Homes that have a central heating system reap safety benefits they may not be aware of.
These devices are designed to provide heat to the interiors of homes and businesses, but generally the main section of the unit will sit outdoors.
From the main unit there will be duct work running to each area that the unit is supposed to heat.
At the end of the duct will be a vent designed to allow the heated air to enter the room.
Wood burning stoves are one device that is used instead of a central heating system.
A wood burning stove can be a fire hazard to the home that it is installed in.
The wood burning stove has the main part of the unit sitting inside the home in one room.
A fire is built inside the stove and the heat radiates out to heat the home.
Fans are put in place to try and circulate the heat to other rooms in the home.
There is a pipe that goes through the roof of the house to allow the smoke to escape.
A fire has the potential of emitting embers that land on the roof of the home and starting a fire.
A space heater is often used instead of a central heating system.
A space heater that operates on propane or other gas sources will have a permanent position in a room.
The gas line will come from the supply tank outside to the appliance in the home.
There will be a valve inside the home that allows you to turn the gas supply off to the unit.
When the room requires heat the appliance will be allowed to receive gas and the gas will be ignited so that it burns inside the unit.
There are many different styles of these appliances, but they all have a fire burning inside the home leaving the residents vulnerable to burns when the appliance is touched.
These units do cause house fires, but less frequently than the wood burning stove or the electric space heater.
Electric space heaters are used frequently in place of a central heating system.
The electric space heaters cost far less than any of the other heating units and they are portable.
They can be moved from room to room so the homeowner can supply heat to the area they are in without having to have a permanent appliance in the room.
They use electricity for fuel so there is not an open flame in the home.
These items may not have an open flame, but they are more likely to create a fire than the gas burning space heater will.
Electric space heaters often cause electrical fires because the units pull so many amps that they cause the breakers in the electric box to be over worked.
A lot of homes burn because these electric heaters are frequently placed near windows with curtains or beds with loose covers on them.
You must be very cautious about where you place these items in a room.