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

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

Block Access to Air Vents and Registers

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

• Fasten registers: If your floor or wall registers fit loosely, screw them in place to make sure children can’t pry them loose.
• Install babyproof vent covers: These use a small grid to prevent small objects from falling inside without blocking airflow throughout your residence.

Block Access to the Thermostat

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:

• Install the thermostat up high: The thermostat should be installed at a height for adults. Avoid placing chairs near it that could invite kids to climb up for a closer look.
• Lock down the controls: Some thermostats feature child-lock functions to prevent anyone from messing around with the settings. If yours doesn’t have this feature, consider installing 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 cellar or utility closet, this is a critically important place for babyproofing. These are no places for [babies|children|infants or toddlers|any child}, so use these tips to make them safe:

• Put on doorknob covers: If the utility area is enclosed, you have an easy task. Just put a childproof cover on the doorknob to keep 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.
• Check your carbon monoxide detectors: Every house, mobile home or apartment should have at least one carbon monoxide detector on every level, especially if you have gas appliances. However, plug-in versions are within reach for kids to access. Consider mounting 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 protect your child from the dangers of hot surfaces:

• Place heat guards: Use a 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.
• Avoid space heaters: A properly adjusted and serviced 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 for modern living, but electricity also poses safety hazards for kids. Here’s how to babyproof your home’s electrical setup:

• Install outlet covers: Building code mandates that new receptacles be tamper resistant. If you have old outlets, you can update them by using outlet covers. Choose locking covers instead of plug-in styles, because determined toddlers can sometimes remove the plug-in styles.
• Hide cords: Exposed cords are a hazardous risk. Use cord concealers or tape them down along the baseboards. Power strip covers are also important for preventing small children from reaching the sockets.
• Keep the electrical panel closed: If your electrical panel is within reach, make sure it’s properly closed and locked to stop inquisitive kids from accessing it.

Make Sure Your Plumbing Is Safe

Babies love water play. That’s why it’s so important to take preventive measures to make sure they stay safe around home plumbing fixtures like basins, tubs and toilets. Try these childproofing 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. Just don’t turn the temperature down any cooler than that, because this could risk microbial growth in the tank.
• Install a faucet cover: Has your baby ever bumped their head on the bathtub faucet? Soft covers are an easy way to avoid this sort of injury.
• Try using toilet locks: Babies are often fascinated by the toilet. A special 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 childproofing 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 children with quick 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.