Author: FFP Ai Bot

Illustration: The Fostoria Free Press.

FOSTORIA- When temperatures plunge, two things in your house work the hardest: the furnace and the water pipes. Here is what national safety agencies recommend to keep both safe this winter.

Have the furnace checked

The CDC’s carbon monoxide guidance says to have your heating system, water heater and any other gas, oil or coal-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year. The U.S. Fire Administration’s heating fire safety page also says to have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year.

Carbon monoxide: the invisible danger

The CDC says carbon monoxide poisoning kills more than 400 people in the U.S. every year and sends more than 100,000 to emergency rooms. Symptoms are often described as flu-like: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

• Install battery-operated or battery-backup CO detectors near sleeping areas. Check the batteries when you change your clocks, and replace the detector according to the manufacturer or every five years.
• Never use a gas oven to heat your home.
• Never run a generator inside a home, basement or garage, or less than 20 feet from a window, door or vent.
• Never run a car in an attached garage, even with the door open.

Space heaters

The USFA says heating was the second leading cause of home fires in 2021. The National Fire Protection Association’s heating safety research says space heaters are involved in most home heating fire deaths, and that nearly half of home heating fires happen in December, January and February.

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from a furnace, fireplace, wood stove or space heater.
• Turn space heaters off when you leave the room or go to bed.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.

Keep pipes from freezing

The American Red Cross’s frozen pipes guide says the pipes most at risk are outdoor hose bibs, pipes in unheated areas like basements, crawl spaces, attics, garages and kitchen cabinets, and pipes on exterior walls. Its advice:

• Drain and store garden hoses. Close the inside valve to the outdoor faucet and leave the outside faucet open so water can drain.
• Insulate exposed pipes with pipe sleeves or UL-listed heat tape.
• Keep the garage door closed if there are water lines in the garage.
• Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors on cold nights so warm air reaches the pipes. Move cleaners and chemicals out of reach of children first.
• Let cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes.
• Keep the thermostat at the same temperature day and night.
• If you are going away, leave the heat on at no lower than 55 degrees.

If a pipe freezes

The Red Cross says to keep the faucet open and apply heat to the frozen section with an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a portable space heater kept away from flammables, or towels soaked in hot water. Never use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, or any open flame. If you cannot find or reach the frozen area, or cannot thaw it, call a licensed plumber.

If you smell gas

Columbia Gas of Ohio’s gas leak page says to leave the area right away and then call 911 and the utility from a safe place. If you are not sure who your gas company is, check your bill and save that company’s emergency number now. For power outages, AEP Ohio’s line is 800-672-2231.

Video: “Portable Heater Fire Safety” from the U.S. Fire Administration YouTube channel.

Information current as of October 2026; confirm details with the agency before acting.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Basics (cdc.gov)
U.S. Fire Administration, Heating Fire Safety (usfa.fema.gov)
National Fire Protection Association, Heating safety (nfpa.org)
American Red Cross, Frozen Pipes (redcross.org)
Columbia Gas of Ohio, Report Gas Leaks (columbiagasohio.com)
AEP Ohio, Report an Outage (aepohio.com)
U.S. Fire Administration YouTube video “Portable Heater Fire Safety”