7 Wood Stove Safety Tips

By now, most cities have experienced their first winter snowfall. This means that many homeowners are starting to turn on their home heating units, including wood stoves.

Using a wood stove to heat your house is a great alternative to a furnace. For homeowners with wood stoves, there are a few things to keep in mind when turning your stove on for the winter:

1. If you already have a wood stove, make sure that is has been inspected to make sure it meets the WETT (wood energy technology transfer) certification guidelines. By making sure that your wood stove meets these guidelines, you reduce the chance of a accidents and injury involving your stove.
2. Even if your stove meets the WETT guidelines, it is still important to do a physical check of your wood stove before turning it on each year. This can involve checking to make sure latches, hinges, and gasket are secure, that there are no holes, and that the chimney or flue pipe are clear.
3. Make sure your home has multiple working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. Accidents can happen, and these alarms can give you an early warning of an emergency situation. It is recommended that you add an additional smoke alarm near the exit of the room where your wood stove is located.
4. Have a working Class A fire extinguisher located near your wood stove. It is important that a fire extinguisher is easily accessible near your wood stove, so it can be used if a fire occurs. However, you don’t want to store it too closely, or you may not be able to access them if a fire does occurs.
5. Have a pair of heat-proof gloves near your wood stove. If you encounter a situation where a burning or smouldering log falls out of your stove, these gloves will allow you to quickly pick up the log and place it back in the fire.
6. Let ashes completely cool before disposing of them. Ashes can contain live coals which can start a fire if handled improperly. Always lets them cool completely in a metal bucket before you throw them out.
7. For families with young children, installing a child guard around the stove can reduce the chance of accident. Someone as simple as a gate surrounding the stove will make sure that young children don’t get close enough to burn themselves.

Following these 7 wood stove safety tips will help keep your family safe and warm this winter. To learn more about protecting your family and home, speak to your broker about your home insurance options.