclosed, you have an easy task. You can put a childproof cover on the doorknob to stop your kids from opening the the door and accessing your HVAC system.
• Set up a safety gate: If your HVAC 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 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 reach. Consider mounting combination CO/smoke detectors on the ceiling for better safety.

Ways to Prevent Hot Surface Burns for Children

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

• Place heat guards: Place a simple baby gate or specially designed heat guard around radiators, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to create a barrier between babies and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Don’t use space heaters: A professionally adjusted and maintained heating system should comfortably heat every room in your 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 in our homes, but electricity also poses safety hazards for toddlers. Here’s how to secure your home’s electrical setup:

• Add outlet covers: Building code mandates that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have older outlets, you can retrofit them with outlet covers. Choose childproof covers instead of plug-in styles, because determined toddlers can sometimes pull off the plug-in styles.
• Cover cords: Exposed cords are a hazardous 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 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 crucial to ensure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like basins, tubs and toilets. Try these safety tips for plumbing systems:

• Adjust the water temperature: Set your water heater to 120 degrees F to prevent children from being burned by hot water. However, be careful not to turn the temperature down any lower than this, because this could risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Use a faucet cover: Has your baby ever knocked his or her head on the bathtub faucet? Soft covers are a very simple way to avoid this type of injury.
• Use toilet locks: Babies are often fascinated by the toilet. A special lock keeps little ones from playing in unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can cause pipe clogs.

Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing: Your Trusted Partner for the U.S. HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Services

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 little ones with efficient 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 exceptional workmanship and customer service.