The Times Advocate, 2004-04-21, Page 1818
Exeter Times–Advocate
Wednesday, April 21, 2004
SPRING HOME IMPROVEMENT]
Time to get
at those
projects
With the warmer
spring weather, we are
more motivated to work
on all kinds of projects
around the home.
Keeping in mind the
following tips will
ensure any and all
work will be done in the
safest way, and that
your home is safer.
In the kitchen
• Open pots should not
be used for deep fat fry-
ing. Grease and fat are a
leading cause of kitchen
fires.
• Never throw water on
a grease fire or turn on
an overhead fan — this
will only spread the fire.
Smother it with a lid or
use baking soda or a dry
chemical fire extinguish-
er. Don't carry a burning
pot outside.
• Don't block the air
vents of a microwave
oven. It must have a suf-
ficient air flow to oper-
ate properly.
• Items you use for
cooking should not be
stored above the stove —
you could be burned
reaching for them.
• Keep oven and stove
areas free of clutter.
Stacks of paper, cook-
books, grocery bags,
towels, curtains, wood
utensils, pot holders and
garbage baskets can all
catch fire in seconds if
they come in contact
with a flame.
• Never leave the stove
or oven unattended
while cooking, especially
if children are around. A
fire can break out and
start spreading in sec-
onds.
• Make stove controls
easy to read from a dis-
tance. For example, you
could mark "off" with a
bright red dot.
• Never store flamma-
ble products near or in a
stove or oven (e.g. pizza
boxes, plastic contain-
ers). You may forget they
are there and the next
time you turn on the
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oven they'll catch fire.
• Accumulated dust is
combustible. Check the
vent over your stove as
blocked vents mean an
increased chance of
grease fires. Replace the
exhaust hood filters reg-
ularly.
Fire extinguishers
• When using an extin-
guisher remember to
PASS — pull the pin; aim
low; squeeze the handle
and sweep from side to
side.
• Store fire extinguish-
ers in an accessible area
(preferably bracketed to
the wall near an exit)
but not next to the oven
because flames could
prevent you from getting
to it.
• Unused fire extin-
guishers can lose their
pressure — follow the
manufacturer's direc-
tions to make sure the
pressure in your equip-
ment is still adequate. If
not, have it recharged.
Basement
• Before you start any
basement project (e.g.
furniture stripping) that
involves the use of sol-
vents, turn off your
water heater, furnace
and other heating appli-
ances, including any
pilot lights. The use of
paint, varnish or glue
can lead to a build up of
volatile fumes. Fumes
and open flames don't
mix. Better yet, if it's
nice outside, why work
indoors?
• When working in a
confined area with sol-
vents, open a window or
use fans for extra venti-
lation.
• Rags that have
absorbed oil, paint, glue
and other chemicals,
fuels or solvents are
extremely flammable. In
fact, they can burst into
flames spontaneously.
Store soiled rags out-
doors in a closed metal
container. Better yet,
dispose of them prompt-
ly and never store
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indoors.
• Make sure you clean
the lint collector in the
clothes dryer after each
use. Also check the dryer
exhaust pipe periodically
to make sure it is lint
free.
Fuses
• A fuse is an electrical
safety valve; if too much
current passes through
it, a wire inside melts
and stops the flow of the
current. When a fuse
blows, it's a sign of dan-
ger. Either the lines have
been overloaded or
there's a break in the
wires along the line (in
an appliance cord, a
switch, or inside the
wall).
• Remember to check
your fuse box during
your clean up. Is it
equipped with the prop-
er sized fuses? Are spare
fuses handy?
• If you are blowing
fuses repeatedly, don't
just keep replacing them
or resetting the circuits.
Track the line and dis-
cover the source of the
problem. If you have to,
call an electrical con-
tractor to evaluate your
system.
As you complete all
those spring projects on
your list, taking the time
to evaluate your home
and property for safety
will pay off.
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