Safety of stove heating

With the onset of cold weather, citizens living in private homes begin to think about what a safe heating stove should be like. Stove equipment is an object of increased fire hazard. Fires associated with malfunctions or improper operation of stoves lead to significant material damage, and people often die in such fires. To avoid trouble, it is enough to observe the following simple safety rules:

- the stove must not have cracks or gaps, and the chimney must have good draft and be whitewashed with lime mortar. This is done so that cracks appearing over time can be noticed against a white background;

- during the heating season, clean the chimney of soot at least once every 2 months;

- the stove and chimney in places where they connect with wooden ceilings must have a thickened brickwork or a fire cut-off;

- to prevent accidentally falling burning coals from causing a fire, nail a metal sheet measuring at least 50x70 cm to the wooden floor in front of the firebox. It can be made of non-combustible bricks;

- under no circumstances use flammable and combustible liquids for kindling;

- do not leave the firebox doors open or a burning stove unattended – this is a direct path to fire;

- keep clothes, furniture, firewood, and other combustible materials at least one and a half meters away from the stove;

- slag and ash must be removed to a specially designated safe place and watered down.

- do not leave a burning stove unattended and do not allow children to kindle them on their own.

A significant danger during the operation of heating equipment is an invisible enemy – carbon monoxide. When using gas water heaters or stoves, it is important to remember that carbon monoxide has no color or odor. It is formed during all types of combustion and is also contained in exhaust gases. The first sign is that a person begins to feel a headache and suffocation. At high concentrations, loss of consciousness and paralysis occur. And if the gas concentration in the air is more than 1.2% – a person dies in a few seconds.

To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, remember that you should not close the stove damper prematurely, i.e., until the coals have completely burned out. In this case, the stove should be stoked at least two hours before going to bed.