Child Safety Tips: Childproof Your Home HVAC, Plumbing and Electrical Systems 

As a parent, there is nothing more essential than keeping your baby safe. 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 make sure your home’s essential systems are properly babyproofed—giving you one less thing to worry about!

Hands Off Your HVAC Vents and Registers

HVAC grills that fit over the air vents in your home often prove to be irresistible targets for small children. Here’s how to keep them safe:

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

No Touching the Thermostat

Kids are attracted to buttons and screens, which makes the thermostat a potentially tempting plaything. Follow these tips to stop small children from creating temperature control issues in your home:

• Install the thermostat away from children: The thermostat should be installed at adult eye level. Avoid placing furniture near it that could invite kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Secure the controls: Some thermostats feature child-lock functions to keep anyone from fiddling with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider investing in a thermostat cover that keeps curious kids from adjusting the temperature.

Block Access to HVAC and Mechanical Room Equipment

If your HVAC system is located in your home’s lower level 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 keep them safe:

• Install doorknob covers: If your utility area is enclosed, you have an easy task. You can put a childproof cover on the doorknob to prevent your kids from opening the door to get inside.
• Set up a safety gate: If your HVAC is in an open area, set up a safety gate to block adventurous crawlers from getting too close to your furnace or water heater.
• Inspect the carbon monoxide detectors: Every home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on each floor, especially if you have gas appliances. Unfortunately, plug-in versions are simple for kids to reach. Consider mounting 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 confined to the utility room. Here are tips on how to keep your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Install heat guards: Use a baby gate or specially designed heat guard around radiators, baseboard heaters or fireplaces to form a barrier between infants and potentially dangerous hot surfaces.
• Avoid space heaters: A correctly adjusted and tuned heating system should keep you comfortable in every room, and there should be no need to add a space heater to endanger curious kids.

Tips for Babyproofing Your Home Electric System and Equipment

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

• Install outlet covers: Building code requires that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have old 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.
• Conceal cords: Exposed cords are a pulling risk. Use cord concealers or tape them down along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also useful 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 securely closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from touching it.

Make Sure Your Plumbing Is Safe

Babies love playing in water. That’s why it’s so crucial to make sure 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 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.
• Use a faucet cover: Has your baby ever knocked his or her head on the bathtub faucet? Rubberized covers are a very simple way to prevent this kind of injury.
• Try using toilet locks: Babies are often fascinated by the toilet. A specialized lock prevents little ones from playing in unsanitary water or tossing toys inside, which can cause 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 child-friendly environment in your home. At Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, we’re pleased to help parents protect their children with fast HVAC, plumbing and electrical services in the U.S.. We are dedicating to making 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 outstanding workmanship and customer service.