Stay warm, be safe this winter in Wyoming Published Nov. 19, 2010 By Bob Caley 90th Missile Wing Ground Safety superintendent F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WYO. -- As the winter and holiday seasons approach, Air Force Global Strike Command and the 90th Missile Wing Safety Office staff want to remind people of some heating hazards associated with this time of year. There are many different types of heating systems on the market today, most are very good, yet each of them have their own hazards if manufacturer's guidance is not followed. First, make sure smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are clean and working properly. Clean the detectors by gently running the vacuum over and around the detectors to remove dust. This is the time of the year to install fresh batteries in those detectors requiring batteries. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be tested at the very least once a month. Testing detectors is easy; depending on the brand of detector you have, just push or turn a button or lever until it sounds. Many of the newer homes have the smoke or smoke and carbon monoxide detectors tied together; meaning, when one detector is activated in the home they will all activate together throughout the home. Heating systems vary depending on the type installed and the fuel they burn. Nevertheless, all heating systems should have some type of preventive maintenance accomplished including inspection and cleaning. In oil or gas fired furnaces or boiler systems, these units should be inspected annually to make sure the fire box or heat exchanger is not cracked or defective, and the firing of the unit is working properly. Furthermore, it is important to have the chimney inspected. If these primary components are defective; this can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning and/or a fire in the home. With fire places or wood burning stoves, it is important to inspect the hearth and chimney for wear and tear, cracks, loose bricks and missing mortar. Also, see if there are creosote deposits in the chimney or if birds or other animals built a nest there. Creosote is a highly combustible substance that results from the burning of uncured wood. The chimney should be capped with a cover and screen to prevent burning embers from flying out onto one's roof or surrounding property. Additionally, this will help keep animals out of the chimney. When burning wood, it is best the wood be cured or aged approximately one year before using it in wood burning appliances. Other alternative heating units are electrical space heaters and portable fuel heaters. While these units have their place in society, constant vigilance on their use is required. Electric space heaters use a lot of power. If a circuit breaker keeps popping, this means the circuit is over loaded, or you may have a weak circuit breaker. Either way, this means one needs to find another place to use the heater, remove another electrical appliance from the circuit to allow the use of the space heater, and/or have the circuit checked by a qualified electrician. Also, make sure there is three feet of clearance around the heater from other combustible products such as curtains, boxes, furniture, etc. Most importantly, make sure the heater is equipped with a tip-over switch that will turn off the heater if it is knocked over or a thermal overload protector that will also turn the unit off when it detects an overheating condition. Another alternative type of heating unit is a portable fuel heater, such as kerosene and propane heaters. They are very effective heaters, but make sure there is a window slightly opened to allow fresh air into the home. Again, these units burn fuel and therefore produce carbon monoxide. Every year, there are reports of people dying because of carbon monoxide poisoning. This typically is the result of not following manufacturer's instructions in reference to these heating units. Don't take a chance, improper operation of these heaters can result in a fire or generate excessive amounts of combustible by-products such as soot, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and other gases. Ventilation must be accomplished to replace oxygen as well as to remove gases in order to prevent asphyxiation or other respiratory problems. The manufacturer's recommendations must be followed to provide adequate oxygen for combustion. This may require opening a window or a door leading to another room. If no specifications are listed in the manufacturer's literature, one rule of thumb is to provide one square-inch of window opening for each 1,000 British Thermal Units of the heater's rating. Here is an example; a 10,000 Btu heater may require opening an outside window 10 square-inches to provide the necessary air intake. In an energy efficient home, additional air intake may be necessary. Please feel free to contact the Wing Safety Office for additional information at 773-3439.