Fire Prevention Tips For Your New Kingston Home!

7/14/2022 (Permalink)

Make yourself a fire prevention checklist before moving into your new home!

Moving into a new home of any kind in the Ulster County area brings with it many things to think about throughout the process. While a home inspection can give you important knowledge regarding general maintenance and structural soundness, once the place officially becomes yours, it is important to do your own inspection to evaluate the fire safety of the home. Many new homeowners in the Hudson Valley have lived in apartment or condo style homes before, so there could be some elements in your new place that you might not have considered previously.

Depending on the history of the property, you may need to make improvements before moving in so you can be certain that you will be fire-safe from the moment you unlock your new front door. Here are some key things to check for:

Doing a Fire Safety Inspection for Your New Home

Check the Smoke Detectors

The first thing you will want to check is the smoke detectors in the home, as over half of deaths. You will not only want to use the smoke detectors’ “test” feature to make sure they are functional, but you will also want to make sure that enough alarms have been installed throughout the home to keep everyone safe regardless of what room they are in. You should have a smoke detector on every floor, in every sleeping area and near the kitchen at a minimum.

Look Around for Fire Extinguishers

Fire extinguishers are something that usually gets sold with the house, but it is important to still check them if the previous owners left them behind. While fire extinguishers do not come with a hard expiration date, they do not last forever. You can easily check them by checking the

pressure gauge—if the needle is in the green part of the gauge, the extinguisher should still be functional. You should also make sure you have the right type of fire extinguisher; while many household models are multipurpose, some are only rated to put out certain types of fires.

Check and Empty the Dryer Vent

Though you are probably in the habit of clearing out your dryer’s lint trap every time you transfer in a load of laundry, inspecting the external vent is also something that should be done when you move in as lint is highly flammable. You can do this by pulling your dryer away from the wall and checking the vent that goes to the outside in order to prevent any debris or clothes lint from catching fire suddenly.

Have the Air Ducts Cleaned

If you have a central heat and air conditioning unit in the home, a good rule of thumb for better indoor air quality is to have the duct work inspected and cleaned. Over time, the unit collects debris, dust, pollen, dander and pollutants. While this is normal, the ducts get overloaded and can’t clean the air as needed and your system will work harder to maintain the environment.

Moving into a new home is exciting and is sure to bring years of wonderful memories. Should you ever experience fire or water damage, need your dryer vent or ducts cleaned, count on SERVPRO of Kingston/New Paltz to be there! Here to help with an emergency response 24 hours a day!