As near freezing temperatures make their way into the Ozark Gateway this week, Cherokee Village Fire Chief Kal Dienst urges homeowners to have their heating systems checked.
“Having youtr furnace checked and cleaned by a professionl isn’t something you want to skimp on. It can help keep reliable heat through the winter months,” Dienst said. “At minimum you need to have it inspected by a professional before you build a fire in any kind of fire place or wood stove to make sure there isn’t any kind of build up from birds or creasole from the previous year.”
Diesnst also said those considering using electric heaters should exercize caution and always make sure the heating system is plugged directly into an wall outlet.
“Some of the biggets things we recommend is if you’re looking to buy a heater or use the heater you have , be sure it is UL listed. A lot of things we buy come from other countries and are not always tested, so you wan to make sure it is UL listed, because that means it has already been tested,” Dienst said. “It should also be plugged into the wall when you use it. Do not plug a space heater into an extenion cord or a power strip and they’re not rated to run off cords like that.”
For more safety tips, you may visit Ready.Gov, RedCross.org or FEMA.gov.
Lauren is a an award-winning journalist who decided after 10 years of newspaper experience to venture out. Hallmark Times was born.
